Leonardo Longo

Leonardo Longo is a surgeon, endocrinologist, and a professor of Laser Medicine and Plastic Surgery at the San Marino Biomedical University. From 1995 to 2010, he was a professor of Laser Surgery and Medicine at the General Surgery School of the University of Siena, Italy. He was a Visiting Researcher Professor at the Bethesda me Vanderbilt University in the USA, at the Czeske Budejovice University in Kladno and Prague, Czech Republic, and at the Vilnius University in Lithuania. Currently, he is the Scientific Director of the Laser Medicine Institute of Florence (I.L.M.), the President and founder of the International Academy for Laser in Medicine and Surgery (I.A.L.M.S.), a fellow member in 28 scientific societies, and an honorary member of five. In the past, he was the President of the International Society for Laser Surgery and Medicine (I.S.L.S.M.) from 2005 to 2009, and the President of the International Photo Therapy Association from 2008 to 2010. He was also the President Elect of the World Federation of Societies for Laser Medicine and Surgery (W.F.S.L.M.S.) from 2013 to 2017. He is in charge of the W.F.L.S.M.S. continuous education programs in Laser Medicine and Surgery, which are held in 95 Countries. He has been studying the biological and surgical effects of laser on human tissues - particularly on the skin, veins, the immune system, muscles, tendons, nerves and connective tissues - with a particular focus on scars’ an skin ulcers’ healing processes, on the hypertrophic scars and keloids remodelling, as well as on the effects of surgical knife and tissue coagulation. He owns a patent for the laser treatment of adult stem cells, and experimentally resorts to lasers to achieve normal levels of blood sugar levels in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes, and to stabilize the immune system in chronic degenerative diseases - such as AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis and many others. 6 EDIZIONE 2019 Prof. Longo has successfully utilized laser techniques also for the treatment of post-trauma spine marrow and brain lesions. He wrote over a hundred scientific articles published in international journals, more than 20 books or chapters in scientific essays, around 280 reports on conferences – being an invited speaker or the chairperson in approximately half of those conferences. Since 1997, he has been the President of the Laser Florence Conference and Courses, and the Chief Editor of Laser Florence Proceedings – published by SPIE in Bellingham, USA, until 2005, and by the American Institute of Physics (AIP), afterwards. He is a member of the editorial committee of Laser in Medical Science; Laser Therapy (Tokyo); Journal of Applied Biomedicine (Czech Rep); Acta Medica (Czech Rep); Leadership Medica (Italy); Dermatologic Therapy; Academy of Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine (Warsaw, Poland).

Reasons for awarding the prize

Prof. Leonardo Longo is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest innovators with regard to the use of laser in Medicine. Thanks to his fundamental contributions, this technique conquered dignity and a modern and advanced position in the scientific community both in Italy and abroad. Not only did Prof. Longo promote the use of laser and the culture of laser-based therapy, but also he contributed to the significant progress of medical education, through his capability to instil in young students and doctors a deep passion for scientific research, with a constant commitment aimed at the humanization of Medicine.