SOCIOBIOLOGY

Renowned psychiatrist illuminates biological roots of mental illness through pioneering research

Professor Francesco Benedetti bridges neuroscience and clinical practice at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele

Genomic Press

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Francesco Benedetti, MD, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.

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Credit: Francesco Benedetti, MD

MILANO, Italy, 3 June 2025 – In a comprehensive Genomic Press Interview published in Brain Medicine, Professor Francesco Benedetti shares his transformative journey from confronting childhood awareness of mental illness to becoming a leading figure in psychiatric research. As founder and leader of the Psychiatry & Clinical Psychobiology research unit at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Dr. Benedetti has dedicated decades to reclaiming psychiatry's rightful place within medical science.

Professor Benedetti's career trajectory reflects both personal conviction and scientific rigor. Despite facing rejection from traditional psychiatric training programs that viewed mental illness as merely "functional," he persevered through an alternative path that ultimately revolutionized treatment approaches for mood disorders. "I see no boundaries between science and everyday clinical work," Dr. Benedetti states, emphasizing his commitment to translating research directly into patient care.

Chronotherapeutics: A Revolutionary Approach to Treatment

The urgent need to help acutely depressed, suicidal patients with bipolar disorder who showed no response to standard antidepressant treatments drove Professor Benedetti and his colleagues toward chronotherapeutics. Their innovative protocols combining environmental stimuli such as light and dark with sleep-wake rhythm manipulations have achieved rapid therapeutic effects in acute depression. These developments emerged from direct clinical observation rather than theoretical speculation.

Professor Benedetti's team pioneered techniques that remain widely used today. Through international lecture tours, he continues teaching colleagues these methods developed in the 1990s, demonstrating how neuroscience research and clinical practice can harmonize effectively. The work has revealed crucial insights into how genetic variants of core clock machinery components including GSK-3β, CLOCK, and hPER3 influence human behavior and brain function.

Uncovering the Immune Connection in Mood Disorders

A pattern of unusual infections and autoimmune conditions among psychiatric patients sparked Professor Benedetti's exploration into immuno-psychiatry. His clinical observations of patients experiencing relapses following fevers and infections led to groundbreaking research on immune-inflammatory mechanisms in mood disorder etiopathogenesis. This perspective gained particular relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Professor Benedetti predicted and subsequently documented post-COVID depression linked to prolonged inflammation.

Current research in Professor Benedetti's laboratory focuses on how gene variants moderate the effects of life events and pathogen exposure on immune-inflammatory setpoints. These mechanisms ultimately impair brain homeostasis, particularly affecting white matter integrity. Through advanced neuroimaging techniques, his team has demonstrated how the interaction between genetic factors, adverse childhood experiences, and low-grade inflammation produces measurable changes in brain structure.

Bridging Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Reality

Professor Benedetti's approach to psychiatric genomics extends beyond academic interest. By studying functional polymorphisms affecting treatment response, his research has contributed to personalized medicine approaches now offered through pharmacogenetic screening packages worldwide. Notably, variants affecting serotonin promoter, 5-HT2A, COMT, and GSK-3β genes influence both illness course and treatment outcomes.

The integration of brain imaging with genetic analysis has revealed how treatment interacts with gene variants to alter neural responses and brain structure during recovery. This comprehensive approach demonstrates that mood disorders involve complex interactions between biological vulnerability, environmental exposure, and therapeutic intervention. Questions arising from this work include: How might early identification of genetic risk profiles guide preventive interventions? Could immune system modulation become a primary treatment strategy for certain mood disorder subtypes?

Challenging Medical Misogyny and Advancing Women's Health

Beyond his scientific contributions, Professor Benedetti advocates passionately against medical misogyny and the dismissal of women's mental health concerns. He challenges the persistent notion that conditions specific to women represent weakness or hysteria, noting that suicide remains the leading cause of postpartum death in developed nations. This advocacy reflects his broader commitment to reducing stigma by demonstrating that mental illnesses are "deeply rooted in our body malfunction, as it happens in every other branch of medicine."

His research perspective appears endless, driven by exponential progress in neuroscience and the recognition that modern psychiatry remains "still in its infancy." Professor Benedetti continues observing patients, asking questions, and applying new methodological advances to unlock the biological basis of mental suffering. The rewards come not from academic accolades but from seeing other researchers build upon his findings to increase patient benefits.

A Life Dedicated to Scientific Truth

Professor Francesco Benedetti's Genomic Press interview is part of a larger series called Innovators & Ideas that highlights the people behind today's most influential scientific breakthroughs. Each interview in the series offers a blend of cutting-edge research and personal reflections, providing readers with a comprehensive view of the scientists shaping the future. By combining a focus on professional achievements with personal insights, this interview style invites a richer narrative that both engages and educates readers. This format provides an ideal starting point for profiles that delve into the scientist's impact on the field, while also touching on broader human themes. More information on the research leaders and rising stars featured in our Innovators & Ideas – Genomic Press Interview series can be found in our publications website: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/.

The Genomic Press Interview in Brain Medicine titled "Francesco Benedetti: breaking boundaries between modern psychiatry and clinical medicine," is freely available via Open Access on 3 June 2025 in Brain Medicine at the following hyperlink: https://doi.org/10.61373/bm025k.0065.

About Brain Medicine: Brain Medicine (ISSN: 2997-2639, online and 2997-2647, print) is a peer-reviewed medical research journal published by Genomic Press, New York. Brain Medicine is a new home for the cross-disciplinary pathway from innovation in fundamental neuroscience to translational initiatives in brain medicine. The journal's scope includes the underlying science, causes, outcomes, treatments, and societal impact of brain disorders, across all clinical disciplines and their interface.

Visit the Genomic Press Virtual Library: https://issues.genomicpress.com/bookcase/gtvov/

Our full website is at: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/

Francesco Benedetti immersed in visual art and music at Musea Brugge, January 2025, embodying his philosophy of satisfying his “voracious curiosity” through museum visits and cultural experiences.

Credit

Francesco Benedetti

Journal

Brain Medicine

DOI

10.61373/bm025k.0065 

Method of Research

News article

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Francesco Benedetti: breaking boundaries between modern psychiatry and clinical medicine

Article Publication Date

3-Jun-2025

 

A prolific discovery: three new orchid species endemic to Costa Rica and Panama

Pensoft Publishers

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Pleurothallis winkeliana flower and prolific growth.

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Credit: Karremans et al.

Three new orchid species from the genus Pleurothallis have been discovered in the cloud forests of Costa Rica and western Panama, each utilising an unusual method of asexual reproduction known as prolification.

Found in the cool, misty highlands of the Talamanca range at elevations between 1400 and 2550 metres, the newly discovered species, Pleurothallis matrisilvae, Pleurothallis pridgeoniana and Pleurothallis winkeliana are described in the open-access journal PhytoKeys. 

Prolification is a phenomenon by which plants produce miniature plantlets directly from their flowering stems, allowing them to bypass seed production and spread through vegetative means.

Whilst prolification is rarely a fixed feature within this group of orchids, it becomes common under stressful environmental conditions. The ability may be advantageous in the challenging conditions of cloud forests, but remains underexplored scientifically. Methods of asexual reproduction might also be important when pollinators are scarce.

The three new species, endemic to the mountains Costa Rica and western Panama, are each uniquely adapted and exhibit prolification in different ways, such as forming long chains or bushy growths. These adaptations helped researchers identify them as distinct species, despite their initial visual similarities with other plants. 

With close to 1700 species currently recorded, a third of which are not known to grow anywhere else in the world, Costa Rica is a well-known orchid biodiversity hotspot. The discovery of these orchids displays the Talamanca range’s significance as a rich and largely unexplored area. 

With these additions, Costa Rica now boasts 67 recognised species of Pleurothallis, though researchers believe many more await formal identification. Such abundance highlights the importance of conserving these unique ecosystems.

Thanks to Costa Rica’s robust system of protected areas (SINAC), local institutions such as Lankester Botanical Garden of the University of Costa Rica are able to uncover and describe floristic novelties in an effort to study and conserve the country’s unique biodiversity.

Original source

Karremans AP, Pupulin F, Gange J, Bogarín D (2025) Three new species of Pleurothallis (Orchidaceae) from Costa Rica and Panama, with a note on asexual reproduction by prolification in Pleurothallidinae. PhytoKeys 256: 197-220. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.256.140316

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Journal

PhytoKeys

DOI

10.3897/phytokeys.256.140316 

Article Title

Three new species of Pleurothallis (Orchidaceae) from Costa Rica and Panama, with a note on asexual reproduction by prolification in Pleurothallidinae

Prolific ramicauls in species across Pleurothallidinae A Zootrophion machaqwayi B Z. vulturiceps C Z. gracilentus D Lepanthopsis prolifera E Karma chaetoglossa F Karma sp. G Myoxanthus scandens H Dresslerella pilosissima I Trichosalpinx sp. J Trichosalpinx blaisdellii K Andinia sp. L Restrepia trichoglossa M Lepanthes sp. N Echinosepala uncinata O E. longipedunculata

Credit
Franco Pupulin

Prolific ramicauls in species of Pleurothallis. Macrophyllae-fasciculate group A P. matrisilvae B P. phyllocardioides C P. homalantha D Pleurothallis sp. E P. winkeliana F P. palliolata G, H P. pridgeoniana. Macrophyllae-racemosae group. Ancipitae group I P. eumecocaulon I P. crocodiliceps. Pleurothallis group J P. ruscifolia K Pleurothallis cf. ruscifolia L Pleurothallis sp. M P. rowleei.

Credit
Adam P. Karremans, Franco Pupulin.




Pleurothallis matrisilvae Karremans, A habit, showing some ramicauls bearing flowers and others bearing new growths B single leaf with flower C flower D dissected perianth (dorsal sepal, two lateral petals, lateral sepals fused into a synsepal and two views of the lip) E column and lip, lateral view F column and ovary, lateral and ventral views G two views of the anther cap and pollinarium.

Credit
Karremans et al.

Pleurothallis matrisilvae Karremans, A the florally similar P. bothros B bearing a single open flower and several developing buds C epiphytic plant in its natural habitat in Madreselva on the central Talamanca range, showing the prolific growth and asexual production of new units.

Credit
Adam P. Karremans




Pleurothallis pridgeoniana Karremans, A habit showing the typical prolific vegetative growth B prolific growth featuring a single flower on a secondary ramicaul C flower D dissected perianth (dorsal sepal, two lateral petals, two lateral sepals fused into a synsepal and a view of the lip) E lip F column and lip, lateral view G column, lip and ovary, lateral view H anther cap and pollinarium.

Credit
Karremans et al.

 

The heart of female elite athletes adapts differently than those of male elite athletes

Amsterdam University Medical Center

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Intensive exercise- and sport changes the heart of an athlete. Research led by Amsterdam UMC shows that the hearts of female athletes have different characteristics than those of male athletes. Whereas a thickening in combination with a dilation of the heart muscle is characteristic in male top athletes, dilation of the heart chambers is mainly seen in female elite athletes. An important observation that can help doctors to better distinguish between normal sports-related changes and possible heart disease in female athletes. These results were published today in European Heart Journal Cardiovascular Imaging. 

Difference Between Men and Women 
Despite the growing attention for biological differences between men and women in healthcare, women are still often underexposed in medical research. Harald Jorstad, sports cardiologist at Amsterdam UMC: "Women are still underrepresented in heart research, especially when it comes to sports cardiology research. But through our collaboration with the Dutch Olympic team, we have now also been able to gain knowledge from female elite athletes about adaptations in the morphology of the heart."  

Knowing what is normal 
With an MRI scan, the hearts of 173 female elite athletes were analysed down to the tissue level. Their hearts were compared to data from women who do not participate in professional sport. "We saw that in women who participate in professional sports, the heart chambers in particular become wider, while the heart muscle thickens only to a limited extent, and the heart tissue otherwise contains normal characteristics. This is different from a male athlete's heart: the heart muscle is frequently thicker than the heart muscle of a 'normal' heart. A characteristic that you also see in heart disease," says Jorstad. A thickened heart muscle is therefore to be expected in male elite athletes, while it is not normal in female elite athletes, and in females could indicate heart disease. "That is why it is important that we know from both men and women how the heart adapts through sport, and we know what is normal in an athlete," says Jorstad. 

Differences in type of sport 
Not only are there differences between men and women in how the heart adapts, but there is also a difference between different types of athletes. Maarten van Diepen, physician-researcher in sports cardiology at Amsterdam UMC: "Female endurance athletes, such as cyclists, had the largest heart chambers and the most heart muscle mass; more than strength athletes such as gymnasts. This shows that the way in which the heart of elite female athlete adapts also depends on the type of training load." 

Better guidance and protection of athletes 
This research underlines the importance of including not only sports history but also biological sex when assessing the heart of an elite or highly active recreational athlete. "This prevents heart disease in women from being overlooked. Or the other way around, that a healthy female athlete's heart is wrongly labeled as sick and the woman, for example, must stop with professional sport. More knowledge about the female athlete's heart helps doctors to better determine whether a heart is undergoing normal sports-related changes or whether further research into a possible heart disease is needed. This can ultimately help to better guide and protect female athletes, from professional to recreational, against heart problems," says Jorstad. 

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Journal

European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Sex-specific performance of electrocardiographic criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy in elite athletes

Article Publication Date

2-Jun-2025

 

The ”immune system” of a safe and equal Europe is in danger, according to researchers

Association of ERC Grantees

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The AERG logo

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The Association of ERC Grantees (AERG) expresses grave concern over the future of fundamental research in Europe. It released a statement in which it urges European leaders to protect fundamental science by increasing the autonomy of the European Research Council (ERC). Current discussions of the successor framework programme to Horizon Europe suggest it will be “tightly connected” to a European Competitiveness Fund.

This greatly endangers the ERC’s autonomy and thus its mission.

As behavioural scientist  Karin Roelofs, professor of experimental psychopathology at Radboud University in Nijmegen (The Netherlands) and vice president of AERG puts it, “Fundamental research is the immune system of a healthy, safe and equal society. While it may sound counterintuitive, fundamental, curiosity-driven research often leads to more breakthroughs than planned programmatic research. If the two compete within a single Competitiveness Fund, programmatic research will inevitably have the upper hand, because the more intuitive narrative of concretely planned research is easier to sell".

Cognitive psychologist Axel Cleeremans, research director of the Belgian Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique and President of AERG, adds: “This poses a serious threat to fundamental research, particularly within the current political climate. The European Commission is discussing  the future of the ERC right now.  European leaders must urgently protect the autonomy of the ERC by any means.”

Follows the full text of the statement:

The Association of ERC Grantees (AERG) urges European leaders to enhance the autonomy and the funding of the European Research Council to secure European competitiveness
Brussels — 2 June 2025 – The Association of ERC Grantees calls on European leaders to increase the autonomy and funding of the core EU agency supporting fundamental research - the European Research Council (ERC). Current discussions of the successor framework programme to Horizon Europe suggest it will be “tightly connected” to a European Competitiveness Fund. This greatly endangers the ERC’s unique position as a pan-European funder, one that is independent of any national and European political agenda and dedicated solely to scientific excellence.

Since 2007, the ERC has funded over 14K individuals to lead frontier research projects throughout Europe. Their work has created new knowledge, transformed lives, and spurred innovation in Europe. It has led to over 2200 patents (and other Intellectual Property Rights applications), over 400 spin-off companies, and no less than 14 ERC awardees have received a Nobel Prize. Commission President von der Leyen called the ERC “the crown jewel of the Horizon Europe framework programme” (Speech by President von der Leyen at the 70th anniversary of CERN, October 1, 2024: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_24_4982).

Continuation of this success story can only be guaranteed by 1) enhancing the ERC’s autonomy and 2) increasing its budget (See our statement "AERG Fully Supports the ERC Scientific Council's Call for a "Doubling of Spending on Research and Innovation" https://aerg.eu/news/the-aerg-fully-supports-the-erc-scientific-council-s-call-for-a-doubling-of-spending-on-research-and-innovation).

Autonomy is key: The ERC must be a stand-alone body with a dedicated permanent legal and institutional basis, to make it optimally functional for the next twenty years. Budget growth is particularly needed to keep up with a changing world in which bottom-up, excellence-based research is under threat.

The Association of ERC Grantees believes that the best and brightest minds in Europe will always contribute to shaping the future of Europe through their ideas, innovations, and applications. To do so, they need intellectual freedom, a research landscape that ensures quality and rigor, and the resources to support their work.

The ERC has played a key role in providing all these enabling factors, and it must continue to be led by scientists, for the common good. Fundamental curiosity-driven research provides the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and is therefore an essential pre-requisite for true competitiveness. Planned programmatic research also, of course, has its place. However, it is crucial to recognise the distinct and complementary natures of these two forms of research. If both types of research compete for resources within a single fund, the importance and organisation of fundamental
research risks being re-negotiated over and over again. This is a danger zone for any advanced society, because it shifts the focus to incremental rather than transformative impacts.
Now is the moment to update the ERC’s legal and operational structure, to strengthen it for the future and to guarantee its continued contribution to Europe’s competitiveness. The autonomy that the agency was granted in 2007 should be extended by establishing the ERC with its own governance, so ensuring its permanence as a stand-alone EU body. This is essential to implement is scientific strategy. Increasing its funding is essential to keep Europe’s top scientists and to be a magnet for talent from elsewhere. At this point, 40% of applicants to ERC calls are
rejected not because of a lack of excellence, but simply because there is no budget to fund them. This is a missed chance for Europe. The ERC represents a crucial investment in Europe’s future. An autonomous and well-funded ERC will continue to make an outstanding contribution to European competitiveness and quality of life, by transforming the breakthrough ideas of today into the innovative products, policies and systems of tomorrow.

We strongly urge all European leaders to demonstrate their commitment to fundamental research in Europe when discussing the successor framework programme to Horizon Europe. It is essential to enable scientists to continue delivering their groundbreaking contributions to societal progress. The best way for them to do so is to enhance the autonomy and the funding of the ERC.

NOTE FOR THE EDITORS
The Association of ERC Grantees (AERG) is an international non-profit organization established under Belgian law to represent the community of researchers awarded grants by the European Research Council (ERC). AERG supports and promotes excellence-based, bottom-up scientific research across Europe. Its core missions include fostering a vibrant research community, engaging the public on the value of fundamental research, and advocating for frontier science funding. Through networking, outreach, and policy engagement, the Association highlights the societal impact of high-risk, high-reward research and works to ensure diversity and quality in future ERC applications. AERG has around 250 members as of today. representing 21 countries (UK, FR, DE, NL, SP, IT, BE, CH, SW, AT, PT, GR, IL, IR, FI, DK, ND, PL, TU, SL, CZ).

For more information visit: https://aerg.eu

Chinese Team develops multi-dimensional framework to assess sustainable development

Ecosystem Health and Sustainability

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Huzhou includes five districts and counties, each with distinct development characteristics: Anji County, characterized by a low economic level but a high forest coverage; Wuxing District has high economic development, a large proportion of built-up areas and a dense population, but fewer green resources; and the other three districts that maintain a balance between GDP and green coverage.

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Credit: Yunting Xiong, Xiamen University

In 2015 the United Nations adopted Sustainable Development Goals that are related to social welfare, social equity, and environmental protection. They set a target of reaching these goals by 2030. Since the goals were proposed, China has implemented a wide range of strategies to achieve these goals. A research team, led by Professor Yonglong Lu, has developed a multi-dimensional framework and then used that framework to evaluate Huzhou city’s sustainable development from 2003 to 2022.

The research findings are published in the journal Ecosystem Health and Sustainability on May 12, 2025.

Sustainable development refers to a state of harmony between humans and nature. It describes responsible development that meets the needs of people both today and in future generations. Since the UN proposed the Sustainable Development Goals, most studies related to the goals have focused primarily on national and provincial levels. The dynamic changes and unique challenges at the local level have been mostly overlooked. There is a need for multi-dimensional evaluation systems that can account for regional characteristics and help pinpoint priorities for effective policy interventions.

“The purpose of this study was to build a city-scale sustainable development evaluation framework to assess the indicators of key areas of regional development. Based on this framework, a quantitative analysis of the interactions between multiple dimensions was conducted to accurately identify the key factors restricting local sustainable development,” said Yonglong Lu, a professor at Xiamen University.

The research team’s multi-dimensional evaluation framework consists of four primary dimensions – green economy, social progress, ecological environment, and innovative technology. This framework was an upgrade from the traditional three-dimensional system of “society-economy-environment.” The team further divided the four main dimensions into 16 secondary dimensions and 80 specific indicators. Then they used their framework to conduct a detailed evaluation of Huzhou’s sustainable development from 2003 to 2022. They found notable improvements in all the dimensions since 2003, with the greatest progress occurring in innovative technology.

The team used the network analysis method to reveal the synergy and trade-off relationship among dimensions to identify the priority areas of policy actions. Based on the multi-dimensional evaluation, they proposed the feasible path of multi-dimensional collaborative development for the dimensions with slower progress. This is a breakthrough from the traditional three pillars of ‘social, economic, and environmental dimensions,’ as technology innovation has taken a leading role in promoting the sustainable development and will take a more important role in the future.

The team chose Huzhou city for the case study area because it has made remarkable achievements in terms of green finance, circular economy, and low-carbon governance, accumulating abundant experience in green development. Huzhou is also famous for its abundant ecological resources and has made great efforts in green technology innovation and big data platform construction. Its experience provides valuable insights into regional sustainable development and serves as an ideal case for researching the Sustainable Development Goals.

The team’s city-scale sustainable development evaluation framework assessed the indicators of key areas of regional development in Huzhou. Their study not only provides scientific support for the sustainable development of Huzhou city, but also offers insights for sustainable development practices in other regions.

While synergies outweighed trade-offs in most secondary dimensions, the team identified significant trade-offs between air quality and green space construction. “This study provides a practical framework for evaluating the delivery of Sustainable Development Goals and identifying priority aspects to accelerate sustainable development at a city level,” said Lu.

Looking ahead, the research team sees the need to focus future research on the prediction and analysis of risk dynamics and development scenarios in order to provide accurate suggestions for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. “Our ultimate goal is to provide effective science-based suggestions for the delivery of Sustainable Development Goals with reduced risks or without any risks,” said Lu.

The research team includes Yunting Xiong, Kongming Li, Qi Wang, Zhenjun Zhang, Bin Sun, and Jingjing Yuan from Xiamen University, Fujian, China, and Yonglong Lu from Xiamen University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

This research is funded by the National Key R &D Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the International Partnership Program by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The illustration depicts the four primary dimensions and the 16 secondary dimensions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals; shows the flow of weights between dimensions and the Sustainable Development Goals.

(a) Green Economy; (b) Social Progress; (c) Ecological Environment; (d) Innovative Technology. The histogram represents the scores of the primary dimensions, and the value refers to the left coordinate axis. The line chart represents the scores of the secondary dimensions, and the value refers to the right coordinate axis.

Credit

Yunting Xiong, Xiamen University

Journal

Ecosystem Health and Sustainability

DOI

10.34133/ehs.0351 

Method of Research

Case study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Assessing Sustainable Development through Multidimensional Framework of Synergies and Trade-offs