De Benedictis Paola
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Role | Director |
| Structure | SCS5 – Mammalian and Aquatic Species Virology National Reference Centre, WOAH Reference Laboratory, FAO Reference Centre for Rabies |
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| Phone | +39 049 8084385 | |
| pdebenedictis@izsvenezie.it |
Professional profile
Paola De Benedictis is Director of the SCS5 – Mammalian and Aquatic Species Virology Unit of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), as well as Director of the National Reference Centre, the WOAH Reference Laboratory, and the FAO Reference Centre for Rabies.
She graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Bologna in 2002, specialized in Animal Health, Breeding, and Livestock Production at the University of Teramo in 2006, and obtained her PhD in Veterinary Sciences from the University of Padua in 2012.
She is a virologist with expertise in viral zoonoses. Since 2005, her work has focused primarily on the diagnosis of rabies in humans and animals, as well as the evaluation of rabies vaccine-induced antibody responses in humans and companion animals. Over the years, her research team has gained national and international recognition for diagnostic innovation and development, support to developing countries, and the development of next-generation immunotherapeutics for human disease prevention.
Her main research interests include the mechanisms of inter-species transmission of viral pathogens and the development of innovative human therapies. In recent years, her group has established active surveillance plans to monitor synanthropic species of insectivorous bats in Northern Italy. This activity is part of a broader project funded by the Italian Ministry of Health, aimed at investigating the host relationship with rabies-related lyssaviruses.
She coordinates numerous diagnostic and research activities at the National Reference Centre for Rabies and the WOAH Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases at the Human-Animal Interface, with a special emphasis on infections caused by Lyssaviruses, Coronaviruses, and Influenza viruses.
Internationally, she coordinates training programmes promoted by the IZSVe in collaboration with and supported by international organizations such as UN-FAO, IAEA-FAO, EU, ILRI, WHO, and WOAH. She has served—and continues to serve—as a partner in research projects focusing on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prevention of viral zoonoses, particularly rabies. Since 2015, she has been an active member of the Partners for Rabies Prevention group.