Education
- 2005/06 – 2009/10 High School Diploma at the Liceo Classico Statale “Mario Cutelli”
(Catania, Italy) with 100/100
- 2010/11 – 2015/16 M.D., University of Catania School of Medicine (Magna Cum Laude), discussing a degree thesis on “Tumori Filloidi Maligni e Borderline della Mammella: Studio Clinico-patologico di 25 Casi”.
- 2017/18 – 2021 Residency, Pathology, University of Verona (Magna Cum Laude), discussing a degree thesis on “Impact of Digital Pathology on Kidney Pre-Implantation Biopsies Evaluation from Extended Criteria Donors”.
- 2018 Guest Scientist, University of Graz (Austria), Division of Dermatopathology, Department of Dermatology.
- 2021-2024 PhD Program in Inflammation, Immunity, and Cancer, University of Verona, discussing a thesis on “Identification of Diagnostic and Predictive Morphological and Molecular Markers in Renal Tumors”.
Academic background
Current role – Research RTT
Previous experiences:
- From July 2023 – ongoing Pathologist at Division of Pathology, Humanitas Istituto Clinico Catanese, Catania, Italy (Director Dr. Antonio Rizzo)
- From January 2022 to May 2023 Pathologist at the Department of Pathology, Pederzoli Hospital, Peschiera del Garda, Italy (Director Prof. G. Martignoni)
Membership and leadership roles
- 2023- 2024 Member of the Editorial Board “Helyion” section Helyion Oncology
- 2024 Topic Editor of the Issue “Value of a multidisciplinary approach for modern diagnosis of infectious diseases” in “Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology”;
- 2023 Guest Editor of the Issue “Artificial Intelligence and Oncogenesis” in “Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis”;
- 2024-2025 Guest Editor of the Issue “Automation in the pathology laboratory” in “Journal of Molecular Pathology”;
- 2025 Guest Editor of the Issue “Molecular Pathology and Human Cancers” in “Cancers”.
My research mainly covers three still-evolving fields of pathology: i) kidney cancer, ii) breast cancer. and iii) digital pathology. In the last years, my work at the University of Verona focused on identifying key biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis of different types of kidney cancer and carrying a potential role in the differential diagnosis among them, with the final aim of providing patients with specifically designed targeted therapies. Similarly, during my last years at the division of Pathology in Humanitas Istituto Clinico Catanese, I have investigated the different immunohistochemical and molecular profiles in a wide breast cancer cohort. Our results underscore how detailed analysis is the key to tailoring tumors with specific targeted therapies and then providing patients with personalized treatments. Regarding digital pathology, my research seeks to investigate how these novel technologic tools, often exploiting AI-based programs, may significantly help physicians in their daily routines. Our group’s ultimate goal is to show the reliability and safety of digital pathology with many histological and cytological specimens, especially cancer cases, supporting its broad adoption by the medical community.
Main research fields:
- Uropathology
- Breast Pathology
- Digital Pathology and Automation in Pathology
- Marletta S, Caliò A, Bogina G, Rizzo M, Brunelli M, Pedron S, Marcolini L, Stefanizzi L, Gobbo S, Princiotta A, Porta C, Pecoraro A, Antonelli A, Martignoni G. STING is a prognostic factor related to tumor necrosis, sarcomatoid dedifferentiation, and distant metastasis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Virchows Arch. 2023 Jul;483(1):87-96. doi: 10.1007/s00428-023-03549-y.
- Caliò A, Marletta S, Settanni G, Rizzo M, Gobbo S, Pedron S, Stefanizzi L, Munari E, Brunelli M, Marcolini L, Pesci A, Fratoni S, Pierconti F, Raspollini MR, Marchetti A, Doglioni C, Amin MB, Porta C, Martignoni G. mTOR eosinophilic renal cell carcinoma: a distinctive tumor characterized by mTOR mutation, loss of chromosome 1, cathepsin-K expression, and response to target therapy. Virchows Arch. 2023 Dec;483(6):821-833. doi: 10.1007/s00428-023-03688-2.
- Marletta S, Giorlandino A, Cavallo E, Dello Spedale Venti M, Leone G, Tranchina MG, Gullotti L, Bonanno CL, Spoto G, Falzone G, Tornabene I, Trovato C, Baron MM, Di Mauro G, Falsaperna L, Angelico G, Pafumi S, Rizzo A. Discordance of Biomarker Expression Profile between Primary Breast Cancer and Synchronous Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Preoperative Core Needle Biopsy. Diagnostics (Basel). 2024 Jan 25;14(3):259. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14030259.
- Marletta S, Fusco N, Munari E, Luchini C, Cimadamore A, Brunelli M, Querzoli G, Martini M, Vigliar E, Colombari R, Girolami I, Pagni F, Eccher A. Atlas of PD-L1 for Pathologists: Indications, Scores, Diagnostic Platforms and Reporting Systems. J Pers Med. 2022 Jun 29;12(7):1073.
- Caldonazzi N, Rizzo PC, Eccher A, Girolami I, Fanelli GN, Naccarato AG, Bonizzi G, Fusco N, d’Amati G, Scarpa A, Pantanowitz L, Marletta S. Value of Artificial Intelligence in Evaluating Lymph Node Metastases. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Apr 26;15(9):2491. doi: 10.3390/cancers15092491.