The Sbarro Health Research Organization is a Philadelphia-based biomedical research center founded in 1993 by Professor Antonio Giordano, an oncologist and geneticist who is now the center’s director. It focuses on molecular oncology, genetics and biotechnology, and collaborates with universities, hospitals and international institutions. In 30 years of activity, it has become a point of reference for the study of the molecular mechanisms of cancer, but also a bridge between the United States and Italy, where parallel research projects are now active.
A mission, that of SHRO, which is carried out on a daily basis by medical and management professionals, particularly on this last point the efforts of Vice President Giancarlo Arra are focused. Seeking and finalizing strategic partnerships along the Europe-US axis is one of Vice President Arra’s tasks, well aware that only through the right assets can quality scientific research be guaranteed.
Born in ’88, Giancarlo Arra began early on to navigate the world of international business, through the attractiveness of a research center increasingly prominent on the world stage. Hard work that contributed greatly to the economic growth of SHRO, which has since continued to grind out relevant scientific achievements as well. To learn more about SHRO’s managerial perspective, we conducted a lengthy interview with Vice President Giancarlo Arra.
Dr. Arra, what are the priorities in your work at SHRO? “I start by premising that the main mission of SHRO is the dissemination of scientific knowledge as a pillar for the improvement of our life on Earth. I believe it is essential to never lose sight of the true essence of SHRO, partly because this gives us more drive and dynamism in finding strategic partnerships to hit the target. Science is a cog in a much larger engine, and among those cogs is surely efficient and effective management. My role is precisely to finalize the best assets for our researchers.”
What is the connection between seeking funding and supporting young researchers? “Thanks to fundraisers, such as the one promoted during the Gala evening in Vico Equense, we are able to fund scholarships for promising young scientists. The last $200,000 fundraiser allowed us to fund ten scholarships-that’s a really important milestone. It’s not just numbers, we’re talking about initiating research developed by young excellence in medicine and biology that could change the medicine of the future.”
How does the financial component affect SHRO’s work? “We own cutting-edge technologies that we make available to our researchers. From the work we do, we have the basis for what have become two new drugs to fight breast cancer. We do significant preclinical work, so we don’t just “limit” ourselves to research to develop new solutions against cancer. We think that thanks to our financial work in recent years, we have managed to fund more than fifty million dollars in scientific research projects.”
What happens after a researcher arrives at Sbarro? What is the path? “They find a competitive, but healthy environment. State-of-the-art laboratories, machinery that is not there elsewhere. But most importantly, they compete in the international ring, they acquire a cultural background that they can bring back to Italy. Our doors are particularly open to young people from the South, who are often penalized because of a division that is still imposing. I like to think that SHRO is a hotbed for the dreams of young Italian scientists who look with distrust at their future. We are there to give them hope and opportunity.”
We know that cancer diseases are a crucial topic in Italy, especially in the South. What synergy is there with major Italian institutions? “We have collaborations with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of University and Research. I cannot go into details, but I can say that we were among the first to denounce, with independent research, the situation in the Terra dei Fuochi. This work exposed us, but it also strengthened our scientific credibility. Cancer is an intelligent disease, difficult to eradicate completely in its advanced stages. But the direction is right: therapies will be increasingly personalized, increasingly targeted. The goal is no longer just the ultimate cure, but the control of the disease. As is the case with diabetes: that is our hope.”
Now, however, his gaze turns again to Italy, particularly Turin. What’s new? “We had the opportunity there to build a state-of-the-art center with ample space and more favorable logistical conditions. We are talking about 12,000 square meters of laboratories in the beautiful city of Turin. And we are not only dealing with oncology: we are carrying out a project called Sport Genomic, to study the genetics of athletes. Sbarro Italia is a dynamic reality with a strong social vocation. The idea was to bring a little bit of America to Italy, and we did it together with Antonio Graziano and Riccardo D’Aquino, who as students had gained experience in our laboratories. Today they are successful entrepreneurs in the biotechnology sector. When we got together, we said to each other: we have to do for young people what Sbarro did for us.”
Next date to meet SHRO Italy? “The date of June 25 will be really special. Building on the success of the last edition, we have again chosen Vico Equense for the SHRO Grand Gala. Minister Urso will also be present, along with Minister Schillaci, who has been following us for some time now and has become our supporter. The occasion is propitious to meet professionals, entrepreneurs and researchers all committed to one goal: the advancement of science.”
The article From Naples to Philadelphia: the success of the Sbarro Health Research Organization comes from TheNewyorker.
