He is internationally recognized as one of the leading physicians and researchers in pediatric allergy, gastroenterology, and nutrition.
He received his MD and PhD degrees from University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy.
He is board certified in Pediatrics.
He is full professor of Pediatrics.
He is the Chief of the Pediatric Allergy Gastroenterology and Nutrition Comprehensive Education, Treatment and Support Program at the University Federico II of Naples one of the largest providers of pediatric allergy and gastroenterology services in the EU. He is the founder and chief of the ImmunoNutritionLab at Ceinge Advanced Biotechnologies Research Center.
The ImmunoNutritionLab is highly multidisciplinary and encompasses research on several pediatric diseases with the aim to move disease biology from the laboratory to clinical practice. The research at the “ImmunoNutritionLab” is focused on modern nutritional interventions with a pivotal role in improving the health status of both current and future generations.
He is the founder and member of the Advisory Board of the Task Force on Microbiome Studies, a collective and multidisciplinary microbiome initiative bringing together facilities from 14 different Departments and expertise from more than 100 staff scientists spanning soil/plant/food/human microbiome, and including chemistry, engineering and social sciences at the University Federico II of Naples, Italy (www.tfm.unina.it).
He is the Founder and the Chief of the MediHealthLab, a scientific consortium sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Health, involving five Italian universities and more than 150 researchers. The consortium is dedicated to the investigation of the impact of the Mediterranean Diet on human health and malnutrition.
He is author of more than 500 papers on the most relevant scientific journals. His publications are widely quoted (collectively more than >37.000 citations as May 2024). H-index Google Scholar 85. Total impact factor score: >5500.
Associate editor of Frontiers in Pediatrics, Frontiers in Nutrition, Frontiers in Allergy, World Journal of Gastroenterology, Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research, Allergies, International Journal of Autoimmune Disease & Therapy.
He is member of many national scientific societies (Italian Society of Pediatrics, Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, Italian Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Italian Society of Infectious Diseases, Italian Society of Pediatric Research). Vice-president of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) (2008-2012) and actual chief of the food-induced diseases working group (from 2014). He is member of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN).
He has obtained several scientific prizes for the research activity.
He has received >450 personal invitations to speak at international conferences, most of these as a Keynote or Plenary speaker.
Member of the Expert Panel (from 2011) and of the Dietetic products, Nutrition and Allergies Panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (2012-2015).
From 2013 he is enclosed in the list of Top 100 Italian Scientists of VIA-Academy.
In 2019 he has been enclosed in the Plos Biology list of the most influent international scientists in the world.
The Expertscape’s PubMed-based algorithms place Dr. Berni Canani in the top 1% of scholars writing about Cow Milk Allergy over the past 10 years.
Dr. Berni Canani has extensive local and international academic research collaborations (in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America).
Research fellowship at the Division of Pediatric Digestive Diseases, Chicago Children’s Hospital, Chicago University, Chicago USA. Visiting Professor at the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Mass General Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston Massachusetts, USA. Research fellowship at the Division of Pediatric Nutrition, Mass General Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Visiting Professor at the Division of Pediatric Digestive Diseases, Chicago Children’s Hospital, Chicago University, Chicago Illinois. Visiting Scholar at the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA. Visiting Professor at the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Visiting Professor at the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology University, Chicago USA.
Member of the reviewers panel of “Research Projects of National Relevance (PRIN)”of the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research (from 2009); “The Research Projects and Fellowships Fund on Food and Nutrition with Implications on Public Health” Ministry of Health of the State of Israel (2013); “Health Research Board (HRB) Strategic Business Plan 2010- 2014 – The Future of Irish Health” (HRA-POR-2014-553)(2014); ”Hertha Firnberg-Program of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)” (2015-2017); “NWO Council for Earth and Life Sciences” (ALW), Ministry of Health Kingdom of the Netherlands (2015); “RFI Food for Tomorrow-Cap Aliment: Transition and adaptation of food systems for the future”. European Community Research Grant (2015-2020); “Czech Science Foundation” (2017). “National Institute for Health Research” (NHS), UK (from 2018).
© 2026 Roberto Berni Canani.
