Biography
Leonardo Palombi is Full Professor of Hygiene and Public Health. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery in 1979 and completed his specialisation in Hygiene and Public Health, building his career at the intersection of preventive medicine, epidemiology and the organisation of health systems.
An epidemiologist of international standing, he has worked for decades alongside the Community of Sant’Egidio, contributing to the DREAM programme for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and maternal-child health in sub-Saharan Africa. His scholarly record includes an h-index of 47 and over 7,000 citations.
Since 2023 he is Rector of the Catholic University “Our Lady of Good Counsel” (UNIZKM) in Tirana, where he leads the institutional development of medical, health and veterinary programmes within the European Higher Education Area.
From 2020 to 2024 he served as Secretary of the National Commission for the Reform of Health and Social Care for the Elderly at the Italian Ministry of Health, and since 2025 as Secretary of the Commission for the implementation of Law 33/2023.
He is Scientific Director of Fondazione Età Grande, leading research on frailty screening, telemedicine and integrated socio-health pathways. His current focus is the ethical governance of artificial intelligence applied to ageing societies — the founding intuition of AEGIS.