The ‘G. d'Annunzio’ University of Chieti–Pescara contributes to the progress of knowledge through both basic and applied scientific research. This is spearheaded in the medical fields by the two Centres of Excellence: the Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), and the Centre for Research into Aging (CeSI). For some years, both of these Centres have represented an investment into the future of the University. In the laboratories of the Centres, scientific research and investigation programmes can be carried on in various fields of medical and biological interest, with the prospect of expanding the research horizons to which human and financial resources are committed. The ‘G. d'Annunzio’ University has thus obtained increased exposure across national and international scientific communities in high-interest fields of study and research, such as oncology, aging-related pathologies, and magnetic resonance imaging diagnostics.
Indeed, over the years, the University has become known for the success of its research in specific scientific fields, and has gained appreciation and awards at both national and international levels. For example, of particular note, a test for early detection of AIDS (which is caused by the HIV virus) using a ‘90K’ marker was developed by Prof Stefano Iacobelli, the holder of the Chair in Medical Oncology (July 1990). The research carried out by the Anthropology Section of the University is also of particular interest, which addresses many fields that are related to both the Anthropology of the living and the Anthropology of fossil and ancient Man. All of these activities take place as part of the University Museum, and they make use of the particular laboratory and logistics set-up.
The study of ancient human bones that come mainly from archaeological contexts represents the main analysis and documentation activities that the Anthropology section has been developing for over 20 years now. Anthropological research on human remains from archaeological finds aims to reconstruct the palaeodemographic structure, health status and behavioural patterns of ancient human populations. In particular, these studies concern historical and proto-historical skeletal populations of Abruzzo and Italy. The Herculaneum victims of the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 are among the most important ancient human populations that are studied here.
A further area of research is the study and documentation of ancient mummified human remains. Numerous and significant cases have been studied by the Anthropology section, from the mummified body of St. Rose of Viterbo, to the mummy of the banker Roberto Calvi, and including the Similau mummy and several mummified human remains that were found in the Abruzzo region.
Moreover, recent analyses have been carried out by the Anthropologists of the University Museum of Chieti in collaboration with the Elettra Synchrotron Research Centre of Trieste and the University of New England in Sydney (Australia), regarding the hyoid bone of a Neanderthal man that was discovered in 1989 on the site of Kebara in Israel. The results of these analyses strongly argue that the Neanderthals could speak like us. This study was published in the American journal PLoS ONE, and shows the results of a comparison between the biomechanical properties of this bone, which is positioned at the base of the tongue, and those of similar finds of Homo sapiens. The Palaeontologist Ruggero D'Anastasio (first author) and Professor Luigi Capasso were among the authors of this study.
The cultural and scientific research activities are constantly presented at and disseminated through national and international meetings, conferences, congresses, seminars, and refresher courses, and through initiatives for the integration of the University within the Abruzzo and the Italian territories.
The main research journals of the ‘G. d 'Annunzio’ University are:
The occasions on which the University has been able to leave its mark on the territory that hosts it have not been very numerous to date, although great efforts have been made especially in recent years to establish closer relationships with the surrounding territories. Among the official events for which participation by the ‘G, d’Annunzio’ University can be mentioned was the invitation from the Abruzzo Region to the Steering Committee of the project for cultural tourist itineraries in the south of Italy, and research into the “Reintegration of the Abruzzo territories in the relationship between the coastal strip and the surrounding areas", carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Technology and the Abruzzo Region. Moreover, within the University, a dedicated space was created for the botanical garden known as the Garden of Simples (i.e., simple plants; Giardino dei Semplici), which includes a collection of medicinal plants that forms an additional resource for teaching and dissemination of the scientific knowledge in the University. Indeed, the flower beds of the Garden of Simples hosts a collection of over 400 herbaceous and woody medicinal species that are related to traditional medicine and are still used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial fields. These include both native and exotic plants, although special attention is given to the Abruzzo endemic flora and the species that are at risk of extinction. These are collected here and conserved in accordance with the principle of the protection of plant biodiversity, so much so that the Garden of Simples has been recognized as being of regional interest. Indeed, it provides a safeguard for the vegetation that it hosts, and fosters knowledge, understanding and appreciation.
