Padua-native Antonio Chiocca to Take Over Neurosurgery Dept. at Brigham and Women’s

Brigham and Women’s Hospital announced Thursday that it has appointed a new chairman of neurosurgery, Boston.com reports.

Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca will lead the neurosurgery department at both the Brigham and Faulkner Hospital, beginning August 1.

A native of Padua, Italy, Chiocca got his medical degree and a Ph.D. at the University of Texas at El Paso, according to the release.

Born in Padua, Italy, Chiocca moved to the United States when his father, who served in the Italian military, received a NATO assignment at Fort Bliss near El Paso, Texas, according to UTHouston.edu. Chiocca enrolled in the University of Texas at El Paso and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1982.

A summer internship program at MD Anderson during his sophomore year sparked his interest in science. During graduate school, impressed by his neuroscience course work, he gravitated toward a career in neurosurgery.

Chiocca’s medical career has focused on the treatment of a particularly lethal form of brain cancer – glioma. Chiocca’s research is centered on better understanding how brain tumors develop and enhancing treatments.