Fabio Di Francesco

Fabio Di Francesco is Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa (Italy), where he leads the Chemistry Lab for Analytical Technologies (CATS). His research focuses on the identification of clinically relevant molecules in easily accessible biological fluids—such as breath, saliva, and sweat—for the development of unobtrusive diagnostic tools. He also works on (wearable) sensor technologies and low-cost analytical systems to translate research innovations into real-world applications for health monitoring, workplace safety, and environmental protection.
Prof. Di Francesco holds a BS in Physics and a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Pisa, where he conducted his doctoral work at the “E. Piaggio” Research Center on multisensor systems for environmental and food analysis. He subsequently spent six years at the Institute of Clinical Physiology (CNR, Pisa), extending his research to biomedical sensors and breath analysis. He joined the University of Pisa in 2006, where he continues to develop analytical technologies at the intersection of chemistry, nanomaterials, and medicine.
He has served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Breath Research since 2016 and became Associate Editor in 2020. He chaired the Breath Summit held in Pisa in 2022 and is Co-Founder and Scientific Advisor of Metitech, a University of Pisa spin-off dedicated to translating CATS technologies into commercial solutions.
His recent research includes advanced chemical profiling using GC×GC-HRMS and PTR-TOF to study human skin volatile emissions and explore the role of chemosignals in social communication, within the EU-funded project POTION, which aims to harness human chemosignals to modulate social behavior and support mental health.