Prof. Carmela Rita Balistreri has a position as an associate professor of Clinical Pathology and is currently working at the Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, Italy. She received her Ph.D. in pathobiology at the University of Palermo in 2007. She has focused her studies on identifying the cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of age-related diseases (ARDs), including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. A particular focus of her research is the study of endothelial dysfunction associated with ARD onset and progression, the endothelium being an essential component of the stroma of all the tissue types of body systems in humans. Approaches and targeting therapies to preserve the health of the endothelium is another goal of her team. She has received several grants and awards.