Toulon - The scientific community is mourning the loss of Nerina Mogentale Profizi, an internationally respected geneticist who passed away on February 9 in Toulon, France. She was 86.
Born in Pravisdomini in 1938, Profizi moved to Marseille with her family at a young age, where she later built a distinguished academic and medical career. She served as a university lecturer, worked in the hospitals of Marseille and went on to lead the Medical Biology Laboratory at the Toulon–La Seyne Hospital Center, as well as teaching hematology at the University of Toulon.
A pioneer in molecular biology, Profizi established a DNA-focused laboratory that became a national reference point in France for research on HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other viral diseases. She also authored numerous scientific publications and books and was a frequent speaker at international conferences.
Her contribution extended to population genetics, with a landmark study on the DNA of communities in Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto, widely cited in international scientific literature. Over the course of her career, she received several prestigious honors, including the French Order of Academic Palms and Italy’s Order of the Star of Solidarity. (9colonne)