Roberto Giammalva, o più comunemente Rob,
Neurochirurgo, ricercatore in neuroscienze e neuroncologia, alpinista e fotografo.
Classe 1991, nasce in una ridente e assolata Palermo per trasferire presto il suo cuore sui monti più alti che le sue giornate gli hanno donato.
Alpinista e rocciatore, medico e fotografo, trascorre le sue giornate costantemente diviso tra l’amore per la ricerca, la medicina e la tensione interiore dell’infinito sconfinato delle vette, avventura dopo avventura.
Laureato in medicina e chirurgia, specialista in neurochirurgia, perfeziona la sua formazione in neuroscienze e neuroncologia, dedicando le sue energie alla neurochirurgia, alla ricerca scientifica e al connubio tra medicina e alpinismo. Accarezzata la nuda roccia dopo anni di montagne e sentieri vissuti attraverso i suoi scarponi, ritrae le sue terre alte attraverso la lente fotografica, dedicando le sue passioni a quanti incrocia sul cammino.

Attività accademica
Affiliazioni:
- A.R.N.A.S. Civico Di Cristina Benfratelli – U.O.C. Neurochirurgia
- Università degli Studi di Palermo – Dipartimento di Biomedicina Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata (BiND) – PhD Course in Neurosciences
Principali ambiti di ricerca:
- Neuroncologia
- Bio-imaging e planning chirurgico avanzato
- Neurosonologia, neurosonologia intraoperatoria e contrast-enhanced (IOUS – CEUS)
- Proteomica e genomica delle patologie neurodegenerative applicate ai disturbi del movimento
- Chirurgia spinale e cranio-encefalica
- Neuromodulazione, neurochirurgia funzionale e stereotassica
- Elettrofisiologia e neuroscienze della percezione e del comportamento motorio
- Fisiopatologia dell’ipossia ipobarica e delle funzioni nervose superiori in ambiente d’alta quota
- Medicina in ambiente ad alto rischio alpino ed ipogeo
Pubblicazioni
2021. Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative post-neurosurgical meningitis and the role of intraventricular colistin: a case series.  Infez Med 29(1):130-137
,2021. Focused Ultrasound in Neuroscience. State of the Art and Future Perspectives.  Brain Sci 11.
,2020. The subway tunneling technique for distal shunt catheter insertion.  Br J Neurosurg 34(1):18-19
,2020. Is Transcranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Focused Ultrasound a Repeatable Treatment Option? Case Report of a Retreated Patient With Tremor Combined With Parkinsonism.  Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 18(6):577-582
,2019. Letter to the Editor Regarding "Gelatin Paste as an Alternative Cost-Effective Hemostatic Agent in Cranial Surgery: Doing More with Less".  World Neurosurg 126:701
,2019. Pulsed radiofrequency energy device (PEAK plasmablade™) and CustomBone® Cranioplasty: an appealing surgical rendez-vous.  Br J Neurosurg.
,2019. Learning Curve in Surgical Treatment of Odontoid Fixation for a Series of Type II C2 Fractures.  Acta Neurochir Suppl 125:325-327
,2019. The Craniovertebral Junction in Rheumatoid Arthritis: State of the Art.  Acta Neurochir Suppl 125:79-86
,2019. Surgical Highways to the Craniovertebral Junction: Is It Time for a Reappraisal?  Acta Neurochir Suppl 125:17-23
,2019. Minimally Invasive Management of Spontaneous Supratentorial Intracerebral Lobar Hemorrhages by a "Homemade" Endoscopic Strategy: The Evangelical Doctrine of "Venite ad Me" Allied to the Legacy of King Leonida.  World Neurosurg 122:638-647
,2018. Preliminary experience with a transcranial magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery system integrated with a 1.5-T MRI unit in a series of patients with essential tremor and Parkinson's disease.  Neurosurg Focus 44(2):E7
,2018. With a Little Help from My Friends: The Role of Intraoperative Fluorescent Dyes in the Surgical Management of High-Grade Gliomas.  Brain Sci 8.
,2018. Percutaneous Pedicle-Lengthening Osteotomy in Minimal Invasive Spinal Surgery to Treat Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Single-Center Preliminary Experience.  J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg 79(5):365-371
,2018. Letter to the Editor. Transcranial MRgFUS for movement disorder: toward a wider and affordable employment for functional neurosurgery through 1.5-T MRI?  J Neurosurg 129(3):843-844
,2018. End-of-Life Care in High-Grade Glioma Patients. The Palliative and Supportive Perspective.  Brain Sci 8.
,2018. Novel Application of Pulsed Radiofrequency Energy Device (PEAK Plasmablade) in Neurosurgical Reconstructive Surgery.  World Neurosurg 116:472-473
,2018. Brain Mapping as Helpful Tool in Brain Glioma Surgical Treatment-Toward the "Perfect Surgery"?  Brain Sci 8.
,2018. New Hope in Brain Glioma Surgery: The Role of Intraoperative Ultrasound. A Review.  Brain Sci 8.
,2018. Clinical and radiological features of Forestier's disease presenting with dysphagia.  Surg Neurol Int 9:236
,2017. A thoracic vertebral localization of a metastasized cutaneous Merkel cell carcinoma: Case report and review of literature.  Surg Neurol Int 8:190
,2017. Never say never again: A bone graft infection due to a hornet sting, thirty-nine years after cranioplasty.  Surg Neurol Int 8:189
,2017. A Neurosurgical Stratagem: Doing the Same with Less?  World Neurosurg 105:1012-1014
,2017. Natura abhorret a vacuo. Future perspectives of autologous fibrin glue. Is it time for reappraisal?  Surg Neurol Int 8:57
,2017. Skull Bone Defects Reconstruction with Custom-Made Titanium Graft shaped with Electron Beam Melting Technology: Preliminary Experience in a Series of Ten Patients.  Acta Neurochir Suppl 124:137-141
,2017. Reconstruction of Vertebral Body After Radiofrequency Ablation and Augmentation in Dorsolumbar Metastatic Vertebral Fracture: Analysis of Clinical and Radiological Outcome in a Clinical Series of 18 Patients.  Acta Neurochir Suppl 124:81-86
,2017. Privacy in Modern Healthcare Communications: The Lesson of Alan Turing.  World Neurosurg 97:735-736
,2016. May Autologue Fibrin Glue Alone Enhance Ossification? An Unexpected Spinal Fusion.  World Neurosurg 95:611-612
,2016. On the Shoulders of Giants, with a Smartphone: Periscope in Neurosurgery.  World Neurosurg 92:569-570
,Lista delle pubblicazioni ricavata da NCBI con ImpactPubs
.Attività alpinistica
- Alpinismo su roccia e terreno misto
- Free climbing
- Escursionismo
- Esplorazione geografica e reportage
- Scialpinismo
- Soccorso in ambiente impervio (C.N.S.A.S.)
Attività chirurgica
- Neurochirurgia e neurochirurgia oncologica
- Studio dei tumori cerebrali primitivi ad origine gliale e non-gliale
- Bio-imaging e planning chirurgico avanzato
- Studio della connettività cerebrale umana (connettomica)
- Connettomica applicata alla neurochirurgia ed alla neuroncologia
- Medicina delle emergenze ad alto rischio in ambiente alpino ed ipogeo
- Medicina d’alta quota, delle spedizioni e dei luoghi remoti
Principali enti ed attività
- Alto Mountain Club
- Club Alpino Italiano
- Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico