
Biographical notes
Dr. Antonio D’Amore is tenured group leader and head of the RiMED Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering laboratory, the team (currently 23 people strong) operates in two locations: Pittsburgh USA – Pitt and Palermo Italy-RiMED Foundation;
Dr D’Amore is also an Associate Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh and a Full Professor (Chiara Fama) in the Department of Precision Medicine within the School of Medicine, Surgical and Critical Care at the University of Palermo. The research areas of the group he leads include: the development of valve prostheses; vascular grafts; and engineered myocardial walls; quantitative histology; numerical modeling of tissue growth and synthetic material degradation; and bioreactors to simulate tissue engineering and cell proliferation.
He earned his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Palermo in 2004 and continued his studies at Imperial College London, where he earned a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering in 2007. In 2011, Prof. D’Amore earned his Ph.D. in Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering through a joint program between the University of Palermo and the University of Pittsburgh. Since 2008, he has served as a consultant in the field of bioengineering in both the United States and Italy.
Scientifical activity
Dr. D’Amore is the author of more than 244 scientific contributions, including 68 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, international conference abstracts and extended abstracts, 22 patent applications, 16 issued U.S. and European patents, and software for modeling biological systems. Six of his inventions have been licensed for further development and commercialization.
The translational value of his work has been recognized through honors from professional societies and scientific organizations, including election as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, the Strazzabosco Award for young engineers—presented under the patronage of the President of the Italian Republic—and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Translational Research Award.
As Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator, Dr. D’Amore has secured more than $19.9 million in research funding, including support through NIH R01 and STTR awards, a European Research Council Consolidator Grant, ERC Proof of Concept Grants, and industry-sponsored research.
He is Co-Founder, Board Member, and Chief Technology Officer of Neoolife, the first Ri.MED–UPMC startup dedicated to tissue-engineering technologies for heart valve replacement. Since 2025, he has also served as Italian Co-Chair of the Biotechnology Working Group within the Italy–United States Joint Commission on Science and Technology, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the U.S. Department of State (MAECI).
Grants
- BIOMITRAL – Engineering the mitral valve: bioinspired control of structure and function for enhanced in vivo performance
- BioChord: chordae tendineae bioingegnerizzate per riparare e rigenerare le valvole cardiache
- HemoStratum – Development of a bioengineered basement membrane to enhance the performance of blood-contacting devices
- Stenosi esofagea benigna e maligna, un approccio innovativo per affrontare un bisogno clinico non soddisfatto: una protesi esofagea bioibrida in polimero – matrice extracellulare, a rilascio di farmaci, in grado di fornire un supporto meccanico sostenuto, prevenire attivamente la restenosi e indurre la rigenerazione tissutale costruttiva
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The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Biomaterials
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Journal of Vascular Surgery
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
Biomaterials
Acta Biomaterialia
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
Journal of Orthopaedic Translation
Biomaterials
Acta Biomaterialia
Journal of Biomechanics
Journal of Biomechanics
Biomaterials
Journal of Biomechanics
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
Journal of Biomechanics
Biomaterials

