Daniel Pedro Cardinali

Born in 1943 in Buenos Aires, Dr. Cardinali is Argentine by nationality. He earned both his M.D. degree (1968, summa cum laude) and a Ph.D. in biological sciences (1972, summa cum laude) at the Faculty of Medicine, University del Salvador, Buenos Aires. During 1971 and 1972 he completed postdoctoral training at MIT’s Laboratory of Neuroendocrine Regulation, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, under the supervision of Richard J. Wurtman.

After returning to Argentina in 1973, Dr. Cardinali was appointed Research Career Awardee, Argentine National Research Council (CONICET), a position he has hold since then; he was promoted to its highest stage (Superior Investigator) in 1992. From 1986 to 2008 his main academic appointment was at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, where he served as Professor of Physiology. Dr. Cardinali was Director of the Department of Physiology between 1994 and 2000, and Director of the Institute of Applied Neurosciences between 2001 and 2008. Since 1986 Dr. Cardinali is the Director of the Neuroscience Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, and since 2009 Director of the Teaching & Research Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Buenos Aires.

In addition to his Guggenheim Fellowship, the most relevant awards and honors Dr. Cardinali has received include the Curt P. Richter Prize, International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology and Irish Foundation for Human Development (1983), the Doctorates “honoris causa” in Medicine at the Complutense University, Madrid, Spain (1991) and at the University of Salamanca, Spain (1998), the nomination as a Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine, Spain (1991), and the nomination as Illustrious Guest, City of Salamanca, Spain (1995). In 2003 Dr. Cardinali was awarded the Konex Foundation Prize as one of the 5 most relevant Argentine scientists in basic biomedical sciences of the preceding decade.

Dr. Cardinali is a member of seventeen international and national scientific associations and societies, among them the World Federation of Sleep Research & Sleep Medicine Societies, The Society for Neuroscience, USA, The Endocrine Society, USA, International Society of Neuroendocrinology, and the International Brain Research Organization. He has served as a Member of the Scientific Committee, International Society of Endocrinology (1982) and as a Member of the Scientific Committee, International Society of Neuroendocrinology (1999-2000). Since 1998 Dr. Cardinali has been a member of the International Union of Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Sub-Committee for Melatonin Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification. In 1998 Dr. Cardinali was Director of the Workshop “Melatonin and Its Analogues: From Molecular Biology to the Clinical Application," Ettore Majorana Centre for Scientific Culture, Erice, Italy. Since 2007 he is the Chairman of the International Congress Program Committee, World Federation of Sleep Research & Sleep Medicine Societies. Between 2000 and 2006 Dr. Cardinali was the President of the Argentine Society for Experimental Pharmacology.

Between 1998 and 2002 Dr. Cardinali was Editor in Chief of Biological Signals and Receptors. During this period the journal increased its "impact factor" from 0.82 to 2.34. Presently Dr. Cardinali is Associate Editor of Neuroendocrinology Letters and member of the editorial board of NeuroSignals, Basel; Journal of Pineal Research, London; The Open Physiology Journal, The Netherlands; The Open Obesity Journal, The Netherlands;  The Open Neuroendocrinology Journal, The Netherlands; Clinical and Experimental Medical Letters, Lodz, Poland; Journal of Clinical and Experimental Sleep Research, Hypnos, San Paulo; Revista de Investigación en Neuropsicobiología Clínica, Méjico; Revista Argentina de Psicofarmacología, Buenos Aires; Avances de la Medicina del Sueño en Latinoamérica, Buenos Aires; Physiological Mini-Reviews, Buenos Aires; Archivos de Neurología, Neurocirugía y Neuropsiquiatría, Buenos Aires. In the past, he served as a member of the Editorial Board of Neuroendocrinology” (1986–1992), Journal of Neural Transmission (1972–1997), Journal of Pineal Research (1982–1989) and Acta Physiologica et Pharmacologica Latinoamericana (1971–1990).

Dr. Cardinali´s fields of interest include the physiology and pharmacology of the pineal gland and melatonin, the physiology and pharmacology of the biologic rhythms and the physiology and pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system, in particular on their relationships with sleep medicine. Since 1968 Dr. Cardinali has been working on several aspects of melatonin biology, describing its brain receptors in 1979 and mechanism of action in brain, including its relationship to gabaergic mechanisms. In the last years Dr. Cardinali has examined the efficacy of melatonin for treatment of chronobiological disorders in Alzheimer´s disease, being the first to describe its therapeutic effect as well as its efficacy to slow down the evolution of cognitive decay.

Dr. Cardinali has been the supervisor more than forty postdoctoral Fellows and investigators from CONICET, Argentina, and has directed eighteen doctoral theses completed with honors at the University of Buenos Aires. To date Dr. Cardinali has published more than 450 scientific papers (for those listed in PubMed, see web page: daniel-cardinali.blogspot.com) and 105 invited review articles in books. He has edited twenty-five scientific books and special issues. He has been an invited speaker in 125 international congresses and colloquia.