ONAOSI is a distinguished non-profit foundation in Italy, dedicated to advancing higher education opportunities for the children of medical doctors, pharmacists, dentists, and veterinarians who have been orphaned. Through its enduring commitment, ONAOSI empowers these students to pursue academic excellence and professional achievement.
In collaboration with ONAOSI, the Enrico Fermi Institute has established a partnership that offers a select cohort of Italian undergraduate students immersive, hands-on research experiences within the Physical Sciences Division and the Biological Sciences Division at the University of Chicago. Over the course of two intensive summer months, these students reside on the UChicago campus, engage directly with leading faculty and research teams, and contribute to diverse, cutting-edge research projects. The program culminates in a formal presentation of their research findings, showcasing their work to the academic community at the University of Chicago and colleagues in Italy.
Program Administration
Antonio Ereditato
EFI Research Professor
aereditato@uchicago.edu
Chin-Tu Chen
Professor of Radiology
cchen3@uchicago.edu
Ramona Echols
Business Administrator
rechols06@uchicago.edu
2026 Participants
Niccolo Ardu, Performance characterization of PET detectors and systems
Riccardo Bruno, Using Machine Learning for Improved Imaging Interpretation of Alzheimer’s Disease
Gaetano D'Ajello, Multi-Modality Imaging of Nicotine Addiction and Smoking Cessation
Albina Di Lorenzo, Multi-Modality Imaging for Improving Radiotherapy in Hypoxic Tumors
Alessandro Falcetta, Solid-State SPECT for Radiotheranostics Applications
Riccardo Girardi, Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Toward Personalized Medicine in Cancer
Giulio Marotta, Positronium Lifetime Imaging (PLI)
Veronica Mazzella, Imaging of Brain Hypoxia and Oxygen by PET in Cardiac Arrest Model
Andrea Panascia, Quantitative PET Imaging for Investigation of Brain and Behavioral Disorders
Pietro Valli, Mechanistic Consequences of Fentanyl-Induced Hypoxia and Cardiorespiratory Collapse
2026 Tutors
Hee-Jong Kim
Avinay Bhat
Anitha Govind
Boris Epel
Hannah Zhang
Wang
Lin Piao
Mythra Varun Nemallapudi
Lispi
Rajamagesh
2026 PIs
Chien-Min Kao
Ed Blucher
Bonnie Fleming
Howard Halpern
Chin-Tu Chen
Willard Sharp
Elena M. Zannoni
William (Bill) Green
Garcia
Szmulewitz