Post by Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI)

+++ In memoriam: Antonino Cattaneo (1954–2026)+++ The Leibniz Institute on Aging mourns the sudden loss of a neuroscientist who helped make killifish aging research possible. The international aging research community is mourning Antonino Cattaneo, who died unexpectedly on 29 June 2026 while visiting Milan. He was 71. Cattaneo was one of the most influential neuroscientists of his generation, internationally recognized for pioneering work on neurotrophins, recombinant antibodies, and Alzheimer's disease. He trained and worked alongside Nobel laureates Rita Levi-Montalcini and César Milstein, served as professor of Physiology and director the Bio@SNS laboratory at the FLI partner institute Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, and was President of the European Brain Research Institute (EBRI). Beyond this work, Cattaneo played a decisive role in establishing the turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) as a model organism for aging research. Fascinated by the model from the start, he co-authored early key papers and funded the 2004 sampling campaign in Mozambique that produced laboratory strains still in use today. He remained the model's first and most steadfast supporter for the rest of his life. "Antonino concentrated in a single person so many positive qualities that a single tribute could never suffice," said Alessandro Cellerino, who pioneered the killifish model and holds a Leibniz Chair at the FLI. "His genuine enthusiasm for pure research was inspiring," said Dario Riccardo Valenzano, also a pioneer in killifish research and Scientific Director of the FLI. Cattaneo was a member of EMBO, the Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze, and corresponding member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, and the author of more than 200 peer-reviewed publications. He is survived by his wife and three children. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues. Photo: Scuola Normale di Milano