Professor Antonio Toscano

Prof. Antonio Toscano, MD (born December 16, 1956, in Messina, Italy) is a Full Professor of Neurology at the University of Messina and a leading specialist in neuromuscular and neurogenetic disorders. He is based at the AOU Policlinico “G. Martino” in Messina, within the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, where he works in the Neurology and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit.

Prof. Toscano obtained his medical degree in 1981 and completed his specialization in Neurology in 1985. Since 1982, he has been a registered member of the Medical Professional Order of the Province of Messina. Early in his career, he pursued postdoctoral training at the University of London, notably at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square, and at St Bartholomew’s Medical College, focusing on mitochondrial disorders. He further developed his research through fellowships funded by the European Science Foundation and at the University of Messina, where he studied traumatic neuropathies using animal models.

He began his academic career as Assistant Professor (1990–2000), became Associate Professor (2000–2008), and has served as Full Professor of Neurology since 2009. Since 2011, he has also been Director of the Regional Reference Center for Rare Neuromuscular Disorders at AOU Policlinico “G. Martino”.

Prof. Toscano has played a major role in European neurology through his long-standing involvement with the European Neurological Society (ENS) and later the European Academy of Neurology (EAN). He has served as Chairman of the EAN Panel on Muscle Disorders since 2016 and has been an active member of its Scientific Committee, including responsibilities in the field of rare diseases. He has also contributed extensively as a reviewer and scientific advisor within international neurology networks.

At the national level, he has held key leadership positions, including President of the Italian Association of Myology (AIM) from 2009 to 2012, and remains actively involved in several scientific societies such as the Italian Neurological Society (SIN). Internationally, he serves on advisory boards including the World Pompe Global Advisory Board, TREAT-NMD, the European Pompe Consortium (EPOC), and SOLANE.

Prof. Toscano is a member of the editorial boards of Neuromuscular Disorders and the Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases, and regularly reviews for leading journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, Neurology, Brain, and others.

His scientific work focuses primarily on neurogenetic diseases, with particular expertise in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders. His clinical and research interests include metabolic myopathies (especially Pompe disease), mitochondrial disorders, genetic myopathies, peripheral neuropathies, and neurodegenerative conditions such as cerebellar ataxias and spastic paraparesis.

Prof. Toscano has authored more than 160 publications in peer-reviewed international journals and is widely recognized for his contributions to the diagnosis, management, and treatment of rare neuromuscular diseases.