Quick Info
| Profession | Thoracic Surgeon |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Date of Birth | 22/08/1958 |
| Age | 68 years |
| Birthplace | Basel, Switzerland |
Latest News about Paolo Macchiarini
09/01/2026
Macchiarini’s Swedish sentence became final and enforceable, and reports said he was serving it in Spain where he lives with his family. Coverage also said he was in a semi-liberty arrangement in Barcelona, spending nights in prison and leaving during the day. The reports tied this development to the 2023 Court of Appeal sentence of two years and six months for aggravated assault.
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Bio/Wiki
| Paolo Macchiarini is a convicted felon, thoracic surgeon, and former regenerative medicine researcher known for research fraud and the development of the world's first artificial windpipe using a patient's stem cells. | |
| He was born to Italian parents in Basel, Switzerland, and later became an Italian surgeon and researcher. | |
| Macchiarini became infamous after seven of the eight patients who received his synthetic trachea transplants died, with the eighth patient severely disabled. | |
| His research papers were found to be falsified, omitting side effects and fabricating data on patient outcomes. | |
| In June 2023, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison by a Swedish Court of Appeal for aggravated assault related to his experimental surgeries. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 175 cm |
|---|---|
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Salt & Pepper |
Educational Qualification(s)
| University of Pisa, Italy |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama, Birmingham, United States |
| ||||
| University of Franche-Cômpte, Beçanson, France |
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Personal Life
| Macchiarini was married to Emanuela Pecchia in 1986 and has a son and a daughter with her. | |
| He later became engaged to Benita Alexander, an NBC News producer, on December 25, 2013, but the couple separated. | |
| Articles in Vanity Fair and Aftonbladet suggested he falsified academic credentials on his resumes. |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Separated |
|---|---|
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Benita Alexander (an NBC News producer) |
| Fiancée | Benita Alexander |
| Engagement Date | 25/12/2013 |
| Marriage Date | 1986 |
Family
| Spouse | Emanuela Pecchia |
|---|---|
| Children | He has a son and a daughter with Emanuela Pecchia. |
Career
| From 1990 to 1992, he was an assistant professor at the University of Pisa, Italy. | |
| He led the department of thoracic and vascular surgery at Heidehaus Hannover Hospital from 1999 to 2004, though Hannover Medical School denies employing him. | |
| In 2010, he joined University Hospital Careggi (AOUC) as a consultant and project manager, and became a visiting professor at Karolinska Institute (KI) in Stockholm, Sweden. | |
| After conducting a master class in Russia in 2010 leading to a trachea transplant, he was appointed at Kuban State Medical University in 2011, receiving an honorary doctorate. | |
| He was fired from the Karolinska Institute in March 2016 for ethical violations, including breach of fundamental values and scientific negligence. | |
| He was fired from his position in Russia in 2017 after his work on artificial trachea transplants came under scrutiny. | |
| In June 2022, a Swedish district court convicted him of one count of causing bodily harm and gave him a suspended sentence. | |
| On June 21, 2023, the Court of Appeal in Stockholm sentenced him to two years and six months in prison for three counts of aggravated assault. | |
| As of December 2023, 11 of his research papers have been retracted, including four from The Lancet. |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Paolo Macchiarini is a Swiss thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher, known for research misconduct and manipulative behavior. | |
| 2. He was born to Italian parents. | |
| 3. Accusations were made against him for unethically performing experimental surgeries, with seven out of eight patients who received his synthetic trachea transplants facing fatal outcomes. | |
| 4. From 1990 to 1992, he was an assistant professor at the University of Pisa, Italy. | |
| 5. Although the Hannover Medical School denies employing him, he led the department of thoracic and vascular surgery at Heidehaus Hannover Hospital from 1999 to 2004. | |
| 6. In 2010, he joined University Hospital Careggi (AOUC) as a consultant and project manager, and became a visiting professor at Karolinska Institute (KI) in Stockholm, Sweden, as well as assuming a part-time surgical role at the affiliated university hospital. | |
| 7. After conducting a master class in Russia in 2010 leading to a trachea transplant, he was appointed at Kuban State Medical University in 2011, supported by the university and the Russian government with an honorary doctorate. | |
| 8. He was fired from the Karolinska Institute in March 2016 for ethical violations, including breach of fundamental values and scientific negligence. | |
| 9. He was fired from his position in Russia in 2017 after his work there on artificial trachea transplants came under scrutiny. | |
| 10. He was convicted of unethically performing experimental surgeries, with seven out of eight patients who received his synthetic trachea transplants facing fatal outcomes. | |
| 11. Articles in Vanity Fair and Aftonbladet suggested he had falsified some academic credentials on résumés. | |
| 12. Macchiarini fabricated significant portions of his academic credentials and told patients that his procedures had been tested in animals, a claim that could not be verified and may have been false. | |
| 13. His technique involved seeding a plastic scaffold with stem cells from the patient's bone marrow, but the stem cells failed to grow into the scaffold, leading to infections, structural failure, and death. |