Stefano Portolano Azafaros BV
Dr. Portolano earned his MD from Federico II University in Naples, Italy, followed by board certification in Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases. He then completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he later served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, focusing on autoimmune thyroid diseases. Dr. Portolano transitioned to Genzyme, a pioneer in rare disease R&D and commercialization, where he took on increasingly senior roles across Europe and the US.
He later spearheaded Celgene’s entry into the Italian market, successfully launching several key hematology and oncology therapies before moving into a European leadership role for the company’s hematology franchise. In 2016, Dr. Portolano joined Ultragenyx as Regional Head for Europe. Since 2021, he has served as CEO of Azafaros, a biotech start-up dedicated to developing cutting-edge therapies for rare metabolic diseases with neurological manifestations.