Maria Maddalena Laterza

Maria Maddalena Laterza, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist at the Medical Oncology Unit of Santa Maria delle Grazie Hospital, Pozzuoli, Italy. Her clinical and research activity is primarily focused on gastrointestinal oncology, with particular expertise in colorectal, gastric and gastroesophageal junction, pancreatic, hepatobiliary, and other gastrointestinal malignancies.

Her work focuses on the multidisciplinary and personalized management of GI cancers, with particular interest in precision oncology, molecular biomarkers, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and novel treatment strategies. A major area of her clinical and scientific activity is the translation of emerging evidence and biomarker-driven approaches into everyday oncology practice.

Dr. Laterza holds a PhD in Translational Medicine and is actively involved in clinical research. She serves as Principal Investigator and Sub-Investigator in several prospective clinical trials across gastrointestinal malignancies, contributing to the clinical development and evaluation of innovative therapeutic strategies.

Her scientific interests include biomarker-guided treatment selection, mechanisms of response and resistance to immunotherapy, novel combination strategies, therapeutic sequencing, and real-world evidence in gastrointestinal cancers. She is particularly interested in bridging clinical research, molecular characterization, and multidisciplinary decision-making to improve patient selection and treatment outcomes.

Dr. Laterza is also actively involved in scientific publishing and international editorial activities. She serves as Guest Editor for several scientific journals and contributes to the development of Special Issues and Research Topics in gastrointestinal oncology, immunotherapy, and precision oncology. She is also involved as Topic Editor in international scientific initiatives, including a Research Topic in Frontiers in Immunology focused on immunotherapy and novel combination strategies in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Alongside her clinical and research activities, she is engaged in medical education, scientific communication, and multidisciplinary collaboration. She contributes articles, reviews, expert perspectives, and educational content addressing emerging evidence and practice-changing developments in GI oncology.

Through her contributions to OncoDaily GI, she focuses on translating rapidly evolving evidence from clinical trials, international congresses, and scientific publications into accessible and clinically relevant perspectives for the oncology community.