Research Biography
Marcello Costa was born in Torino (Turin, Italy) in 1940 where obtained in 1967 his Medical Degree (Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia). He migrated to Australia in 1970, and became one of the founders of the new discipline of neuroscience and the Australian Neuroscience Society (ANS), of which he became President in the 1990s. Until he retired in 2021, he held a personal chair in Neurophysiology at Flinders University, the first in Australia. He published over 230 scientific papers in international journals, 55 reviews and chapters and written two books in enteric neuroscience and gastrointestinal motor functions.
He was foundation co-chair of the South Australian Neuroscience Institute (SANI) from 2003 to 2010.
He was active in the field of philosophy of science and education in neuroscience to university students and to the broader public.
Marcello died in Adelaide on 14th April 2024.
Research Interests
Marcello was a pioneer in the study of the neural control of gastrointestinal functions with his first paper in this field published in 1965. He obtained research funds from national and international competitive peer reviewed granting bodies continuously since his arrival to Flinders in 1975. His laboratory also was funded by the pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca for 11 years.
His research interests expanded out to general issues of neuroscience and he was actively involved in exploring the conceptual foundations that brings neurosciences into fields as diverse as Philosophy, Social sciences, Psychology, History of Science, History of Art, etc.
Teaching interests
Marcello was a passionate teacher of neuroscience at undergraduate level, postgraduate level and to the general public. He has established several undergraduate topics in Neuroscience in the School of Medicine and coordinated two of them. He was involved in setting up and teaching a postgraduate neuroscience course for school teachers offered under the umbrella of SANI by Flinders University.
His commitment to education of scientific approach to human problems and neuroscience led him to be involved in many public science events including Science Outside the Square (SOS) events organised by the South Australian Bragg Initiative and RIAus. These included Brain and Art, Brain and Dance, Brain and Soccer, and a celebration of Galileo. He organised with Ian Gibbins a public event with the singer Ronnie Taheny and her group on Brain and Music. He taught at the University of the Third Age on “Brain and Cognition” and “The Physics of the Mind”. He gave talks on Neuroscience at numerous primary and secondary schools, including a short course on “Illusions and the Brain” at the Australian School of Mathematics and Science.
Professional engagement
Marcello was one of the five founding members and member of the executive of the association Friends of Science in Medicine established in late 2011 and representing a cross-section of concerned persons, each with a long but different history of involvement in educational activities fostering good science in Medicine.
Marcello was involved in numerous activities to foster science education for the public. He participated to numerous activities under the umbrella of the RIAus and the Carnevale (the largest annual festival of the Italian community in Adelaide); he taught courses for the University of the Third Age; and regularly gave talks to various community associations.
Click here to see a list of Marcello’s research publications.
Awards
1988: Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
1992: Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana from the Italian Government.
1994: Piedmontese of the Year.
1997: Honorary member of the Golden Key Honour Society.
2001: Centenary Medal Australia.
2004: Member of the Australian Academy of Brain Sciences.
2006: Flinders University 40th Anniversary Medal for services to the university.
2008: National Science Week Unsung Hero of South Australian Science Communication Award (jointly with Ian Gibbins).
2008: Life member of the Centre for Neuroscience at Flinders University.
2010: Life membership of the Australian Neuroscience Society.
2012: Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor at Flinders University.
2012: Jointly with the other founding members of Friends of Science in Medicine: "Skeptics of the Year" by the Australian Skeptics Inc.
2014: Australasian Neuroscience Society medallion for "individuals who have provided outstanding service to the Society."
2015: Inducted as an Honorary Bragg Member of the Royal Institution of Australia (RIAus)
2018: Federation of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (FNM) Societies Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his research and mentorship, which have substantially influenced progress in the field.
2020: Officer of the Order of Australia (General Division) "for distinguished service to higher education, and to medical research, in the field of neurophysiology, and to professional scientific bodies."
2023: Distinguished Achievement Award from the Australasian Neuroscience Society.
Click here to see Marcello’s Wikipedia page.
Click here to see Marcello’s citation at the Australian Academy of Science.