Riccardo Colasanti MD

Riccardo Colasanti is an Italian physician and academic whose work focuses on migration health, medical anthropology, ethics, and global development. He has developed an international career spanning Europe, the United States, and Latin America. A central aspect of his trajectory is his longstanding commitment to migrant and marginalized populations. In 1982, he founded and directed the first Italian medical center dedicated to migrants in irregular situations, a pioneering initiative in providing healthcare to excluded communities. His work has also extended to direct service and collaboration with humanitarian and faith-based organizations, including initiatives supporting Roma communities (General Secretary of Charities of Rome) . In the academic field, he has been actively involved with St. John’s University (New York), where he co-founded and taught in the Master’s program in Global Development and Social Justice, and with UPAEP (Mexico), where he has held leadership (Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences). Throughout his career, Colasanti has integrated ethical reflection with practical healthcare approaches, emphasizing solidarity, dignity, and access to care for migrants and other vulnerable populations.