MD, DM, PhD, FRCPath

Training and education

Fellow (by publications) of the Royal College of Pathologists, London, UK, 2013
Haematology specialist registration with a license to practice, General Medical Council, London, UK, 2011
Haematology specialist, Italy, 2003
PhD, University of Siena, Italy, 2002
Full registration with a license to practice, General Medical Council, London, UK, 2002
DM/PhD in Cancer Immunology, University of Southampton, UK, 2001

Experience

Dr Forconi is a professor of haematology at the University of Southampton and consultant haematologist. He joined the Trust in 2011 as a consultant haematologist in the department of haematology, cancer care.

He is dedicated to caring for patients with lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), and has been leading the CLL clinical service in the broader lymphoma and CLL team for several years. He has been managing a broad portfolio of interventional clinical trials and real-life observational studies in lymphoproliferative disorders and lymphoma, and collaborates with patient advocacy groups, to improve patient experience and implement large patient data management platforms.

Professor Forconi is the UK lead of the international CRUK ECRIN-M3 consortium in monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis. He actively participates in the UK lymphoma science group and UK CLL subgroup activities. He is an active core member of the International Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation, USA, and leads Southampton as a “Center of Excellence” for hairy cell leukaemia.

Professor Forconi leads the academic cancer B-cell group, investigating the pathogenesis and clinical behaviour of mature B-cell lymphomas and leukaemias. He holds grants focused on early cancer interception by analysing the tumour B-cell receptor of CLL, the cancer-specific post-translation modifications (oligomannose-type glycans) of the B-cell receptor of lymphomas and the development of novel antibodies targeting its unique structures and functions.

He has been an editorial board member for BLOOD and regularly reviews for major journals in clinical and scientific immunology, oncology, and haematology. He has chaired sessions and provided educational contributions at major international and national haemato-oncology conferences, including ASH, EHA, ECCO/ESMO, BSH, and the UK CLL Forum. He is the author of approximately 180 peer-reviewed publications, with over 80% published in the top 10% of scientific journals.

Awards and prizes

Leukaemia UK Pioneer Award, 2024
Member UK (past NCRI) Lymphoma Science Group, UK, 2023 to present
Executive committee UK CLL Science Group - Scientific Committee, UK, 2023 to present
Cancer Sciences Leadership Forum, Southampton, UK, 2023 to present
Editorial Board Member, Blood Journal, US, 2020 to 2024
Cancer Research UK Southampton Centre governance board, Southampton, UK, 2020 to 2023
Faculty Board, PhD program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - BiBiM 2.0, Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy (Department of Excellence 2018-2022), University of Siena, Italy, 2020 to present
Chair of the Faculty of Medicine (FoM) Conference, Southampton, UK, 2018 to 2020
Member of Operations Board, School of Cancer Sciences, Southampton, UK, 2018 to present
Member of ECMC scientific team, Southampton, UK, 2018 to present
CLL service clinical lead, cancer care, UHS NHS FT, Southampton, UK, 2017 to present
Leader, International Hairy Cell Leukemia Center of Excellence, Southampton, UK, 2012 to present
Head of haematology field - BM Research project Haematology Field (MEDI3048), 2012 to present
Faculty of European School of Oncology - Certificate of Competence in Lymphoma, University of Ulm, EU, 2012 to present
Cancer B-cell group leader, 2011 to present
Lymphoma Centre of Excellence Team - lymphoma - cancer care, UHS NHS FT, Southampton, UK, 2011 to present

Research and publications

Information on Dr Forconi's research and publications is available on the University of Southampton website.

Contact

For clinical enquiries you can contact Dr Forconi via his secretary on 023 8120 5516 or by emailing HaematologyPPCs@uhs.nhs.uk or francesco.forconi@uhs.nhs.uk

For academic enquiries you can contact Dr Forconi via his secretary on 023 8120 5780 or 023 8120 5170 or by emailing H.L.Gooderham@soton.ac.uk or f.forconi@soton.ac.uk