Dr Cristina L Ronchi MD, PhD

Dr Cristina Ronchi

Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research
Reader in Endocrine Oncology and Consultant Endocrinologist

Contact details

Telephone
+44(0)121 414 8756
Email
c.l.ronchi@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@CryRonchi
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Metabolism and System Research
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
B15 2TT

Cristina Ronchi is a clinician scientist with long-standing translational expertise in endocrine tumors. Her research field mostly focuses on genetic studies and investigations of molecular markers involved in the pathogenesis of adrenal tumours in general and prognosis of adrenocortical cancer. She is particularly active in research dissemination and collaborates with several world-leading groups around Europe. Clinically active as a Consultant in Endocrinology, she leads the Adrenal Tumour Service at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Dr Ronchi is regularly involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students at the School of Medicine.

Qualifications

  • Reader in Endocrine Oncology 2021 (UoB, UK)
  • Honorary Consultant in Endocrinology 2018 (UHB NHS Trust, UK)
  • MsSc 2014 (Germany)
  • PhD in Endocrine Sciences 2008 (Italy)
  • CCT in Endocrinology & Diabetes 2005 (Italy)
  • MBChB 2000 (Italy)

Biography

Dr Ronchi studied medicine and obtained the Specialisation in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the University of Milan (Italy). From 2010 to 2017 she worked at the Division of Endocrinology at the University Hospital of Würzburg (Germany), where she also led the section “Translational Tumor Endocrinology”.

She has obtained several fellowships, prizes and grants as financial support for her research projects. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and attended more than 150 national and international conferences as presenting author or invited speaker. Dr Ronchi is a member of four scientific societies and active as peer-reviewer for journals, grants and conferences. She is member of the Editorial Board of JCEM and Endocrine Oncology. Dr Ronchi takes part in regular didactic activities at UoB and UHB including the supervision of undergraduate students.

Teaching

  • Adrenal Lecture MBChB Year 1
  • SGT MBChB Year 1 and 2 (Adrenal, Endocrine Disorders)
  • Personal Academic Tutor MBChB Year 1 and 2 since 2019
  • Leader of MBChB Year 1 research Taster Experience
  • Undergraduate supervision: BMedSc (Clinical Sciences Intercalated Degree) course

Postgraduate supervision

2013-2020 supervision of three MD Students at the University Hospital of Wuerzburg (Esther Henning graduated 2020, Valeria Laufs graduated 2020, Raimunde Liang graduated 2021)

2014-2020 Co-Supervision of two PhD Students

  • Juliane Lippert (collaboration with the Institute of Human Genetics, Würzburg, PhD finished 2021)
  • Barbara Altieri (collaboration with the University of Rome, PhD finished 2019)

Dr Ronchi is currently available for supervision of self-funded PhD students on projects related to adrenocortical tumours

Research

  • Adrenocortical tumors

-       Pathogenesis of adrenocortical tumors and adrenal Cushing Syndrome.

-       Prognostic and predictive molecular markers in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC)

-       Molecular targets for innovative therapies for ACC.

-       Precision medicine.

  • Genetic studies in endocrine tumors.
  • Pituitary tumors: patho-physiology, clinic characterisation and treatment.
  • Neuroendocrinology: patho-physiology, clinic and therapy of GH excess and deficiency. Therapeutic applications of somatostatin analogs. Regulation of ghrelin secretion in physiological and pathological conditions.
  • University Hospital of Wuerzburg
  • European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumours 

Other activities

  • Dr Ronchi is Associate Editor for the journal Endocrine Oncology (Bioscientifica)
  • Dr Ronchi is elected member of the Clinical Committee of the Society for Endocrinology.
  • Dr Ronchi is head of the NAPACA working group and member of the Executive Board of the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumours since 2021 (www.ensat.org). 
  • Dr Ronchi is leading the Adrenal Tumour Service at QEHB and the Adrenal MDT at UHB since 2018
  • She has been active in clinical activities as Consultant Endocrinologist since 2005

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Elhassan, YS, Iqbal, F, Arlt, W, Baldeweg, SE, Levy, M, Stewart, PM, Wass, J, Pavord, S, Aled rees, D & Ronchi, C 2023, 'COVID-19-related Adrenal Haemorrhage: Multicentre UK Experience and Systematic Review of the Literature', Clinical Endocrinology, vol. 98, no. 6, 766-778. https://doi.org/10.1111/cen.14881

Ko, YL, Kumar, V, Lippert, J, Diaz-Cano, S, Skordilis, K, Kimpel, O, Kircher, S, Asia, M, Elhassan, Y, Altieri, B & Ronchi, C 2023, 'Coincidence of primary adrenocortical carcinoma and melanoma: three CASE reports', BMC Endocrine Disorders, vol. 23, 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-022-01253-7

Catalano, R, Altieri, B, Angelousi, A, Arosio, M, Bravi, F, Canu, L, Croci, G, Detomas, M, Esposito, E, Ferrante, E, Ferrero, S, Fuss, C, Ronchi, C, Luconi, M, Sbiera, S, Mantovani, G & Peverelli, E 2023, 'High filamin A expression in adrenocortical carcinomas is associated with a favourable tumor behaviour: a European multicentric study', International Journal of Molecular Sciences. <https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms>

Favero, V, Prete, A, Mangone, A, Elhassan, Y, Pucino, V, Asia, M, Hardy, R, Chiodini, I & Ronchi, C 2023, 'Inflammation-based Scores In Benign Adrenocortical Tumours Are Linked To The Degree Of Cortisol Excess - a retrospective single centre study', European Journal of Endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejendo/lvad151

Mangone, A, Altieri, B, Detomas, M, Prete, A, Abbas, H, Asia, M, Elhassan, Y, Mantovani, G & Ronchi, C 2023, 'Inflammation-based scores as predictors of treatment response in advanced adrenocortical carcinoma', Endocrine-related cancer, vol. 30, no. 4, e220372. https://doi.org/10.1530/ERC-22-0372

Warmington, E, Smith, G, Chortis, V, Liang, R, Lippert, J, Steinhauer, S, Landwehr, L-S, Hantel, C, Kiseljak-Vassiliades, K, Wierman, ME, Altieri, B, Foster, PA & Ronchi, CL 2023, 'PLK1 inhibitors as a new targeted treatment for adrenocortical carcinoma', Endocrine Connections. https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-23-0403

Lippert, J, Dischinger, U, Appenzeller, S, Prete, A, Kircher, S, Skordilis, K, Elhassan, YS, Altieri, B, Fassnacht, M & Ronchi, CL 2023, 'Performance of DNA-based biomarkers for classification of adrenocortical carcinoma: a prognostic study', European Journal of Endocrinology , vol. 189, no. 2, pp. 262-270. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejendo/lvad112

Aggarwal, S, Prete, A, Chortis, V, Asia, M, Sutcliffe, R, Arlt, W, Ronchi, C, Karavitaki, N, Ayuk, J & Elhassan, Y 2023, 'Pheochromocytomas Most Commonly Present As Adrenal Incidentalomas: A Large Tertiary Center Experience', European Journal of Endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad401

Mangone, A, Yousuf, Q, Arlt, W, Prete, A, Shaheen, F, Krishnasamy, S-K, Elhassan, Y & Ronchi, C 2022, 'A case of unilateral post-COVID-19 adrenal haemorrhage and follow-up during pregnancies', Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism case reports, vol. 2022, no. 1, 22-0337. https://doi.org/10.1530/EDM-22-0337

Deutschbein, T, Reimondo, G, Di Dalmazi, G, Bancos, I, Patrova, J, Vassiliadi, DA, Nekić, AB, Debono, M, Lardo, P, Ceccato, F, Petramala, L, Prete, A, Chiodini, I, Ivović, M, Pazaitou-panayiotou, K, Alexandraki, KI, Hanzu, FA, Loli, P, Yener, S, Langton, K, Spyroglou, A, Kocjan, T, Zacharieva, S, Valdés, N, Ambroziak, U, Suzuki, M, Detomas, M, Puglisi, S, Tucci, L, Delivanis, DA, Margaritopoulos, D, Dusek, T, Maggio, R, Scaroni, C, Concistrè, A, Ronchi, CL, Altieri, B, Mosconi, C, Diamantopoulos, A, Iñiguez-ariza, NM, Vicennati, V, Pia, A, Kroiss, M, Kaltsas, G, Chrisoulidou, A, Marina, LV, Morelli, V, Arlt, W, Letizia, C, Boscaro, M, Stigliano, A, Kastelan, D, Tsagarakis, S, Athimulam, S, Pagotto, U, Maeder, U, Falhammar, H, Newell-price, J, Terzolo, M & Fassnacht, M 2022, 'Age-dependent and sex-dependent disparity in mortality in patients with adrenal incidentalomas and autonomous cortisol secretion: an international, retrospective, cohort study', The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, vol. 10, no. 7, pp. 499-508. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(22)00100-0

Elhassan, Y, Ronchi, C, Wijewickrama , P & Baldeweg, SE 2022, 'Approach to the Patient with Adrenal Hemorrhage', Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 2022, no. 00, dgac672. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgac672

Lippert, J, Altieri, B, Morrison, B, Steinhauer, S, Smith, G, Lorey, A, Urlaub, H, Kircher, S, Sitch, A, Fassnacht, M & Ronchi, CL 2022, 'Prognostic role of targeted methylation analysis in paraffin-embedded samples of adrenocortical carcinoma', Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 107, no. 10, dgac470, pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgac470

Elhassan, YS, Altieri, B, Berhane, S, Cosentini, D, Calabrese, A, Haissaguerre, M, Kastelan, D, Fragoso, MCBV, Bertherat, J, Al Ghuzlan, A, Haak, HR, Boudina, M, Canu, L, Loli, P, Sherlock, M, Kimpel, O, Laganà, M, Sitch, AJ, Kroiss, M, Arlt, W, Terzolo, M, Berruti, A, Deeks, J, Libe, R, Fassnacht, M & Ronchi, CL 2022, 'S-GRAS score for prognostic classification of adrenocortical carcinoma: an international, multicenter ENSAT study', European Journal of Endocrinology , vol. 186, no. 1, pp. 25-36. https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-21-0510

Editorial

Ronchi, C & Altieri, B 2022, 'Special issue: Present and future of personalised medicine for endocrine cancers', Journal of Personalised Medicine , vol. 12, no. 5, 710. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12050710

Review article

Detomas, M, Pivonello, C, Pellegrini, B, Landwehr, L, Sbiera, S, Pivonello, R, Ronchi, CL, Colao, A, Altieri, B & De Martino, MC 2022, 'MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in adrenocortical carcinoma', Cells, vol. 11, no. 14, 2234. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11142234

View all publications in research portal