With his broad smile, light eyes and white lab coat bearing the Augusta University logo, Marco Orecchioni looks at home in an American laboratory. His surname is distinctly Sardinian, he is from Palau, a town in northern Sardinia.

However, his surname is distinctly Sardinian, and he is from Palau, a town in northern Sardinia.

Orecchioni, 38, has received a Director’s New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. government’s leading medical research agency. His work has been selected for an unusually large investment: $3.6 million over five years. 

The award supports what the NIH classifies as “high-risk” research, reflecting the challenges involved. But if successful, the work could open a promising new direction in cancer treatment.

Orecchioni is a Researcher at the Georgia Immunology Center, where he is investigating how to “harness myeloid olfactory receptors to reprogram antitumor immunity.”

He and his wife, Martina Zoccheddu, are both Sardinians building careers in the United States.

Did you expect to win the award?

“I hoped I would. It’s a grant awarded each year to about 30 researchers across the United States.”

Your research focuses on olfactory receptors. Can you explain what they are and why they matter?

“Our research initially focused on atherosclerosis. We noticed that when a particular receptor was blocked, the disease regressed. A few years ago, we discovered that olfactory receptors are found not only in the nose but also in immune cells such as macrophages and monocytes.

“We also identified a receptor that, by contrast, is associated with disease progression. That was intriguing and got me thinking about how these receptors might control how cells respond to different stimuli.”

Was this something scientists had not previously understood?

“Yes. These receptors detect chemical compounds and can trigger different responses. We want to investigate this further to determine whether that pattern holds consistently and which receptors have this function.”

What could this research lead to?

“It could lead to drugs that enhance or inhibit the activity of these receptors. The main idea is to combine this approach with existing immunotherapies in an effort to fight cancer.”

Are you focusing on a particular type of cancer?

“Yes, melanoma. It’s the cancer in which we first observed this effect, and its incidence has been increasing over the years.”

How long will it take to see results?

“The $3.6 million grant covers five years, but we hope it will be just the beginning.”

What does it mean for the funding to be classified as ‘high-risk’?

“These are public funds from the National Institutes of Health. The United States directs this kind of support toward research that breaks with conventional approaches and falls outside established research models. These are very challenging fields, but if the results are positive, the implications could be significant.”

How did you get to this point in your career?

“My path was unusual. I graduated from a hotel and hospitality school in Arzachena, Sardinia.”

How did you go from the kitchen to the laboratory?

“In my third year, a wonderful teacher sparked my interest in biology. I went on to study biology at the University of Sassari, where I also completed a master’s degree and a Ph.D.”

What was your doctoral research about?

“I studied nanomaterials and their applications in biotechnology. At that point, I was dreaming of moving to the United States.”

How did that dream become reality?

“My wife, who is also Sardinian, had an opportunity to come here. Martina Zoccheddu found a position in a related field. She is now director of the Institute of Genomics here in Augusta.”

How long have you lived in the United States?

“Since 2017. I started at an institute in San Diego, then moved to the Georgia Immunology Center in 2023.”

How is life on the other side of the world?

“We have a 3-year-old daughter, Emma, and we’re happy here. Augusta is a small city, and fortunately the cost of living is a little lower. Everyone calls me ‘Oreccioni,’” he says with a laugh, referring to the frequent mispronunciation of his surname.

Are there many Italians around?

“There are a few. We’ve formed a small group and get together often. There’s an army base nearby, so we also occasionally meet Italian military personnel serving with NATO.”

Do Americans know where Sardinia is, or do you have to explain?

“If you tell people you’re Italian, they usually think of the classic tourist destinations: Naples, Rome, Venice and Florence. But lately, more people have heard of Sardinia, and they’re less likely to confuse it with Sicily.”

Do you return to the island often?

“Yes, every year. We fly from Atlanta to Rome and then on to Sardinia.”

Can you imagine living in Sardinia again someday?

“For now, especially with this grant, I see myself continuing my career here. In the future, it would be wonderful to return to Italy. My daughter is American, too, although we’re teaching her everything about Italy.”

What language do you speak at home?

“We’re 100 percent Italian — and even more Sardinian. At preschool, she has the opportunity to speak English.”

From the pictures online, your laboratory looks like a very international place.

“It is. My postdoctoral researcher is Pakistani and has also studied in Europe. We have an American student, a lab technician from Puerto Rico and another from Bangladesh. We’ve also had a few Italian students.”

Without putting too much pressure on you, do you feel the weight of responsibility that comes with researching new ways to fight cancer?

“My hope is that this research will bear fruit. The results won’t come in the short term — it could take 10 or 15 years. But the goal is to improve people’s lives and the effectiveness of existing treatments. We’re starting with melanoma, but the approach could eventually be extended to other types of cancer and diseases.”

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