Adjunct Professor of Psychology
Specialization in Psychiatry, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
M.D., University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
Ph.D. in Psychopathology and Mental Functioning (in progress), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Email: fattanasio@fus.edu
Professor Attanasio earned his M.D. with full marks from the University of Milano-Bicocca and completed his medical specialization in Psychiatry cum laude at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan. Since joining FUS in 2023, he has taught Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychopathology.
Prior to joining FUS, and continuing today, Professor Attanasio trained and works at IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, where his clinical and translational research focuses on mood disorders. His work spans chronobiology, psychopharmacology, non-pharmacological interventions, and the application of artificial intelligence in psychiatry.
Currently, his research explores how biological rhythms, light exposure, and sleep shape mood and behavior, and how chronotherapeutic strategies can improve outcomes in depression and bipolar disorder. He also investigates how responsible uses of generative AI can enhance psychoeducation and clinical decision-making. His project on AI-driven linguistic analysis related to gender-based violence in women with major depressive disorder received the 2024 Prof. Marcello Nardini Study Award from the Italian Society of Psychopathology.
Publications and research:
2025 — Clinical predictors of treatment resistant depression.
Serretti A, Kasper S, Bartova L, Zohar J, Souery D, Montgomery S, Ferentinos P, Rujescu D, Kautzky A, Attanasio F, Zanardi R, Fabbri C, Baune BT, Ferri R, Mendlewicz J. European Neuropsychopharmacology 98:26–34. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.06.011. Epub 2025 Jul 11. PMID: 40651344.
2025 — Impact of postmenopause on bipolar depression: Insights from a prospective study.
Attanasio F, Fazio V, Fregna L, Colombo C. Journal of Psychiatric Research. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.043.
2025 — Duration of major depressive episodes and sleep architecture: an exploratory study.
Sarzetto A, Cavallini M.C., Pacchioni F, Casoni F, Attanasio F, Fregna L, Ferini-Strambi L, Colombo C. Journal of Psychiatric Research. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.12.027.
2025 — Generative AI and criminology: A threat or a promise? Exploring the potential and pitfalls in the identification of Techniques of Neutralization (ToN).
Pacchioni F, Fluttì E, Caruso P, Fregna L, Attanasio F, Passani C, Colombo C, Travaini G. PLOS ONE. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319793.
2024 — Mood disorders and suicide: pilot study on postmortem toxicologic evidence and adherence to psychiatric therapy by determining blood levels of medications.
Tambuzzi S, Travaini G, Gambini O, Collini F, Ginepro L, Attanasio F, Fregna L, Zucca F, Di Candia D, Amadeo A, Colombo C, Battistini A, Cattaneo C. International Journal of Legal Medicine. doi: 10.1007/s00414-024-03327-8.
2024 — Menopause and bipolar disorder: Bridging research gaps and exploring postmenopause.
Attanasio F, Fazio V, Pira C, Manfredi E, Fregna L, Colombo C. Bipolar Disorders. doi: 10.1111/bdi.13483.
2024 — How different definition criteria may predict clinical outcome in treatment resistant depression: results from a prospective real-world study.
Zanardi R, Carminati M, Attanasio F, Fazio V, Maccario M, Colombo C. Psychiatry Research. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115818.
2024 — Alcohol misuse in bipolar depression: the effect of bright light therapy on irritability, agitation, and anger attacks.
Attanasio F, Fregna L, Fazio V, Colombo C. Journal of Psychopathology. doi: 10.36148/2284-0249-N461.
2023 — Evaluating the impact of adjunct bright light therapy on subjective sleep quality in major depressive disorder.
Fregna L, Attanasio F, Colombo C. Journal of Affective Disorders. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.057.
2023 — Letter to the Editor: Interpersonal violent behavior in bipolar disorder: a preliminary study on gender differences.
Fregna L, Attanasio F, Travaini G, Colombo C. Violence and Gender. doi: 10.1089/vio.2023.0020.
2023 — Genetics of nonpharmacological treatments of depression.
Zanardi R, Carminati M, Attanasio F, Fabbri C, Serretti A. Psychiatric Genetics. doi: 10.1097/YPG.0000000000000332.
2023 — The effect of bright light therapy on irritability in bipolar depression: a single-blind randomised control trial.
Fregna L, Attanasio F, Colombo C. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice. doi: 10.1080/13651501.2023.2221286.
2023 — Sleep changes during a spontaneous manic episode: PSG assessment in a clinical context.
Pacchioni F, Cavallini M.C., Fregna L, Casoni F, Sarzetto A, Attanasio F, Barbini B, Locatelli M, Colombo C. Psychiatry Research. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115136.
2022 — Resistant or not resistant depression: that is the question.
Zanardi R, Attanasio F, Fazio V, Maccario M, Colombo C. Journal of Psychopathology. doi: 10.36148/2284-0249-453.
2022 — Sleep architecture modifications after double chronotherapy: a case series of bipolar depressed inpatients.
Sarzetto A, Cavallini M.C., Fregna L, Pacchioni F, Attanasio F, Barbini B, Franchini L, Colombo C. Psychiatry Research. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114781.
2022 — Psychopharmacology. In: Fundamentals of Psychiatry for Health Care Professionals.
Zanardi R, Spangaro M, Attanasio F, Sapienza J, Martini F, Fregna L, Cavallaro R, Colombo C. Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-07715-9_11.
2022 — Non-pharmacological treatments. In: Fundamentals of Psychiatry for Health Care Professionals.
Barbini B, Seghi F, Bosia M, Fregna L, Martini F, Attanasio F, Manfredi E, Vassena G, Colombo C, Cavallaro R. Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-07715-9_12.
2022 — Manic patients and sleep management: the role of polysomnography in clinical practice.
Pacchioni F, Cavallini M.C., Fregna L, Sarzetto A, Attanasio F, Barbini B, Colombo C. European Psychiatry. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.1036.
2022 — Data-driven stratification of depressed patients based on structural neuroimaging signatures.
Colombo F, Calesella F, Bravi B, Fortaner-Uya L, Monopoli C, Maggioni E, Tassi E, Zanardi R, Attanasio F, Bollettini I, Poletti S, Vai B, Benedetti F. Neuroscience Applied. doi: 10.1016/j.nsa.2022.100174.
2022 — Somatic and chronobiological strategies in the treatment of depression: a naturalistic study.
Attanasio F, Fazio V, Carminati M, Maccario M, Colombo C, Zanardi R. Neuroscience Applied 1(Suppl 2):100790. doi: 10.1016/j.nsa.2022.100790.
2022 — A blemish on bipolar disorder: aggressive behaviour.
Zanardi R, Manfredi E, Attanasio F, Carminati M, Colombo C. European Psychiatry 65(S1):S411–S411. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.1043.
2022 — Resistance or pseudo-resistance?
Zanardi R, Attanasio F, De Cesare C, Fazio V, Colombo C. European Psychiatry 65(S1):S370–S371. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.941.
2022 — Aggressiveness in bipolar disorder – when gender differences mismatch common thinking.
Manfredi E, Attanasio F, Fazio V, Mazzi F, Maccario M, Carminati M, Colombo C, Zanardi R. Neuroscience Applied 1(Suppl 2):100465. doi: 10.1016/j.nsa.2022.100465.
2022 — Genetics of non-invasive brain stimulation in depression: a narrative review.
Carminati M, Attanasio F, Fabbri C, Serretti A, Zanardi R. Neuroscience Applied 1(Suppl 2):100184. doi: 10.1016/j.nsa.2022.100184.
2021 — Bright light therapy accelerates the antidepressant effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in treatment resistant depression: a pilot study.
Barbini B, Attanasio F, Manfredi E, Cavallini M.C., Zanardi R, Colombo C. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice. doi: 10.1080/13651501.2021.1894579.
2021 — Aggressiveness in bipolar illness: from stigma to reality.
Zanardi R, Attanasio F, Manfredi E, Colombo C. Journal of Psychopathology. doi: 10.36148/2284-0249-422.
2021 — Blue-blocking glasses for the treatment of mania in an elderly patient: a case report with polysomnographic findings.
Sarzetto A, Cavallini M.C., Fregna L, Attanasio F, Pacchioni F, Colombo C. Bipolar Disorders. doi: 10.1111/bdi.13051.
2020 — Transcranial direct current stimulation: a novel approach in the treatment of vascular depression.
Zanardi R, Poletti S, Prestifilippo D, Attanasio F, Barbini B, Colombo C. Brain Stimulation. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.08.013.
2020 — Neurobiologic and clinical correlates of low-frequency TMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in manic episode.
Seghi F, Vai B, Barbini B, Attanasio F, Benedetti F, Colombo C. Clinical Neurophysiology. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.12.193.
2020 — Treatment-resistant depression: rTMS combined with light therapy, a novel approach.
Attanasio F, Barbini B, Seghi F, Prestifilippo D, Zanardi R, Cavallini C, Colombo C. Clinical Neurophysiology. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.12.215.