OBITUARY - PROF. GIANFRANCESCO (FRANCO) GORACCI (August 18, 1943 - January 1, 2024)

With great sadness we inform ESN members of the death of one of our distinguished members, Prof Franco Goracci, who passed away on the first day of the new year.

Prof Goracci served long term on the ESN Council as a member (2001-2005), then as the Treasurer (2001-2005) and President (2006-2009). In 2003-2007 he also was an elected Council Member of the Interna6onal Society for Neurochemistry (ISN). Under Prof Goracci’s leadership ESN held in 2001 itsbiennial mee6ng and conference on “Advances in Molecular Mechanisms of Neurological Disorders”in Perugia, Italy which was a great success (the proceedings published in Journal of Neurochemistry,vol. 77, Supplement). Among other ESN conferences organised by Franco were the ESN mee6ngs and3rd and 4th Conferences on “Advances in Molecular Mechanisms of Neurological Disorders” (Salamanca(Spain), May 19-22, 2007 and Leipzig (Germany), July 11-14 2009). He was also a Faculty member ofthe ISN/ESN School of Neurochemistry on “Advanced Imaging and Biomarkers in NeurologicalDisorders”, Meissen (Germany), July 6-10, 2009, a Member of the Organizing Commi`ee of the SpecialISN Conference on “Membrane Domains in Central Nervous System Physiology and Pathology”, Erice(Italy), May 22-26, 2010. Prof Goracci was an ac6ve member of the Italian Society for Biochemistry anda Member of the Governing Council of the Interna6onal Brain Research Organiza6on (IBRO) and heserved on the Editorial Boards of the “Handbook of Neurochemistry and Molecular Neurobiology” andNeurochemical Research.

The research career of Prof Goracci has mainly linked to the University of Perugia (Italy) where hestarted his career in Prof Giuseppe Porcellati's research group studying the role of lipids in cellfunctions, and later focusing on the role of lipid metabolism in the brain and platelets. In 1975, hewas a visiting assistant professor at the Ohio State University (USA) joining Prof Lloyd A. Horrocks’group which developed pioneering research on the metabolism and role of plasmalogens in the brain.Back in Perugia he later progressed in his career and became Full Professor in Biochemistry at theSchool of Medicine in 1989 where he worked until his retirement in 2013. Prof Goracci’s research wasdedicated to defining the role of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and remodelling ofmembrane phospholipids in cellular processes which allowed him to gain a high reputation in the fieldof neurochemistry of lipids. Amongst his achievements was the elucidation of the function ofphospholipase A2, its distribution, and involvement in the activity of neuronal and glial cells whichcontributed significantly to our understanding of the role of lipid metabolism in brain neurochemistry.

Prof Goracci was an outstanding scientist, mentor, and administrator leaving a deep imprint in theneurochemistry field. Franco was also a very charming and friendly person, and he will always beremembered for these human qualities. All his friends in the neurochemical world, who knew andloved him dearly, will miss him and his charisma. We express most sincere condolences to the family,friends, and colleagues of Prof Goracci. He will be long remembered by us all.

Natalia Nalivaeva and Tony Turner