Dr. Pierluigi Ciet’s passion for cardiothoracic imaging began during his residency at the CF center in Treviso, Italy, a satellite of the largest European CF center in Verona. Under Dr. Giovanni Morana’s mentorship, he explored thoracic MRI as a radiation-free alternative to CT. This led to a 12-month research fellowship at the CF center in Rotterdam, where he collaborated with Prof. Harm Tiddens. Upon completing his residency, Prof. Tiddens offered Dr. Ciet a Ph.D. position focused on thoracic MRI in pediatric and adult patients.
Dr. Ciet further honed his expertise through a clinical fellowship in Cardiothoracic Imaging at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital, under Profs. Alexander Bankier, Philip Boiselle, and Edward Lee. This training provided him with a comprehensive understanding of lung diseases and highlighted MRI’s potential as a diagnostic and monitoring tool.
Since returning to Erasmus MC in 2014, Dr. Ciet has developed MRI protocols for various indications, assessing lung structure and function. His contributions include protocols for structural changes and inflammation in CF, dynamic airway and diaphragmatic assessments, and participation in the Generation R study to define new asthma determinants. He also led a multicenter study to develop VIPS-MRI for CF patients and researched bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital lung malformations, and ILD.
Currently, Dr. Ciet is a Pediatric and Thoracic Radiologist at Erasmus MC – Sophia Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor at the University of Cagliari, Italy. He supervises 4 Ph.D. students, continuing to advance thoracic imaging and its clinical applications.