My research interests lie at the intersection of ancient philosophy, history of ancient science and medicine, philosophy, cultural history and philology. So far my research contributions have been focused on the multifaceted relationship between ancient philosophy and medicine, which I have always approached from
an interdisciplinary perspective, combining a historic-philosophical and hermeneutic approach with a historiographic and philological analysis. In the last few years, I have focused on Galen’s refutation of atomism, and attempted to contribute to the debate on his role as a source of information on previous and contemporary philosophical and scientific thought. The intertwining of history of ancient philosophy and medicine has also been the topic of multiple peer reviewed publications. I am currently investigating the historical and theoretical basis of the interaction among human beings -environment and biodiversity - climate conditions and its consequences on diseases and on the approach of Western medicine to body and therapy.
Education
December 2020 - PhD in Philosophy (Stipendiat) - IFIKK (Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas) - University of Oslo - Norway.
Title of the dissertation: “Anti-teleologism, Theory of Matter and Medical Corpuscularism in Galen’s Testimony on Atomism”.
Supervisors: Prof. E. Emilsson, University of Oslo (main supervisor), Prof. Lorenzo Perilli, University of Rome Tor Vergata (co-supervisor).
Defense committee: Prof. Robert J. Hankinson (University of Texas at Austin); Prof. Daniela Manetti (University of Florence) and Prof. Thomas Kjeller Johansen (University of Oslo).
Positions - current and previous 31/01/2022 - present;
Researcher (RTDA) in Classical Philology at the Department of Literary, Philosophical and Art History Studies, University of Rome Tor Vergata - Italy.
Research projects:
PNRR-Young Researchers MEDSPACE -
Spaces and Places of Medicine in Imperial RomePON-Tematiche Green: MEDAS
- Il corpo umano e l’ambiente: medicina antica e sistemi adattivi complessi 15/06/2022-17/07/2022;
Lecturer within the Summer school of Italian at the Norwegian Institute in Rome - University of Oslo - Norway.
01/01/2018 - 31/05/2020;
(Only Spring Semesters);
Lecturer- ILOS (Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages), University of Oslo - Norway.
01/06/2020-30/06/2020, 01/06/2019-30/06/2019, 01/06/2018-30/06/2018;
Exam Evaluator - ILOS (Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages), University of Oslo - Norway.
15/06/2020-17/07/2020, 01/07/2018-15/08/2018;
Lecturer within the Summer school of Italian at the Norwegian Institute in Rome - University of Oslo - Norway.
Fellowship and Awards2023 Next Generation EU-PNRR-Young Researchers (SOE_0000084) funded project: MEDSPACE -
Spaces and Places of Medicine in Imperial Rome, University of Rome Tor Vergata (150.000 €).
2022 “Seal of Excellence” assigned by the European Commission to the project proposal HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01-01 — MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021
Spaces and Places of Medicine in Imperial Rome.
2022 Departmental funding for the research project MEDAS
The Human Body and the Environment: Ancient Medicine and Complex Adaptive Systems, University of Rome Tor Vergata (2150 €).
2016 “Andreini-Pettinari” scholarship of the Bank of Italy (7000 €).
PublicationsMonographA. Serangeli,
Galen on the Atomists, Routledge, London-New York, 2025.
Selected peer-reviewed articlesA. Serangeli,
Galeno, un medico alla corte imperiale. La pratica medica nelle ville extraurbane, in
Spaces and Places of Ancient Medicine edited by A. Serangeli, De Gruyter, Berlin-Boston (Forthcoming 2026).
A. Serangeli,
On the Meaning of στερεόν
in Democritus’ Theory of Vision, in «Technai», 2025.
A. Serangeli, Rev. Hynek Bartoš and Vojtěch Linka (eds.).
Aristotle Reads Hippocrates. Leiden-Boston, Brill, 2024.
A. Serangeli,
Asclepiade di Bitinia, Celio Aureliano e l’etica medica, in «Galenos», 16, Fabrizio Serra Editore, Pisa, 2022, p. 97-118.
A. Serangeli,
Teleologia vs. teoria evolutiva del corpo vivente: Galeno, l’epicureismo e Nemesio di Emesa, in
Körperlichkeit in der Philosophie der Spätantike ed. by C. Horn and D. P. Taormina, Academia Verlag, Baden-Baden, 2020, p. 291-313.
A. Serangeli,
Galen vs. Asclepiades and Epicurus’ Anti-teleologism in De Usu Partium, in «Technai», 10, Fabrizio Serra Editore, Pisa, 2019, p. 89-115.
A. Serangeli,
Significato e retroterra filosofico degli ΟΓΚΟΙ
di Asclepiade di Bitinia, in «Technai», 8, Fabrizio Serra Editore, Pisa, 2017, p. 33-46.
Conferences and invited lecturesConferences09-10/10/2025 (Discussant) ASAP WiPS:
Ancient Science, Ancient Philosophy – International seminar, PRIN 2022, University of Turin.
10/04/2025 (Invited speaker)
Spazi e luoghi della medicina nella Roma imperiale, Workshop “La scienza antica oggi”, University of Rome “La Sapienza”.
02/04/2025 (Selected speaker)
Galen and the Psychological Therapy of Sadness, LASC-London Ancient Science Conference 2025, UCL-University College London.
19/09/2024 (Invited speaker)
Between Moral Advice and Psychological Therapy. Galen On Avoiding Distress and Researching Happiness, Ancient Philosophy Workshop - University of Oslo, Norwegian Institute in Rome.
29/05/2024 (Organizer and speaker)
Galeno, un medico alla corte imperiale. La pratica medica nelle ville extraurbane, International conference series “
Luoghi e spazi della medicina antica” (EU-PNRR-Young Researchers funded project: MEDSPACE), University of Rome Tor Vergata.
30/11-01/12/2023 (Invited speaker)
On the Meaning of στερεόν
as a Property of Atoms, international conference “The Harmony of the Elements. Philosophical and Technical Perspectives from Antiquity to the Renaissance”, Università di Bologna and KU Leuven.
13-4/06/2022 (Invited speaker)
Asclepiade di Bitinia, Celio Aureliano e l’etica medica, international conference “Etica, etichetta e deontologia medica dall’antichità al Medioevo”, University of Rome “La Sapienza”.
26-30/11/2018 (Invited speaker)
Teleologia vs. teoria evolutiva del corpo vivente: Galeno, l’epicureismo e Nemesio di Emesa, international conference “Körperlichkeit in der Philosophie der Spätantike” (Deutsch-Italienische Zusammenarbeit in den Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften), Villa Vigoni, Deustch-Italienisches Zentrum für Europäische Exzellenz.
27/09/2018 (Co-organizer and speaker)
L’antiteleologismo di Asclepiade e Epicuro nella testimonianza galeniana del De usu partium, international workshop “Asclepiade di Bitinia: medicina e filosofia nella Roma tardorepubblicana”, University of Rome Tor Vergata.
2/03/2018 (Selected speaker)
Atoms or Molecules? The Nature of Asclepiades’ ΟΓΚΟΙ and the background of his flux theory, Oslo Workshop in Ancient Philosophy, University of Oslo.
14/03/2017 (Selected speaker)
Galen’s Design Argument vs. Epicurean Evolution in De Usu Partium, Klassisk Seminar, University of Oslo.
17-18/04/2016 (Selected discussant) reviewing the paper
Esistono i numeri? presented by Prof. Paolo Zellini within the Annual Academic Workshop in Philosophy organized by the Fondazione Collegio San Carlo in Modena.
20/11/2015 (Selected discussant) workshop “GrAL” (Greco Arabo Latino) on
Aristotle’s Zoology, Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa and the University of Pisa.
15-16/10/2015 (Selected Speaker),
Galen’s Design Argument vs. Epicurean Evolution in the De Usu Partium, international conference “Thinking through the Ages”, University of Bergen.
8-9/12/2014 (Selected speaker),
The Galenian Account on the Epicurean Theory of Magnetism, international conference “Thinking through the Ages”, University of Tromsø.
24-25/10/2014 (Selected speaker),
The Galenian Account on the Epicurean Theory of Magnetism, international conference on ancient philosophy, the University of Oslo.
6-7 September 2013 (Selected speaker),
Epicureanism and Ancient Medicine: the case of Asclepiades of Bithynia, international conference “The Human Being: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives”, University of Oslo.
Lectures02/12/2025
Galeno e la concezione teleologica del corpo vivente, University of Naples “Federico II” (BA – Ancient Philosophy course, Prof. Anna Motta).
06/11/2025
Risorse digitali per lo studio della filosofia antica (BA and MA students in Philosophy), University of Rome Tor Vergata.
26/02/2025
Maiai, medicae e obstetrices. Le donne e la professione medica nel mondo greco-romano, Seminar “Dialoghi femminili, University of Rome Tor Vergata.
07/03/2024
Al capezzale della partoriente: medici e levatrici nel mondo antico, Giornata di formazione sulla Violenza ostetrica, Research Centre “Grammatica e sessismo”, University of Rome Tor Vergata.
29/03/2016
The notion of logos
in classical antiquity, MA course on history of ancient scientific thought, University of Roma Tor Vergata.
12/05/2015
The Notion of Element in Ancient Atomism, MA course on history of ancient scientific thought, University of Roma Tor Vergata.
Organization of scientific conferences06/03/2024-29/05/2024 Co-organizer with Prof. Daniela Taormina of the international conference series “
Luoghi e spazi della medicina antica” (EU-PNRR-Young Researchers funded project: MEDSPACE), University of Rome Tor Vergata
27/09/2018 Co-organizer with Prof. Lorenzo Perilli and Prof. Fabio Stok of the international workshop
Asclepiade di Bitinia: medicina e filosofia nella Roma tardorepubblicana. I also proofread the conference proceedings published in 2019.
25-27/10/2018 Executive Secretary of the international conference
XVI Colloquium Hippocraticum, organized by the University of Rome Tor Vergata, University of Naples “l’Orientale”, University of Florence and the École Française de Rome.
Teaching activitiesa. Bachelor level. 2022-present Lecturer of History of Ancient Scientific Thought (L-FIL-LET/05 - 6 ECTS), Department of Literature, Philosophy and History of Art, University of Rome Tor Vergata.
. July 2022, 2020 and 2018 Lecturer of Italian History and Culture within the Summer school of Italian at the Norwegian Institute in Rome (ITA 1110R - 20 ECTS), ILOS, University of Oslo.
. Spring semester 2020, 2019, 2018 Lecturer (ITA 1100 - 10 ECTS), ILOS, University of Oslo.
. Autumn semester 2019 and 2018 Substitute Lecturer (ITA 1102 - 10 ECTS), ILOS, University of Oslo.
b. Master level. 2022-present Lecturer of History of Ancient Scientific Thought (L-FIL-LET/05 - 6 ECTS), Department of Literature, Philosophy and History of Art, University of Rome Tor Vergata.
Academic network and cooperation. Associate of the Research Centre “Forms of Knowledge in the Ancient World”,
University of Rome Tor Vergata - Italy.
. Member of “The Society for Ancient Philosophy”, IFIKK- University of Oslo.
Administration2023-Present Responsible for internships of BA and MA philosophy students at the Department of Literary, Philosophical and Art History Studies, University of Rome Tor Vergata.
Other education and training15/09/2021-Present Digital scholarship course (MySQL relational database) organized by the Digital Scholarship Center of the University Oslo Library. The course is taught by Federico Aurora, academic librarian specialized in digital classics and member of the project ENCODE (Bridging the gap in Ancient Writing Culture. Enhance Competences in the Digital Era).
10/05/2020-15/06/2020 Course:
Pedagogy, Special Pedagogy and Didactics of Inclusion (F.I.T) at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (36 hours, 6 ECTS). By taking this course, I completed the 24 ECTS in Pedagogy, Psychology and Teaching Methodologies required for teaching History and Philosophy in Italian high schools. The course is part of the pedagogical training programme “F.I.T.” (Formazione Iniziale e Tirocinio) established by the Italian Ministry of Education in 2017.
6-10/10/2012 Sommerschule Griechische Paläographie, Handschriftenkunde und Editionswissenschaft - Zentrum Grundlagenforschung Alte Welt der Berlin Brendenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften - Germany (selected participant with awarded grant).
Language skillsItalian: Mother tongue
English: Proficient (C2)
German: Intermediate (B1)
Spanish: Basic User
Norwegian: Basic User
Ancient Greek and Latin: Good Knowledge