The European Reference Network on Rare Bone Diseases (ERN BOND) is a collaborative network, that unites experts across Europe to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with rare bone diseases. ERN BOND’s mission is to facilitate multidisciplinary, patient-centered care, ensuring that those living with rare bone diseases receive the same standard of support as others with similar healthcare needs. The network emphasizes reducing diagnostic delays, developing evidence-based guidelines, and promoting research to enhance patient outcomes. ERN BOND is supported by the European Union by providing funding, coordination and policy frameworks that enable its operation and effectiveness.

Dr. Luca Sangiorgi serves as the Director of the Department of Rare Skeletal Disorders at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute in Bologna, Italy, and is the coordinator of ERN BOND. He earned his medical degree from the University of Bologna in 1988, followed by a PhD in Clinical Genetics from “La Sapienza” University in Rome. Dr. Sangiorgi has held various esteemed positions, including serving as an oncologist at the Laboratory of Oncology Research at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute and as a visiting scientist at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. His research interests encompass clinical bioinformatics, molecular genetics, and the correlation between genotype and phenotype in musculoskeletal genetic disorders and bone sarcomas. In addition to his clinical and research endeavors, Dr. Sangiorgi contributes to academia as a contract professor of Clinical Genetics and Clinical Bioinformatics at the University of Bologna.

Under Dr. Sangiorgi’s leadership, ERN BOND has made significant strides in advancing the understanding and management of rare bone diseases, striving to improve the quality of life for affected individuals through collaborative research, education, and clinical excellence.​