Gennaro Ciliberto obtained an M.D. from the University of Napoli "Federico II" in 1978
After 8 years spent at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg in the Gene Structure and Expression Department, he moved back to Italy where he became Associate Professor of Genetics in 1987 and then Full Professor of Molecular Biology in 1990 initially in Napoli, subsequently at the University of "Magna Graecia" in Catanzaro.
Gennaro Ciliberto joined IRBM in 1991 as Director of the Genetics Department and then in 2000 became Executive Director of the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department.
In November 2006, Professor Ciliberto was appointed President and Scientific Director of the Istituto di Ricerche di Biologia Molecolare, and Vice President of Merck Research Laboratories.
Over the years he has contributed to several areas of Molecular Biology and Immunology, in particular Transcriptional control of gene expression, acute phase response, IL-6 Cytokine Family, Gene therapy and Cancer Immunotherapy. He has published about 200 papers and book chapters in international peer reviewed journals and books.