​During the years of primary and middle school I developed a strong passion for reading novels, which has never left me. In high school I studied physics in particular, in its different variants (mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics). From fourth grade I started studying, self-taught, philosophy. In 1975 I graduated in aeronautical construction. After high school I enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Trieste and I attended as an external student of the School of Theology of the Archiepiscopal Seminary of Udine. During this period I studied the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, and in particular the study of his major work "Being and Time", while in the theological context I deepened the study Biblical exegesis, under the guidance of prof. Msgr. Rinaldo Fabris.
In the following years I continued to cultivate both the study of philosophy and that of biblical exegesis. In 1976 I enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine and in 1982 I graduated from the University of Padua, discussing with prof. Hrayr Terzian a thesis entitled: "Nervous system and language." In the same year I started attending Master school in neurology at the University of Verona.
Franco Fabbro (left) with mons. Rinaldo Fabris (2003)
Franco Fabbro (left) with R. Claudio Naranjo (2007)
Franco Fabbro with Antonio Esposito (left) and Salvatore Aglioti (right).
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From 1985 to 1988 he worked as a grantee researcher in neuropsychology at the Dpt. of Neuropsychiatry of the Children's Hospital “Burlo Garofalo” in Trieste, where he worked first as researcher in neuropsychology. In this period he studied the hemispheric specialization in healthy children and in children with dysphasia, dyslexia, and acquired aphasia. He was PI of several research projects on the neural bases of learning processes.
From 1988 to 1991 he worked as a child neurologist. at the Dept. of Neuropsychiatry of the Children's Hospital in Trieste. At the same time he was chief researcher and responsible in charge of research projects on the neuropsychological aspects of learning processes.
From 1991 to 1999 he worked as an assistant professor of Linguistics, Neurolinguistics and Neurophysiology at the Faculty of Medicine in Trieste. During this period he spent three years as a visiting researcher at the Dept. of Linguistics of the McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and at the Dept. of Neurolinguistics of the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, Belgium, where he carried out research on the neurolinguistics of bilingualism and neuropsychology of altered states of consciousness.
From 2001 to 2005 he was full professor of Neurosciences (Department of Philosophy) of the University of Udine (Italy) and holded the post of chief of the Neurolinguistic Unit at the Children’s Neurological Research Hospital “E. Medea” in San Vito al Tagliamento (PN) and Pasian di Prato (UD, Italy).
From 2001 he has been Scientic Director of the IRCCS E. Medea Polo Regionale Friuli Venezia Giulia. From 2003 to 2009 he was Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Udine.
From 2006 he is Full Professor of Developmental Neuropsychiatry at the university of Udine.
Affiliations He is member of the Società Italiana di Neuropsichiatria infantile (Italian Society of Developmental Neuropsychiatry) and of the Society Esperienze di Mindfulness (Mindfulness Experiences). He has been member of the Società Italiana di Neuropsicologia (Italian Neuropsychology Society) and of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP). He was Associate Editor or Consulting Editor of the “Journal of Neurolinguistics” (Pergamon, Oxford, UK), of the "Journal de la Trisomie 21"(APEM-T21, Heusy, Belgique), of the “Pholia Phoniatrica & Logopaedica” (Krager, Basel), and of the Friulian Journal of Science (Forum, Udine, Italy). He was Chief of the Aphasia Committee of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP) (2001-2003).
Until 2005 the prevailing scope of my research has involved the study of the neuropsychology of language. Then I resumed research into non-ordinary states of consciousness (meditation) and the religious experience neuropsychological. During this period I approached the study and experiential knowledge of many religious traditions (Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic) together with a training in psychological clinical setting with the psychiatrist Claudio Naranjo.
After 2010, in addition to the study of developmental neuropsychology and neuropsychological bases of religious experience, I began, with more experience and renewed interest, the philosophical study on the ontological foundations of knowledge. Since the mid eighties I taught university courses in the following topics: Human Physiology, Linguistics and Phonetics, Neuropsychology, Neuro, Foreign Language Teaching, art Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Special Education, anatomical and physiological basics of psychic activity, Psychology learning and memory, personality psychology, child neuropsychiatry, Fundamentals of psychotherapy.