Marco Durante, born in 1965 in Naples, Italy, is a distinguished physicist renowned for his expertise in radiobiology and medical physics, particularly in charged particle therapy. He earned his Ph.D. in radiation biophysics from the University of Naples Federico II in 1992, with research conducted at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Durante's postdoctoral work included positions at NASA's Johnson Space Center and Japan's National Institute of Radiological Sciences. He served as an associate professor at the University of Naples Federico II for 15 years before becoming a full professor of physics at the Technical University of Darmstadt in 2008. In 2007, he was appointed director of the Biophysics Department at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt. Durante's research focuses on optimizing charged particle therapy for cancer treatment and assessing radiation risks in space exploration. He has received numerous accolades, including the 2020 Gioacchino Failla Award from the Radiation Research Society and the 2013 IBA-Europhysics Award for Applied Nuclear Science.