Giovanni Battista Morgagni

Giovanni Battista Morgagni
Born(1682-02-25)25 February 1682
Died6 December 1771(1771-12-06) (aged 89)
NationalityItalian
Known foranatomical pathology
Scientific career
Fieldsanatomist
Academic advisorsAntonio Maria Valsalva
Notable studentsAntonio Scarpa

Giovanni Battista Morgagni (25 February 1682 – 6 December 1771) was an Italian anatomist, generally regarded as the father of modern anatomical pathology, who taught thousands of medical students from many countries during his 56 years as Professor of Anatomy at the University of Padua.

His most significant literary contribution, the monumental five-volume On the Seats and Causes of Disease, embodied a lifetime of experience in anatomical dissection and observation, and established the fundamental principle that most diseases are not vaguely dispersed throughout the body, but originate locally, in specific organs and tissues.