Married with 6 children, Perno is Professor of Microbiology and Virology at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, where in the Polyclinic is Head physician of the Complex Unit of Molecular Virology. Perno is also Director of the School of Specialization in Microbiology and Virology at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, as well as Director of the monitoring unit on antiviral and anticancer therapies at the IRCSS “L. Spallanzani “.
In 1980, he graduated with honors in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, in 1983 specializes in Oncology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.
From 1986 to 1989, Perno was Researcher at the National Cancer Institute.
Since 1985, he works in the field of AIDS, and has contributed to the discovery of some of the drugs still used for the treatment of HIV infection.
Perno holds numerous research funds obtained from various public and private institutions, including EEC, CNR, Italian Ministry of Health, Italian Ministry of University and Research, UNESCO, aimed at scientific and clinical research mainly on viral infections.
Author of more than a thousand scientific articles and presentations at international conferences.
In the 2001, he has awarded the Descartes Prize for Research Excellence of the European Community.