Curriculum

CURRENT POSITION: Associate Professor, scientific disciplinary sector BIO/12, Pharmacology, Department of Translational Medicine and for Romagna, Unife.



EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

1999: Degree in Biological Sciences, Unife

2004: PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Unife



INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • 2001-2004: Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA.

  • 2005: Research Fellow at the Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

  • 2018: Visiting Researcher at Plants for Human Health Institute, NC State University, USA



TEACHING ACTIVITIES Lecturer of Clinical Biochemistry and General Biochemistry in the following degree courses at Unife:

  • Medical Biotechnology

  • Medicine and Surgery

  • Master's Degree in Translational Biotechnology

  • Specialization Schools: Hygiene and Preventive Medicine; Medical Genetics for doctors; Mixed area Medical Genetics; Hematology; Geriatrics; Endocrinology; Clinical Pathology and Clinical Biochemistry for doctors; Clinical Pathology and Clinical Biochemistry with mixed access; Dermatology and Venereology; Orthopedics and Traumatology; Ophthalmology; Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology; Molecular Microbiology and Virology, Hygiene



MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

  • Coordinator of the Medical Biotechnology Degree Course, Unife

  • Member of the Board of the Department of Translational Medicine and for Romagna

  • Editor of the special issue: “Paraoxonase-1 and Other HDL Accessory Proteins in Neurological Diseases” for the journal Current Pharmaceutical Design

  • Member of the Editorial Board of the journal “Neurodegenerative Diseases International”

  • Editor of the special issue: “Frontiers in Alzheimer’s Disease” for the journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences

  • Editor of the special issue: “Endogenous and Exogenous Factors Influencing the Function and Metabolism of Lipoproteins” for the journal Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences

  • Associate Editor of the journal Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences

  • Academic Editor for the journal Disease Markers

  • Member of the Editorial Board of the journal “Antioxidants”

  • Associate Editor of the journal “Mediators of Inflammation”

  • Member of the Editorial Board of the journal “Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine”

  • Editor of the special issue titled: “Paraoxonase-1 and Other HDL Accessory Proteins in Neurological Diseases” for the journal Antioxidants

  • Member of the Editorial Board of the journal “Mediators of Inflammation”

  • Co-editor of the special issue: “Oxidative Stress” for the journal “The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology”

  • Member of the Editorial Board of the journal: Reactive Oxygen Species (ISSN 2380-2367)

  • Member of the “Review Editorial Board” for the journal “Frontiers in Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences”



RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Publications: One hundred forty-nine (149) articles accepted in international journals, of which: 22% as last author; 30% as first author; 32% as corresponding author. H-index: 30 (source: Scopus); 37 (source: Google Scholar); 28 (source: WOS). Total citations: 3586 (Scopus); 5374 (Google Scholar); 3102 (WOS) Ad hoc referee for 39 peer-reviewed journals



MAIN RESEARCH PROJECTS:



  • From 2023 to present: Principal Investigator for the non-sponsored single-center observational study: “Study of Atherosclerosis of the Carotid District and Lower Limb Arteries in Menopause. Prospects for a new gender-oriented diagnostic-therapeutic pathway”. Study approved by the Ethics Committee Area Vasta Emilia Centro (CE-AVEC).

  • From 2019 to present: Scientific Director for the non-sponsored single-center observational study: “Effect of Menopause and Type 2 Diabetes on the structure and function of HDL lipoproteins”. Study approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Ferrara.

  • From 2017 to present: Scientific Director for the non-sponsored single-center observational study: “Evaluation of the biological role and diagnostic potential of oxidative stress and inflammation mediators in Alzheimer's disease”. Study approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Ferrara.

  • 2015: Scientific Director for the study titled: “Exploring the role of systemic and cerebrospinal fluid PON-1 in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia development and the association with the presence of microbleeds” commissioned by the international research center “NeuroUnit Biomarkers for Inflammation and Neurodegeneration (NUBIN)” based at the “VU University Amsterdam”, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

  • From 2011 to present: Proponent and Scientific Director of the non-sponsored single-center observational study: “Study of the effects of diet on oxidative damage caused by free radicals”. Study approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Ferrara.

  • From 2010 to present: Co-investigator for the single-center observational study: “Study of the oxidative-inflammatory state and early markers of osteoporotic and cardiovascular risk in menopausal transition: association with vasomotor symptoms”. Study approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Ferrara.

  • 2009-2010: Co-investigator for the single-center observational study: “Influence of menopause on the oxidative-inflammatory state: biochemical-instrumental-clinical correlation with osteoporotic, cardiovascular, and osteoarticular risk in relation to energy evaluation measured at the meridians as per Chinese-Oriental medicine”.

Study approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Ferrara.



MAIN RESEARCH TOPICS IN CLINICAL AND CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY: Kinetic, structural, and molecular characterization of metabolic enzymes; in vitro studies on the mechanisms of modulation of Redox processes in neurological diseases; cross-sectional and longitudinal population observational studies on the association between oxidative damage, plasma lipoprotein function, inflammation, vascular damage, and the following diseases: Alzheimer's disease, Vascular Dementia, Autism, Diabetes, Rett Syndrome, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases.