CRISTIANO BERTOLUCCI
CURRICULUM VITAE ET STUDIORUM
December 31st, 2025
Date and Place of Birth: June 10, 1967, Viareggio (LU), Italy
Nationality: Italian
Married to Ornella, with twins Caterina and Eleonora
Full Professor in Zoology
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology
University of Ferrara
via L. Borsari, 46 44121 FERRARA (Italy)
Phone & Fax: +39-0532-455485 @-mail address: bru@unife.it
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY RESEARCH ACTIVITY
I am a zoologist and my research activity is focused on the study of temporal organization of physiological and behavioural processes and, in particular, on the circadian timekeeping system of vertebrates. I investigate the role of the hypothalamus in the generation and regulation of circadian and seasonal behavioural rhythms in reptiles; the roles of extraretinal photoreception in circadian physiology and behaviour, particularly photic entrainment and sun compass orientation in reptiles and fish; the influence of environmental signals, such as light, temperature and feeding, on the central and peripheral circadian oscillators and their outputs in mammals and reptiles. In the last years I studied the evolution of the biological clock in animals adapted to extreme environmental conditions: the hypogean blind cavefish and the Antarctic krill. Using a multidisciplinary approach (from gene to behaviour) my research activity has allowed me to achieve significant results for understanding of the circadian timing system in vertebrates. Recently, I investigated behavioural plasticity and cognitive mechanisms in fish also through the use of zebrafish mutants. Some research activities have focused on the study of animal welfare in aquaculture.
During my research activity, I had the opportunity to participate to several national and international scientific networks. This networking has resulted in a set of common publications, and in some academic invitations in order to develop common research programs.
Currently, my scientific accomplishments include 160 papers published in international peer-reviewed journals; I am first author (including equal contribution) in 20 papers as well as corresponding author in 18 papers, and last author in 48 papers. I am also author of 4 book chapters, more then 80 proceedings of national and international congresses, 8 popular books, and 1 patent. My h-index is equal to 39 and the sum of citations of my papers is equal to 5161 from Google Scholar (dated on December 31, 2025).
DEGREES
- 1993 Laurea (MSc) in Biology, University of Pisa, Italy
- 1994 Qualification to the exercise of the biologist profession, University of Pisa, Italy
- 1998 Ph.D. degree in Animal Biology
- 1998 University of Ferrara, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, License to teach ("Cultore della Materia") "Systematic and Animal Phylogeny" and "Ethology"
- 1998 Fellowship from the Consorzio Ferrara Ricerche
- 2014 Habilitation (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) for Full and Associate Professor - sector 05/B1 (Zoology and Antropology)
- 2020 Research Fellow at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn of Napoli
PUBLICATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL
Minutini L., Innocenti A., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (1994) - Electrolytic lesions to the optic chiasm affect circadian locomotor rhythms in lizards. Neuroreport 5: 525-527.
Minutini L., Innocenti A., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (1995) - Circadian organization in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula: the role of the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus. J. Comp. Physiol. A 176: 281-288.
Innocenti A., Bertolucci C., Minutini L., Foà A. (1996) - Seasonal variations of pineal involvement in the circadian organization of the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula. J. Exp. Biol. 199: 1189-1194.
Foà A., Bertolucci C., Marsanich A., Innocenti A. (1997) - Pineal transplantation to the brain of pinealectomized lizards: effects on circadian rhythms of locomotor activity. Behav. Neurosc. 111(5): 1123-1132.
Bertolucci C., Foà A. (1998) - Seasonality and role of the SCN in entrainment of lizard circadian locomotor rhythms to daily melatonin injections. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (4): R1004-R1014.
Bertolucci C., Leorati M., Innocenti A., Foà A. (1999) - Circannual variations of lizard circadian activity rhythms in constant darkness. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 46 (3): 200-209.
Borroni A., Loy A., Bertolucci C. (1999) - Daily and circadian rhythms of rest and activity of Talpa romana Thomas (Mammalia, Insectivora: Talpidae). Preliminary results. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei s. 9, v. 10: 89-99.
Bertolucci C., Sovrano V.A., Magnone M.C., Foà A. (2000) - The role of the suprachiasmatic nuclei in circadian and light-entrained behavioral rhythms of lizard. Am. J. Physiol. 279 (6): R2121-R2131.
Tosini G., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2001) - The circadian system of reptiles: a true multioscillatory and multiphotoreceptive system. Physiol. & Behav. 72 (4):461-471.
Foà A., Bertolucci C. (2001) - Temperature cycles induce a bimodal activity pattern in ruin lizards: masking or clock-controlled event? a seasonal problem. J. Biol. Rhythm, 16(6): 574-584.
Foà A., Magnone M.C., Bertolucci C. (2002) - Circadian organization in ruin lizards: phase response curve for melatonin changes with season. J. Comp. Physiol. A 188: 141-145.
Bertolucci C., Foà A., Van't Hof T.J. (2002) - Seasonal variations in circadian rhythms of plasma melatonin in ruin lizards. Horm. Behav, 41: 414-419.
Bertolucci C., Wagner G., Foà A., Gwinner E., Brandstätter R. (2003) - Photoperiod affects amplitude but not duration of in vitro melatonin production in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula. J. Biol. Rhythm, 18(1):63-70.
Foà A., Bertolucci C. (2003) - Toward a seasonal model of the circadian system: the case of ruin lizards. Front. Bioscienc, 8: 236-242.
Magnone M.C., Bertolucci C., Piazza F., Foà A. (2003) - Daily and circadian rhythms of neurotransmitters and related compounds in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei of a diurnal vertebrate. Brain Res. 973(1): 115-121.
Pasqualetti M.*, Bertolucci C.*, Ori M., Innocenti A., Magnone M.C., De Grip W.J., Nardi I., Foà A. (2003) - Identification of circadian brain photoreceptors mediating photic entrainment of behavioural rhythms in lizards. Eur. J. Neurosc. 18: 364-372. (*contributed equally to this work)
Piccione G.*, Bertolucci C.*, Foà A., Caola G. (2004) - Influence of fasting and exercise on the daily rhythm of serum leptin in the horse. Chronobiol. Int. 21(3):405-417. (*contributed equally to this work)
Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2004) - Extraocular photoreception and circadian entrainment in non-mammalian vertebrates. Chronobiol. Int. 21(4-5): 501-519.
Magnone M.C., Jacobmeier B., Bertolucci C., Foà A., Albrecht U. (2005) - Circadian expression of the clock gene Per2 is altered in the ruin lizard (Podarcis sicula) when temperature changes. Mol. Brain Res. 133: 281-285.
Pinotti M.*, Bertolucci C.*, Portaluppi F., Colognesi I., Frigato E., Foà A., Bernardi F. (2005) - Daily and circadian rhythms of TFPI and Factor VII activity. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 25: 646-649.
Bertolucci C., Pinotti M., Colognesi I., Foà A., Bernardi F., Portaluppi F. (2005) - Circadian Rhythms in Mouse Blood Coagulation. J. Biol. Rhythms 20(3): 219-224.
Bertolucci C., Caola G., Foà A., Piccione G. (2005) - Daily rhythms of serum leptin in ewes: effects of feeding, pregnancy and lactation. Chronobiol. Int. 22(5): 817-827.
Piccione G., Bertolucci C., Costa A., Di Mauro S., Caola G. (2005) - Daily rhythm of body and auricle temperature in goats kept at two different ambient temperature. Biol. Rhythms Res. 36(4): 309-314.
Piccione G., Costa A., Bertolucci C., Borruso M., Pennisi P., Caola G. (2006) - Acid-base balance modifications in the lamb and kid during the first week of life. Small Ruminant Res. 63: 304-308.
Piccione G., Foà A., Bertolucci C.*, Caola G. (2006) - Daily rhythm of salivary and serum urea concentrations in sheep. J. Circadian Rhythms 4: 16. (*corresponding author)
Foà A., Brandstätter R., Bertolucci C. (2006) - The circadian system of ruin lizards: a seasonally changing neuroendocrine loop? Chronobiol. Int. 23(1-2): 317-327
Frigato E., Vallone D., Bertolucci C.*, Foulkes N.S. (2006) - Isolation and characterization of melanopsin and pinopsin expression within photoreceptive sites of reptiles. Naturwissenschaften 93(8):379-385. (*corresponding author)
Pavan B., Frigato E., Pozzati S, Prasad P.D., Bertolucci C.*, Biondi C. (2006) - Circadian clocks regulate adenylyl cyclase activity rhythms in human RPE cells. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 350(1): 169-173. (*corresponding author)
Vallone D., Frigato E., Vernesi C., Foà A., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2007) - Hypothermia modulates circadian clock gene expression in lizard peripheral tissues. Am. J. Physiol. 292: R160-R166.
Colognesi I., Pasquali V., Foà A., Renzi P., Bernardi F., Bertolucci C.*, Pinotti M. (2007) - Temporal variations of coagulation factor VII activity in mice are influenced by lighting regime. Chronobiol. Int. 24(2):305-313 (*corresponding author)
Malatesta M., Frigato E., Baldelli B., Battistelli S., Foà A., Bertolucci C. (2007) - Influence of temperature on the liver circadian clock in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula. Microsc. Res. Tech. 70(7):578-584.
Piccione G.*, Bertolucci C.*, Caola G., Foà A. (2007) - Effects of restricted feeding on circadian activity rhythms of sheep - a brief report. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 107(3-4):233-238. (*contributed equally to this work)
Piccione G., Bertolucci C., Grasso F., Giudice E. (2007) - Changes in gas composition and acid-base values of venous blood samples stored at different temperatures in four domestic species. Vet. Clin. Pathol. 36(4):358-360.
Piccione G., Bertolucci C., Giannetto C., Giudice E. (2008) - Clotting profiles in newborn Maltese kids during the first week of life. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 20:114-118.
De Pittà C*, Bertolucci C.*, Mazzotta G.M., Bernante F., Rizzo G., De Nardi B., Pallavicini A., Lanfranchi G., Costa R. (2008) - Systematic sequencing of mRNA from the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and first tissue specific transcriptional segnature. BMC Genomics 9:45. (*contributed equally to this work)
Bertolucci C., Cavallari N., Colognesi I., Aguzzi J., Chen Z., Caruso P., Foà A., Tosini G., Bernardi F. Pinotti M. (2008) - Evidence for an overlapping role of Clock and Npas2 transcription factors in liver circadian oscillators. Molecular and Cellular Biology 28(9): 3070-3075.
Bertolucci C., Giannetto C., Fazio F., Piccione G (2008) Seasonal variations in daily rhythms of activity in athletic horses. Animal 2(7): 1055-1060.
Bertolucci C., Fazio F., Piccione G. (2008) - Daily rhythms of serum lipids in dogs: influence of lighting and fasting cycles. Comparative Medicine 58(5): 485-489.
Frigato E., Lunghi L., Ferretti M.E., Biondi C., Bertolucci C. (2009) - Evidence for circadian rhythms in human trophoblast cell line that persist in hypoxia. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 378(1):108-111.
Bertolucci C., Giudice E., Fazio F., Piccione G. (2009) - Circadian intraocular pressure rhythms in athletic horses under different lighting regime. Chronobiol. Int. 26(2):348-358.
Foà A, Basaglia F., Beltrami G., Moretto E., Carnacina M., Bertolucci C. (2009) - Orientation of lizards in a Morris water-maze: roles of the sun compass and the parietal eye. J. Exp. Biol. 212(18):2918-2924.
Mazzotta G.M., De Pittà C., Benna C., Tosatto S.C.E., Lanfranchi G., Bertolucci C.*, Costa R. (2010) - A cry from the krill. Chronobiol. Int. 27(3): 425-445. (*corresponding author)
Beltrami G., Parretta A., Bertolucci C., Petrucci F., Foà A. (2010) Sky polarization compass in lizards: a central role of the parietal eye. J. Exp. Biol. 213: 2048-2054.
Pinotti M.*, Bertolucci C.*, Frigato E., Branchini A., Cavallari N., Baba K., Contreras-Alcantara S., Ehlen C., Bernardi F., Paul K.N., Tosini G. (2010) Chronic sleep deprivation markedly reduces coagulation factor VII expression. Haematologica 95(8): 1429-1432. (*contributed equally to this work)
Piccione G., Giannetto C., Fazio F., Bertolucci C. (2011) Daily variations of serum lipids in Ovis aries under different lighting and feeding conditions. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 95: 603-608.
Cavallari N., Frigato E., Vallone D., Fröhlich N., Lopez Olmeda J.F., Foà A., Berti R., Sánchez Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2011) A Blind Circadian Clock in Cavefish Reveals that Opsins Mediate Peripheral Clock Photoreception. PLoS Biology 9(9): e1001142.
Lunghi L., Frigato E., Ferretti M.E., Biondi C., Bertolucci C. (2011) Circadian variation of cell proliferation in HTR-8/SVneo cell line. Human Cell 24(4):161-164.
Tarttelin E., Frigato E., Bellingham J., Di Rosa V., Berti R., Foulkes N.S., Lucas R.J., Bertolucci C. (2012) Encephalic photoreception and phototactic response in the troglobiont Somalian blind cavefish Phreatichthys andruzzii. J. Exp. Biol. 215: 2898-2903.
Idda M.L., Bertolucci C., Vallone D., Gothilf Y., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Foulkes N.S. (2012) Circadian clocks: Lessons from fish. Chapter 3 in: Kalsbeek A., Merrow M., Roenneberg T., Foster, R.G. (eds): Neurobiology of Circadian Timing. Progress in Brain Research 199, 41-57.
Beltrami G., Parretta A., Petrucci F., Buttini P., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2012) The lizard celestial compass detects linearly polarized light in the blue. J. Exp. Biol. 215, 3200-3206.
Piccione G., Giannetto C., Bertolucci C., Refinetti R. (2013) Daily rhythmicity of circulating melatonin is not endogenously generated in the horse. Biol. Rhythms Res. 44(1), 143-149.
Mazzotta G., Rossi A., Leonardi E., Mason M., Bertolucci C., Caccin L., Spolaore B., Martina A.J.M., Schlichting M., Grebler R., Helfrich-Förster C., Mammi S., Costa R., Tosatto S.C.E. (2013) Fly Cryptochrome and the Visual System. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110(15), 6163-6168.
Vera L.M., Negrini P., Zagatti C., Frigato E., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C. (2013) Light and feeding entrainment of the molecular circadian clock in a marine teleost (Sparus aurata). Chronobiol. Int. 30(5), 649-661.
Pagon N., Grignolio S., Pipia A., Bongi P., Bertolucci C., Apollonio M. (2013) Seasonal variation of activity patterns in roe deer in a temperate forested area. Chronobiol. Int. 30(6), 772-785.
Villamizar N., Blanco-Vives B., Oliveira C., Dinis M.T., Di Rosa V., Negrini P., Bertolucci C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J. (2013) Circadian rhythms of embryonic development and hatching in fish: A comparative study of Zebrafish (diurnal), Senegalese sole (nocturnal) and Somalian cavefish (blind). Chronobiol. Int. 30(7):889-900.
De Pittà C., Biscontin A., Albiero A., Sales G., Millino C., Mazzotta G.M., Bertolucci C., Costa R. (2013) The Antarctic krill Euphausia superba shows diurnal cycles of transcription under natural conditions. PLoS One 8(7): e68652.
Fusani L.*, Bertolucci C.*, Frigato E., Foà A. (2014) Cryptochrome expression in the eye of migratory birds depends on their migratory status. The Journal of Experimental Biology 217:918-923 (*contributed equally to this work).
Maoret F., Beltrami G., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2014) Celestial Orientation with the Sun Not in View: Lizards Use a Time- Compensated Sky Polarization Compass. Journal of Biological Rhythms 29(2):144-147.
Bisazza A., Tagliapietra C., Bertolucci C., Foà A., Agrillo C. (2014) Non-visual numerical discrimination in a blind cavefish (Phreatichthys andruzzii). The Journal of Experimental Biology 217, 1902-1909.
60. Piccione G., Cannella V., Monteverde V., Bertolucci C., Frigato E., Congiu F., Guercio A. (2014) Circadian gene expression in peripheral blood of Bos taurus under different experimental condition. J. Appl. Biomed. 12:271-275.
(DOI: 10.1016/j.jab.2014.07.002)
61. Stemmer M., Schuhmacher L.N., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C., Wittbrodt J. (2015) Cavefish eye loss in response to an early block in retinal differentiation progression. Development. , 142:743-75.
(DOI: 10.1242/dev.114629)
62. Di Rosa V., Frigato E., López-Olmeda J.F., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C. (2015) The light wavelength affects the ontogeny of clock gene expression and activity rhythms in zebrafish larvae. PLoS ONE 10(7): e0132235.
(DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132235)
63. Giannetto C., Bazzano M., Marafioti S., Bertolucci C., Piccione G. (2015) Monitoring of total locomotors activity in mares during pre- and post-partum period. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 10(5): 427-432.
(DOI:10.1016/j.jveb.2015.05.003)
64. Sovrano V.A., Bertolucci C., Frigato E., Foà A., Rogers L.J. (2016) Influence of exposure in ovo to different light wavelengths on the lateralization of social response in zebrafish larvae. Physiology & Behavior, 157: 258-264
65. Di Rosa V., López-Olmeda J.F., Burguillo A., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Piferrer F., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J. (2016) Daily rhythms of expression of key genes involved in sex differentiation in zebrafish. PLoS ONE, 11(6): e0157716.
66. Biscontin A., Frigato E., Sales G., Mazzotta G.M., Teschke M., De Pittà C., Jarman S., Meyer B., Costa R., Bertolucci C. (2016) The opsin repertoire of the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. Marine Genomics, 29: 61-68.
67. Brivio F., Bertolucci C., Tettamanti F., Filli F., Apollonio M., Grignolio S. (2016) The weather dictates the rhythms: Alpine chamois activity is well adapted to ecological conditions. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 70(8):1291-1304.
68. Foulkes N.S., Whitmore D., Vallone D., Bertolucci C. (2016) Studying the evolution of the vertebrate circadian clock: The power of fish as comparative models. In “Genetics, Genomics and Fish Phenomics” (Edited by Nicholas S. Foulkes); Advances in Genetics, Volume 95, Pages 1-30.
69. Dall'Ara I., Ghirotto S., Ingusci S., Bagarolo G., Bertolucci C., Barbujani G. (2016) Demographic history and adaptation account for clock gene diversity in humans. Heredity, 117(3):165-172.
70. Calderoni L., Rota-Stabelli O., Frigato E., Panziera A., Kirchner S., Foulkes N.S., Kruckenhauser L., Bertolucci C., Fuselli S. (2016) Relaxed selective constraints drove functional modifications in the peripheral circadian clock of the cavefish P. andruzzii and provides insight into the time of cave colonization. Heredity, 117(5):383-392.
71. Brivio F., Grignolio S., Brogi R., Benazzi M., Bertolucci C., Apollonio M.(2017) An analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the activity of a nocturnal species: the wild boar. Mammalian Biology, 84:73-81.
72. Miletto Petrazzini M.E., Fraccaroli I., Gariboldi F., Agrillo C., Bisazza A., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2017) Quantitative abilities in a reptile (Podarcis sicula). Biology Letters, 13(4). pii: 20160899
73. Biscontin A., Wallach T., Sales G., Grudziecki A., Janke L., Sartori E., Bertolucci C., Mazzotta G., De Pittà C., Meyer B., Kramer A., Costa R. (2017) Functional characterization of the circadian clock in the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba. Scientific Reports 7(1):17742.
74. Miletto Petrazzini M.E., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2018) - Quantity discrimination in trained lizards (Podarcis sicula). Frontiers in Psychology 9:274. (doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00274)
75. Benedusi M., Frigato E., Beltramello M., Bertolucci C., Valacchi G. (2018) Circadian clock as possible protective mechanism to pollution induced keratinocytes damage. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 172: 13-20.
76. Ceinos R.M., Frigato E., Pagano C., Froehlich N., Negrini P., Cavallari N., Vallone D., Fuselli S., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2018) Mutations in blind cavefish target the light-regulated circadian clock gene, period 2. Scientific Reports, 8(1): 8754.
77. Pagano C., Siauciunaite R., Idda M.L., Ruggiero G., Ceinos R.M., Pagano M., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S., Vallone D. (2018) Evolution shapes the responsiveness of the D-box enhancer element to light and reactive oxygen species in vertebrates. Scientific Reports, 8:13180.
78. Zhao H., Di Mauro G., Lungu-Mitea S., Negrini P., Guarino A.M., Frigato E., Braunbeck T., Hongju M., Lamparter T., Vallone D., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2018) Modulation of DNA repair systems in blind cavefish during evolution in constant darkness. Current Biology, 28: 3229-3243.
79. Grignolio S., Brivio F., Apollonio M., Frigato E., Tettamanti F., Filli F., Bertolucci C. (2018) Is the chamois’s nocturnal activity compensatory? Mammalian Biology, 93: 173-181.
80. Kostovski E., Frigato E., Dahm A., Sandset P.M., Mowinckel M., Skretting G., Østerud B., Bertolucci C., Iversen P.O. (2018) Clock gene expression in peripheral blood cells in males with blunted melatonin levels and disrupted feedback loops; the effect of exogenous melatonin in tetraplegia. Spinal Cord, 56: 1076-1083.
81. Sovrano V.A., Potrich D., Foà A., Bertolucci C. (2018) Extra-Visual systems in the spatial reorientation of cavefish. Scientific Reports, 8: 17698.
82. Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C. (2019) Guppies show rapid and lasting inhibition of foraging behaviour. Behav Processes, 164:91-99.
83. Brogi R., Brivio F., Bertolucci C., Benazzi M., Luccarini S., Cappai N., Bottero E., Columbano N., Apollonio M., Grignolio S (2019) Capture effects in wild boar: a multifaceted behavioural investigation. Wildlife Biology, 2019(1).
84. Limonta G., Mancia A., Benkhalqui A., Bertolucci C., Abelli L., Fossi M.C., Panti C. (2019) Microplastics induce transcriptional changes, immune response and behavioral alterations in adult zebrafish. Scientific Reports, 9, 15775.
85. Morbiato E., Frigato E., Dinarello A., Maradonna F., Facchinello N., Argenton F., Carnevali O., Dalla Valle L., Bertolucci C. (2019) Feeding entrainment of the zebrafish circadian clock is regulated by the glucocorticoid receptor. Cells, 8(11):1342.
86. Basili D., Lutfi E., Falcinelli S., Balbuena-Pecino S., Navarro I., Bertolucci C., Capilla E., Carnevali O. (2020) Photoperiod Manipulation Affects Transcriptional Profile of Genes Related to Lipid Metabolism and Apoptosis in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae: Potential Roles of Gut Microbiota. Microb Ecol., 79(4):933-94
87. Lucon-Xiccato T., Di Mauro G., Bisazza A., Bertolucci C. (2020) Alarm cue-mediated response and learning in zebrafish larvae. Behavioural Brain Research, 380:112446.
88. Lucon-Xiccato T., De Russi G., Bertolucci C. (2020) A novel-odour exploration test for measuring anxiety in adult and larval zebrafish. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 335:108619.
89. Morbiato E., Bilela S., Tirri m., Arfè R., Fantinati A., Savchuk S., Appolonova S., Frisoni P., Tagliaro F., Neri M., Grignolio S., Bertolucci C., Marti M. (2020) Potential of the zebrafish model for the forensic toxicology screening of NPS: a comparative study of the effects of APINAC and Methiopropamine on the behavior of zebrafish larvae and mice. Neurotoxicology, 78:36-46.
90. Lucon-Xiccato T, Montalbano G., Bertolucci C. (2020) Personality traits covary with individual differences in inhibitory abilities in two species of fish. Current Zoology, 66(2):187-195.
91. Lucon-Xiccato T, Bisazza A., Bertolucci C. (2020) Guppies show sex and individual differences in the ability to inhibit
Behaviour. Animal Cognition, 23(3):535-543.
92. Sovrano V.A., Baratti G., Potrich D., Bertolucci C. (2020) The geometry as an eyed fish feels it in spontaneous and rewarded spatial reorientation tasks. Scientific Reports, 10(1):8020
93. Olivotto I., Zarantoniello M., Randazzo B., Gioacchini G., Truzzi C., Giorgini E., Riolo P., Gioia G., Bertolucci C., Osimani A., Cardinaletti G., Lucon-Xiccato T., Milanovic V., Annibaldi A., Tulli F., Notarstefano V., Ruschioni S., Clementi F. (2020) Zebrafish (Danio rerio) physiological and behavioural responses to insect-based diets: a multidisciplinary approach. Scientific Reports 10:10648
94. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Dadda M., Bertolucci C. (2020) Lateralisation correlates with individual differences in inhibitory control in zebrafish. Biology Letters, 16(8): 20200296.
95. Lucon-Xiccato T, Bertolucci C. (2020) Inhibitory control in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Journal of Fish Biology, 97:416-423.
96. Frigato E., Benedusi M., Guiotto A., Bertolucci C., Valacchi G. (2020) Circadian Clock and OxInflammation: functional cross-talk in cutaneous homeostasis. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2309437.
97. Montalbano G., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2020) Measures of inhibitory control correlate between different tasks but do not predict problem-solving success in a fish, Poecilia reticulata. Intelligence, 82: 101486.
98. Lucon-Xiccato T., Conti F., Loosli F., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2020) Development of open-field behaviour in the medaka, Oryzias latipes. Biology, 9(11):389.
99. Benedusi M., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Valacchi G. (2021) Circadian deregulation as possible new player in pollution induced tissue damage. Atmosphere, 12(1):116.
100. Sbragaglia V., López-Olmeda J.F., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Arlinghaus R. (2021) Size-selective mortality induces evolutionary changes in group risk-taking behavior and the circadian system in a fish. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90:387- 403.
101. Zhao H., Du J., Di Mauro G., Li H, Lungu-Mitea S., Geyer N., Vallone D., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2021) Regulation of ddb2 expression in blind cavefish and zebrafish reveals plasticity in the control of sunlight-induced DNA damage repair. PLoS Genetics, 17(2): e1009356.
102. Schalm G., Bruns K., Drachenberg N., Geyer N., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C., Gerlach G. (2021) Finding Nemo’s clock genes: Switch from nocturnal to diurnal activity in clownfish development. Scientific Reports, 11, 6801.
103. Lucon-Xiccato T., Bella L., Mainardi E., Baraldi M., Bottarelli M., Sandonà D., Bertolucci C. (2021) An automated low-cost swim tunnel for measuring swimming performance in fish. Zebrafish, 18(3), 231-234.
104. Brivio F., Bertolucci C., Marcon A., Cotza A., Apollonio M., Grignolio S. (2021) Dealing with intra-individual variability in the analysis of activity patterns from accelerometer data. Hystrix, 32(1):41-47.
105. Merola C., Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C., Perugini M. (2021) Behavioural effects of early-life exposure to parabens in zebrafish larvae. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 41(11):1852-1862.
106. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Reddon A.R., Bertolucci C. (2022) Social environment affects inhibitory control via developmental plasticity in a fish. Animal Behaviour, 183: 69-76.
107. Montalbano G.; Bertolucci C.; Lucon-Xiccato T. (2022) Cognitive Phenotypic Plasticity: Environmental Enrichment Affects Learning but Not Executive Functions in a Teleost Fish, Poecilia reticulata. Biology, 11: 64.
108. D’Agostino Y., Frigato E., Noviello T.M.R., Toni M, Frabetti F., Cigliano L., Ceccarelli M., Sordino P., Cerulo L., Bertolucci C., D’Aniello S. (2022) Loss of circadian rhythmicity in bdnf knock-out zebrafish larvae. iScience, 25(4): 104054.
109. Lucon-Xiccato T., Loosli F., Conti F., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2022) Anxiety-like and social behaviour of medaka: evaluation of six tests and comparison with zebrafish. Scientific Reports, 12: 10926.
110. Urso I., Biscontin A., Corso D., Bertolucci C., Romualdi C., De Pittà C., Meyer B., Sales G. (2022) A thorough annotation of the Krill transcriptome offers new insights for the study of physiological processes. Scientific Reports, 12: 11415.
111. Tonelotto V., Consorti C., Facchinello N., Trapani V., Sabatelli P., Giraudo C., Spizzotin M., Cescon M., Bertolucci C., Bonaldo P. (2022) Collagen VI ablation in zebrafish causes neuromuscular defects during developmental and adult stages. Matrix Biology, 112: 39-61.
112. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Frigato E., Loosli F., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2022) Medaka as a model for seasonal plasticity: Photoperiod-mediated changes in behaviour, cognition, and hormones. Hormones and Behavior, 145: 105244.
113. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Gatto E., Frigato E., D’Aniello S., Bertolucci C. (2022) Individual differences and knockout in zebrafish reveal similar cognitive effects of BDNF between teleost fish and mammals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 289: 20222036.
114. Lucon-Xiccato T., Tomain M., D’Aniello S., Bertolucci C. (2023) bdnf loss affects activity, sociability, and anxiety-like behaviour in zebrafish. Behavioural Brain Research, 436: 114115.
115. Caioni G, Merola C., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T., Başak Savaşçı B., Massimi M., Colasante M., Fioravanti G., Cacciola N.A., Ippoliti R., D’Angelo M., Perugini M, Benedetti E. (2023) Early-life exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of triclocarban impairs ocular development in zebrafish larvae. Chemosphere, 324: 138348.
116. Mancia A., Abelli L., Candela M., Palladino G , Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C., Fossi M.C., Baini M., Panti C. (2023) Sorbed environmental contaminants increase the harmful effects of polyethylene microplastics in adult zebrafish, Danio rerio. Aquatic Toxicology, 259: 106544.
117. Pintos S., Lucon-Xiccato T., Vera L.M., Bertolucci C. (2023) Daily rhythms in the behavioural stress response of the zebrafish Danio rerio. Physiology and Behaviour, 268: 114241.
118. Zarantoniello M., Alves De Oliveira A., Sahin T., Freddi L., Torregiani M., Tucciarone I., Chemello G., Cardinaletti G., Gatto E., Parisi G., Bertolucci C., Riolo P., Nartea A., Gioacchini G., Olivotto I. (2023) Rearing European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in aquaponic systems fed on diets including enriched black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) prepupae meal: a multidisciplinary study on fish welfare and quality traits. Animals, 13(12): 1921.
119. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Bertolucci C. (2023) Adaptive phenotypic plasticity induces individual variability along a cognitive trade-off. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 290: 20230350.
120. Dalla Barba F., Soardi M, Mouhib L., Risato G., Akyürek E. E., Lucon-Xiccato T., Scano M., Benetollo A., Sacchetto R., Richard I., Argenton F., Bertolucci C., Carotti M., Sandonà D. (2023) Modelling sarcoglycanopathy in Danio rerio. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(16), 12707
121. Lucon-Xiccato L., Başak Savaşçı B., Merola C., Benedetti E., Caioni G., Aliko V., Bertolucci C., Perugini M. (2023) Environmentally relevant concentrations of triclocarban impair behaviour, learning, and brain gene expression in fish. Science of the Total Environment, 903, 166717
122. Lucon-Xiccato T., De Russi G., Cannicci S., Maggi E., Bertolucci C. (2023) Embryonic exposure to artificial light at night impairs learning abilities and their covariance with behavioural traits in teleost fish. Biology Letters 19, 20230436.
123. Montalbano G., Bertolucci C., Bisazza A., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2023) Interspecific differences in developmental mode determine early cognitive abilities in teleost fish. Animal Cognition, 26(6), 1893-1903.
124. Merola C., Caioni G., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T., Savaşçı B.B., Taite S., Casella M., Camerini S., Benedetti E., Perugini M. (2024) Embryonic and larval exposure to propylparaben induces developmental and long-term neurotoxicity in zebrafish model. Science of the Total Environment, 912, 168925.
125. Brivio F., Apollonio M., Anderwald P., Filli F., Bassano B., Bertolucci C., Grignolio S. (2024) Seeking Temporal Refugia to Heat Stress: Increasing Nocturnal Activity Despite Predation Risk. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 291, 20231587.
126. Yu D., Ren Y., Uesaka M., Beavan A.J.S., Muffato M., Shen J., Li Y., Sato I., Wan W., Clark J.W., Keating J.N., Carlisle E.M., Dearden R.P., Giles S., Randle E., Sansom R.S., Feuda R., Fleming J.F., Sugahara F., Cummins C., Patricio M., Akanni W., D'Aniello S., Bertolucci C., Irie N., Alev C., Sheng G., de Mendoza A., Maeso I., Irimia M., Fromm B., Peterson K.J., Das S., Hirano M., Rast J.P., Cooper M.D., Paps J., Pisani D., Kuratani S., Martin F.J., Wang W., Donoghue P.C.J., Zhang Y.E., Pascual-Anaya J. (2024) Hagfish genome elucidates vertebrate whole genome duplication events and their evolutionary consequences. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 8, 519–535.
127. Lucon-Xiccato T., De Russi G., Frigato E., Dadda M., Bertolucci C. (2024) One-trial odour recognition learning and its underlying brain areas in the zebrafish. Behavioural Brain Research, 465, 114949.
128. Varracchio C., Gatto E. Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2024) Do captive fish need cognitive enrichment? A test with a puzzle feeder in guppies. Ethology, 130, e13442.
129. Pintos S., Lucon-Xiccato T., Vera L.M., Conceição L., Bertolucci C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Rema P. (2024) Social buffering of behavioural stress response in two fish species, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and koi carp (Cyprinus carpio). Ethology, 130, e13464
130. Gatto E., Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C. (2024) Environmental conditions shape learning in larval zebrafish. Behavioural processes, Behavioural Processes, 218, 105045
131. Di Rosa V., Frigato E., Negrini P., Cristiano W., López-Olmeda J.F., Rétaux S., Sánchez-Vázquez F., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2024) Sporadic feeding regulates robust food entrainable circadian clocks in blind cavefish. iScience, 27, 110171.
132. Caioni G., Merola C., Perugini M., Angelozzi G., Amorena M., Benedetti E., Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C. (2024)
Sodium valproate effects on the morphological and neurobehavioral phenotype of zebrafish. Environmental Toxicology & Pharmacology, 110: 104500.
133. Keene, A.C., Duboue, E.R., Foulkes, N.S., Bertolucci, C. (2024). Evolved Loss of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Cavefish. In: Gehrman, P., C. Keene, A., F. Grant, S. (eds) Genetics of Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Springer, Cham.
134. Rovegno, E., Lucon-Xiccato, T., Terrin, F., Dalla Valle L., Bertolucci, C. (2024) Knockout in zebrafish reveals the role of the glucocorticoid receptor in shaping behavioral syndromes. Behavioural Brain Research, 473: 115179.
135. Andreazzoli M., Argenton F., Bertolucci C., Finazzi D., Gabellini G., Mione M., Pistocchi A., Santoro M., Sordino P., Cavalieri V. (2024) Zebrafish from the Alps to Sicily: the 4th Italian Zebrafish Meeting in Palermo. Zebrafish, 21(4): 275-278.
136. Gatto E., Varracchio C., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2024) Puzzle feeder as a cognitive enrichment strategy determines long-term welfare improvements in a teleost fish. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 279: 106401.
137. Colaianni D., Virga F., Tisi A., Stefanelli C., Zaccagnini G., Cusumano P., Sales G., Bogdan Preda M., Martelli F., Taverna D., Mazzone M., Bertolucci C., Maccarone R., De Pittà C. (2024) miR-210 is essential to retinal homeostasis in fruit flies and mice. Biology Direct, 19: 90.
138. De Russi G., Montalbano G., Maggi E., Cannicci S., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2024) Differential impact of artificial light at night on cognitive flexibility in visual and spatial reversal-learning tasks. Animal Behaviour 218: 173-183.
139. Pintos S., De Alba G., Lucon-Xiccato T., Campos F.C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C., Vera L.M. (2024) Circadian modulation of behavioural stress indicators varies between diurnal and nocturnal fish species. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 281: 106458
140. De Russi G., Lanzoni M., Bisazza A., Domenici P., Castaldelli G., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2024) Eels' individual migratory behaviour stems from a complex syndrome involving cognition, behaviour, physiology and life-history. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 121(48): e2407804121.
141. Agrillo C., Rovegno E., Dadda M., Bertolucci C., Bisazza A. (2024) Assessment of replicability and efforts to refine an operant conditioning procedure for larval zebrafish. Animals 14(24), 3684
142. Stefanelli C., Colaianni D., Mazzotta G., Sales G., Bertolucci C., Meyer B., Biscontin A., De Pittà C. (2024) Functional characterization of the second feedback loop in the circadian clock of the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. BMC Biology 22:298
143. Conti F., Vergès-Castillo A., Sánchez-Vázquez F. J., López-Olmeda J.F., Bertolucci C., Muñoz-Cueto J.A. (2025) Daily rhythms of locomotor activity and transcript levels of non-visual opsins in the brain of the blind Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 299: 111772.
144. Conti F., de Alba G., López-Olmeda J.F., Vera L.M., Lucon-Xiccato G., Mainardi E., Cesari S., Bottarelli M., Bertolucci C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Gatto E. (2025) An automated low-cost solution for creating a multiple-step thermal gradient to record daily fish thermoregulatory behaviour. Zebrafish, 22(1): 15-19.
145. De Russi G., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Artificial light at night impairs visual lateralisation in a fish. Journal of Experimental Biology, 228(2): JEB249272.
146. Pintos S., Lucon-Xiccato T., Vera L.M., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C. (2025) Circadian modulation of behavioural stress responses in zebrafish is age-dependent. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology 343:457-467.
147. Rovegno E., Frigato E., Dalla Valle L., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Expression of glucocorticoid-receptor covaries with individual differences in visual lateralisation in zebrafish. Animal Cognition 28: 21.
148. De Russi G., Gatto E., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Sex affects the network of covariances between cognitive, behavioural, and physiological traits in guppies. iScience, 28(5):112487
149. Vergata C., Codogno G., De Russi G., Frigato E., Lucon-Xiccato T., Cannicci S., Bertolucci C., Fratini S. (2025) Transcriptome-wide deregulation of gene expression in zebrafish exposed to artificial light at night. Environ Pollut 382:126683
150. Li H., Scheitle C., Di Mauro G., Fuselli S., Fritsch-Decker S., Todo T., Weiss C., Vallone D., Lamparter T., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2025) Conservation of dark CPD photolyase function in blind cavefish. Nature Communications 16(1):7377
151. Varracchio C., Paci F.P., Bertolucci C., Bertorelle G., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Habituation with apparatus and group testing improve assessment of fish preferences. Journal of Fish Biology in press
152. Andrei G., Colombani A., Gatto E., Scoponi M., Abelli L., Mancia A., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Microplastic ingestion affects the lateralised processing of predator stimuli in fish. Journal of Fish Biology 107:1825-1828.
153. Gatto E., Conti F.., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Early-life heat stress impairs cognition and alters its covariation with behaviour in zebrafish. Ecology and Evolution 15(9): e72139
154. Gatto E., Samorì E., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Analysis of neural plasticity genes' expression in fish brain reveals the basis of individual differences in learning. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 222: 108106.
155. Rodia M.T., Fazzina M., Costa R., Altieri M.T., Sabbioni G., D’Aversa E., Breveglieri G., Gatto E., Bertolucci C., Lombardi S., Bergonzoni M., Casadei R., Santi S., Papa V., Ratti S., Cenacchi G., Borgatti M., Frabetti F. (2025) Novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of LGMDD2: role of TNPO3 in experimental cell and zebrafish models. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 82(1): 424.
156. Conti F., Gatto E., de Alba G., Pintos, S., López-Olmeda J.F., Vera L.M., Rey Planellas S., Mackenzie S.A., Bertolucci C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J.,(2025) The daily rhythms of temperature preference are conserved in nocturnal and blind fish. J. Thermal Biology, 134, 104339.
157. Frigato E., De Russi G., Vergata C., Codogno G.,Lucon-Xiccato T., Cannicci S., Fratini S., Bertolucci C. (2026) Impact of artificial light at night on zebrafish circadian rhythms: insights from behavioural and molecular data. Sciences of the Total Environment 1011, 181077.
158. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Andrei G., Frigato E., Scoponi M., Abelli L., Mancia A., Bertolucci C. (2026) Does microplastic ingestion affect cognition and brain gene expression in zebrafish, Danio rerio? Ethology 132: 41-54.
159. Pintos S., Lucon-Xiccato T., De Alba G., Geralda Campos F., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C., Vera L.M. (2026) Is social buffering consistent across the time of the day? A study in a diurnal (Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus) and a nocturnal fish species (tench Tinca tinca). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 296: 106895.
160. Conti F., Frigato E., Ruohisto E., Bertolucci C., López-Olmeda J.F., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Baldisserotto C., Pancaldi S. (2026) Exploring light-effects of microalgal extract on zebrafish caudal fin cell regeneration for aquaculture applications. Aquaculture International in press.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER
INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FERRARA
- 2005-2007 Member of the evaluation committee for the Local Research Grant (FAR - Fondo di Ateneo per la Ricerca), Sector Biology
- 2012-2014 Member of the Research Council (Consiglio della Ricerca)
- 2015-2016 Member of the Research Council (Consiglio della Ricerca)
- From 2017 Member of the Animal welfare committee (Organismo per il Benessere Animale) - VicePresident
- From 2017 Animal Welfare Responsabile for the fish house
- 2018-2024 Coordinator of the Degree in Biological Sciences
- 2024-2028 Vice Director of the Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology
- 2024-2026 Designated member by ANVUR for the composition of GEV 05 – Biological Sciences for the VQR 2020–2024
RESEARCH GRANTS
- from 1999 to 2005, Local Research Grant (Contributo per ricerca scientifica di interesse locale ex 60%); annual funding
- MIUR-PRIN 1999 "Mechanisms of acquisition and use of environmental information in animals" (Research Group Member)
- 2001 University of Ferrara - Young scientists Grant "Photoreception and melatonin synthesis in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula" (Principal Investigator)
- MIUR-PRIN 2004 "Modulation of Factor VII-Tissue Factor pathway" (Research Group Member)
- 2005 Italian Antarctic Research Programme "Circadian oscillators and photic entrainment in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba" (Principal Investigator)
- from 2006 to 2024 Local Research Grant (Fondo di Ateneo per la Ricerca - FAR); annual funding
- MIUR-PRIN 2008 "Magnetic orientation in birds: magnetoreception, brain regions involved in processing magnetic stimuli and the role of geomagnetic parameters in navigation" (Research Group Member)
- 2008 AIT-MIUR and DAAD Progetto Vigoni "Evolution in the dark: molecular and behavioural analysis of the circadian clock in a hypogean fish" (Principal Investigator)
- 2009 University of Ferrara - Internationalization Initiatives Start-up "EVOCLOCK" (Principal Investigator)
- 2010 MIUR Integrated Action Italy-Spain "Fish chronobiology network: ontogeny of the biological clock and circadian rhythms in the reproduction rhythms" (Research Group Member)
- 2011 University of Ferrara - Internationalization Initiatives Start-up "CRONOFISH" (Principal Investigator)
- 2012. MIUR-PRIN 2010-2011 "Biological and cultural heritage of the central-southern Italian population trough 30 thousand years. Molecular typing of genes affecting biological rhythms" (Research Group Member)
- 2013. PolarTime - Biological timing in a changing marine environment: Clocks and rhythms in polar pelagic organisms. Virtual Helmholtz Institute, Coordination: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association; PD Dr. Bettina Meyer (Research Group Member)
- 2013. Italian Antarctic Research Programme "Cryptochromes and the visual complex in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba" (Principal Investigator).
- 2013 University of Ferrara - Internationalization Initiatives Start-up "EVODARK" (Principal Investigator)
- 2015 Research in Svalbard (RIS). Chronobiology of polar organisms: Melatonin and polar lighting effects on an arctic “living fossil”. (Project member; Resp. Progetto V. Pasquali - Università “La Sapienza” di Roma). (RIS-ID 10011).
- 2017 Italian Antarctic Research Programme "Ontogeny of the circadian clock in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba" (Principal Investigator).
- 2018 MIUR Fondo per il finanziamento delle attività̀ base di ricerca anno 2017 (L. 232/2016, c. 295) (Principal Investigator)
- 2018 MIUR-DAAD Joint Mobility Program Italy-Germany “Life without the day-night cycle: exploring photoreceptors beyond the eye" (Principal Investigator).
- 2018 Ministerio de Economia, Industria Y Competitividad de Espana. “BLUESOLE: Blue growth and sole aquaculture - Use of new blue LED illumination and cycles of light and temperature to improve the rhythms of reproduction, development and growth” Coordination: Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez, University of Murcia (Spain) (Research Group Member) (AGL2017-82582-C3-R).
- 2018 University of Ferrara - Fondo Incentivazione della Ricerca (FIR) (Principal Investigator).
- 2020 H2020-MSCA-ITN-EID-2020 “EASYTRAIN - Eco-Innovative Aquaculture System Training for European Industrial Doctorates” Coordination: Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez, University of Murcia (Spain) (Principal Investigator) (n° 956129)
- 2020 University of Ferrara - Fondo Incentivazione della Ricerca (FIR) (Principal Investigator).
- 2021 Italian Antarctic Research Programme " Functional and molecular characterization of the circadian clock in the Antarctic key species Euphausia superba " (PNRA19_00065 - B) (Principal Investigator).
- 2022 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de Espana. “BBLUE-AQUA: Improved sustainability & fish welfare through harmonisation between environmental cycles and biological rhythms” Coordination: José Antonio Muñoz-Cueto, University of Cádiz (Spain) (Research Group Member).
- 2022 EU - PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020 - “Sustainable aquaculture: Optimization of farming conditions for the improvement of animal welfare and product quality” (PI for a research contract)
- 2023 MIUR PRIN 2022 PNRR “Rock around the clock: how biological invasions alter circadian clocks of native species” (Project code: P20222E4CY) (Principal Investigator)
- 2023 Proof of Concept Empowering and Speeding-up Technology Evolution - POC PNRR 2022 “ZEA: Trattamento e prevenzione di disordini trombotici e di malattie cardiovascolari” (Research Group Member)
- 2023 MIUR PNRR “MNESYS - A multiscale integrated approach to the study of the nervous system in health and disease” (Research Group Member).
- 2024 MIUR PNRR “NANOTHER - “Testing novel nanodelivery of RNA molecules and synthetic genes as therapeutic approaches for muscular dystrophy” Bando a cascata Spoke 1 "Genetic Diseases" National Center for Gene Therapy and Drugs based on RNA Technology – RNA & Gene Therapy (Research Group Member)
- 2024 MIUR PNRR “BioPo - "Biodiversità ittica nel basso corso del fiume Po: un modello di studio degli effetti dei cambiamenti globali nei grandi fiumi" Bando a cascata Spoke 3 National Biodiversity Future Center – NBFC (Principal Investigator).
- 2024 MIUR PRIN 2022 “Some like it hot and lit: the compound effect of light pollution and warming on key costal species” (Project code: 2022RW9772) (Principal Investigator of Research Unit)
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATIONS (past and in progress)
- Prof. Robert Lucas, University of Manchester (UK) "Circadian photoreception in non-mammalian vertebrates"
- Prof. Marco Apollonio, Università di Messina (I) "Chronobiology in wild ruminant"
- Prof. Giuseppe Piccione, Università di Messina (I) “Chronobiology in livestock”
- Prof. Nicholas Foulkes, Karlsruhe Forschungcentre (D) "Circadian clocks in fish"
- Prof. Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez, Universitad de Murcia (SP) "Behavioural circadian rhythms in fish"
- Prof. Salvatore D’Aniello, Stazione Zoologica di Napoli (I) “Role of BDNF in zebrafish”
PARTICIPATION IN HIGH QUALITY ORGANIZATIONS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTES, FOREIGN AND INTERNATIONAL
- 1997 Max Planck Institut fuer Verhaltensphysiologie (Andechs, D), Principal Investigator: Prof. Eberhard Gwinner
- 2000 Research Center for Ornithology of the Max Planck Society (Andechs, D), Principal Investigator: Prof. Eberhard Gwinner
- 06-07/2004; 07/2005; 07/2006 Max Planck Institut for Developmental Biology (Tübingen, D) Principal Investigator: Dr. Nicholas Foulkes
- 07/2008; 08/2009; 06-07/2010 Karlsruhe Forschungzentrum in der Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (D). Responsabile: Prof. Nicholas Foulkes
- 11/2009, 02/2010, 09/2010 Università di Murcia (SP) Principal Investigator: Prof. Javier Sanchez Vasquez
- 07/2010 University of Manchester (UK) Principal Investigator: Robert Lucas
- 04-09/2011 Karlsruhe Forschungzentrum in der Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (D). Principal Investigator: Prof. Nicholas Foulkes
- 12/2011; 02/2012 Università di Murcia (SP) Principal Investigator: Prof. Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez
- 07/2012 Karlsruhe Forschungzentrum in der Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (D) Principal Investigator: Prof. Nicholas Foulkes
- 04/2013, 10/2013, 02/2014 Università di Murcia (SP) Principal Investigator: Prof. Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez
- 07/2014; 07/2015; 03/2018; 03/2019; 07, 10/2019, 02/2020 Karlsruhe Forschungzentrum in der Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (D) Principal Investigator: Prof. Nicholas Foulkes
ACHIEVEMENT OF AWARDS FOR SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY
Some comments/articles have been dedicated to my paper Cavallari et al. (2011) PLOS BIOLOGY,9, e1001142. Among them I point out:
-Nature 477, 253 (15 September 2011) [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7364/full/477253e.html]
-New York Times (September 12, 2011) [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/science/13clock.html]
-Science Daily (Sep. 6, 2011) [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906181543.htm]
Furthermore, it has been selected and evaluated by two members of the Faculty of 1000 [http://f1000.com/prime/13328967]
The Journal of experimental Biology dedicated three articles to comment CB publications:
LIZARDS SENSE SUN COMPASS WITH PARIETAL EYE. J Exp Biol 2009 212:ii. doi:10.1242/jeb.037333 [http://jeb.biologists.org/content/212/18/ii.full]) to the paper: Foà et al. (2009) J. Exp. Biol. 212, 2918-2824.
CRYPTOCHROME COULD HELP BLACKCAPS FIND WAY. J Exp Biol 2014 217, 817. doi: 10.1242/jeb.104547 [http://jeb.biologists.org/content/217/6/817.full] to the paper Fusani et al. (2014) 217:918-923.
FISH DON’T NEED EYES FOR NUMERACY. J Exp Biol 217, 1833-1834. doi: 10.1242/jeb.107904 [http://jeb.biologists.org/content/217/11/1833.2] to the paper Bisazza et al. (2014) 217, 1902-1909.
GUPPIES LEARN DIFFERENTLY WHEN THEIR FOOD IS UNPREDICTABLE. J Exp Biol (2023) 226 (17): JEB245024. Doi: 10.1242/jeb.245024 [https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/226/17/JEB245024/326580/Guppies-learn-differently-when-their-food-is] to the paper Lucon-Xiccato et al. (2023) Proc. Royal Soc. B, 290: 20230350
Current Biology dedicated a Dispatch to my paper Zhao et al. (2018) 28: 3229-3243.
- Nicolas Rohner (2018) Evolution: A Dark Past, Current Biology, 28(20): R1190-R1192.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE CREATION OF NEW ENTERPRISES, DEVELOPMENT, DEPLOYMENT AND COMMERCIALISATION OF PATENTS
-2012 Spinner 2013 Global Grant "Interventions for human resources qualification in the research and technological innovation sectors". Academic tutor for an industrial research project (International Mobility) between Italy and Spain "Optimization of fish aquaculture methods: study on the influence of light, temperature and feeding on reproduction rhythms and larvae development"
-2013 Italian Patent n° 0001404510 "GRUPPO PER LE SPERIMENTAZIONI IN LUCE POLARIZZATA". Inventori: A. Parretta, F.C. Petrucci, G. Beltrami, C. Bertolucci, A. Foà, L. Landi. Titolare: ENEA
REFEREE FOR SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS
- 2008 The Royal Society, Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship
- 2008 Czech Science Foundation
- 2010 National Environmental Research Council (UK)
- 2011 U.S.A.-Israel Binational Science Foundation
- 2012 German-Israel Foundation for Scientific Research and Development
- 2012-2013 Università di Padova
- 2013 Italian Ministry for University and Research (MIUR)
- 2016 Fondazione di Sardegna - Università di Sassari
- 2019 Israel Science Foundation
- 2021 NC3Rs - UK
- 2024 Swiss National Science Foundation
- 2024 DFG
REFEREE FOR SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS
Chronobology International, BMC Physiology, Journal of Biological Rhythms, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Microscopy Research and Technique, Biological Procedures Online, American Journal of Physiology, Italian Journal of Zoology, Brain Research, Molecular Vision, Journal of Zoology, Life Sciences, Animal Behaviour, Journal of Applied Physiology, Central European Journal of Biology, Haematologica, Journal of Circadian Rhythms, Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, Journal of Applied Biomedicine, Journal of Veterinary Behaviour, Current Zoology, Acta Zoologica, Plos One, Journal of Veterinary Science, Behaviour Brain and Evolution, Thrombosis Research, Cell Biochemistry & Function, Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, Photochemestry & Photobiology. Animal Biology, Livestock Science, Polar Biology, Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, Ethology, Ecology and Evolution, Fish Biology and Fisheries, Ethology, Scientific Reports, Nature Communications, Acta Theriologica, Frontiers in Physiology, BMC Genomics, General Comparative Endocrinology, JoVE, Zebrafish, Animal Cognition, Journal of Thermal Biology, Mammal Research, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Environmental Pollution, Enviromental Pharmacology and Toxicology
From June, 2013 he is Academic Editor of PLOS One
From December ,2013 he is member of the Editorial Board (Review editor) of Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
From October 2018 he is member of the Editorial Board (Review Editor) of Frontiers in Endocrinology - Experimental Endocrinology
From May 2020 he is Editor of Biology (Zoology section)
From April 2021 he is member of the Editorial Board (Review editor) of Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology - Morphogenesis and Patterning
From May 2022 he is member of the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Conferences and workshop organising and scientific committees
- 1999 Organizing Committee of the Erasmus Summer School on Chronobiology ("Biological clock: evolution, behaviour and ecology"); Ferrara, June 6-13
- 2002 Organizing Committee of the Chronobiology Summer School Max Planck Research Center for Ornithology (Andechs-Seewiesen, D), September 8-13
- 2005 Organizing Committee of the 1° Congress of the Italian Society for Evolutionary Biology; Ferrara, August 24-26
- 2010 Scientific and Organizing Committees of the V European Conference on Behavioural Biology; Ferrara, July 16-18
- 2012 Member of Organizing Committee of the "Festival della Ricerca 2012" Ferrara, September 5th
2019 Organizing Committees of the 9th annual meeting of the EFOR Network. Cave Organisms Workshop, May 6-7, Paris (F)
2024 Scientific Committee 4th Italian Zebrafish Meeting, February 6-9, Palermo (I)
2025 Chair of Symposium at the XVIII Congress of the European Biological Rhythms Society, from August 24 – 28 (Lübeck, D).
2026 Scientific Committee 5th Italian Zebrafish Meeting, January 15-16, Trento (I)
INVITED TALKS
- 1997. Max Planck Institut fuer Verhaltensphysiologie (Andechs, D) "Seasonal variations in the circadian rhythms of locomotor activity in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula" February 26 th
- 1998. XXV Seminario sull'Evoluzione Biologica e i grandi problemi della biologia: Ritmi biologici "Meccanismi di regolazione delle ritmicità stagionali e circannuali". Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei Roma, February 25 th -27 th
- 2002. Il tempo nei sistemi informatici e biologici "I ritmi biologici: dai geni al comportamento" Domus Galileiana Pisa, June 21
- 2002. University of Messina, Faculty of veterinary Sciences; Messina, December 12 th -14 th
- 2004. Amanti infedeli e genitori premurosi: Sessualità, riproduzione e cura della prole negli animali " Attrazione fatale. Etologia e fisiologia dei cicli della riproduzione" Museum of Nat. History - Ferrara, May 6 th
- 2004. 65° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana - Taormina (CT), September 23 th
- 2005. Organismic and Environmental Biology Seminar, University of Birmingham - "Central and Peripheral Circadian Clock in Reptiles" Birmingham (UK), February 1st
- 2005. 66° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Roma, September 19 th
- 2006. XXII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Erice (TR), September 22 th
- 2007. 68° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Lecce, September 27 th
- 2010. 71° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Palermo, September 21 th
- 2012. XXV Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) Viterbo, September 15 th
- 2012. 73° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Firenze, September 26 th
- 2013. University of Calgary, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Developmental Biology and Genetics Seminar Series, May 1st
- 2013. 74° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Modena, September 30th
- 2015. XXVI Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) Parma June 16th
- 2015. 9th Inter. Congress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemestry, Krakov (Poland) September 26th
- 2016. 15th Meeting Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Palm Harbor, Florida, USA, May 24 th
- 2016 I Joint Congress SITE-UZI-SIB, Milano, August 31th
- 2017 7° Congresso della Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Roma, August 28-31th
- 2017 17th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Pisa, September 4-8th
- 2019 2nd Italian zebrafish meeting, Pisa, January 30th- February 1st
- 2021 ChronoLunchMeeting, University of Groningen, Groningen (NL), 1st June
- 2021 Physio Webinars, University of São Paulo, São Paulo (Brazil), 23th November
- 2024 10° Congress Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica (SIBE), Napoli, September 8th-11th
- 2025 Medaka PI Meeting, Heidelberg (D), July 22th-24th
ATTENDANCES TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSES
- XVI Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), Parma, June 8-10 1994
- XVII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), San Miniato (PI), June 3-5 1996
- IV International Acanthocephala Workshop, Ferrara, September 8-10 1997
- 58° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Cattolica (RN), September 24-28 1997
- XVIII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) e Summer meeting of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, Urbino, September 2-4 1998
- Gordon Research Conference on Chronobiology, Il Ciocco (LU), June 13-18 1999
- 60° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Pavia, September 26-30 1999
- 7th Meeting Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Amelia Island Plantation (FL, USA) May 10-13 2000
- XIX Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), S. Giuliano Terme (Pisa), October 4-6 2000
- 8th Meeting Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Amelia Island Plantation (Fl, USA), May 22-26 2002
- Congress of the Società Italiana di Neuroscience (SINS), Pisa, September 26-28 2003
- XXI Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), Padova, September 14-17 2004.
- 65° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Taormina (CT), September 21-25 2004
- 66° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Roma, September 19-22 2005
- XXII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), Erice (TR), September 18-22 2006
- Gordon Research Conference on Chronobiology, Auisson (F), May 6-10 2007
- 68° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Lecce, September 24-27 2007
- 69° c Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Sinigallia (AN), September 22-25 2008
- XI Congress of the European Biological Rhythms Society, Strasbourg (F), August 22-28 2009
- 71° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana, Palermo, September 20-23 2010
- XII Congress of the European Biological Rhythms Society, Oxford (UK), August 22-26 2011
- XXV Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) Viterbo, September 12-15 2012
- 73° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana, Firenze, 24-27 September 2012
- 74° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana, Firenze, September 30-October 3 2013
- XXVI Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), Parma, June 15-19 2015
- 9th International Congress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemestry - Krakov (Poland), September 23-29 2015
- 15th Meeting Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Palm Harbor, Florida, USA, May 21-25 2016
- I Congresso Nazionale Congiunto SITE-UZI-SIB, Milano, August 30 - September 2 2016
- Italian Zebrafish meeting, Padova, February 2-3 2017
- XXVII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Calci (PI) June 18-21 2017
- OCC World Congress and Annual SFRR-E Conference Metabolic Stress and Redox Regulation - Berlin (D) June 21-23 2017
- WildClock 2018 - MPI for Ornithology, Seewiesen (Germany) October 15-18 2018
- XXVIII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Firenze September 9-12 2019
- 3rd Italian Zebrafish meeting, Napoli, 9-11 February 2022
- "From A(rcherfish) to Z(ebrafish) - How teleost brains interact with the world", Satellite meeting within the framework of the International Congress of the International Society of Neuroethology, Lisbon (P) July 22-24 2022
- 9° Congress of the Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica (SIBE), Ancona September 4-7 2022
- XXIX Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Padova September 12-14 2022
- Aquaculture Europe 2023 - Vienna (Austria) September 18 - 21 2023
- 4° Italian Zebrafish Meeting – Palermo February 7-9 2024
- AQUA 2024 – Copenaghen (DK) August 26-30 2024
- XXX Congress Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Torino September 4-6 2024
- 10° Congress Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica (SIBE), Napoli September 8-11 2024
- 83° Congress Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Pisa September 11-14 2024
MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC ORGANISATIONS
- 1999 Italian Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (SIE, Società Italiana di Etologia)
- 2005 Unione Zoologica Italiana
- 2011 European Biological Rhythms Society
- 2016 Society for Research on Biological Rhythms
- 2017 Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology
From the 2021 CB is member of the Board of the Italian Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (SIE, http://www.sie-etologia.it/)
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
TEACHING ACTIVITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FERRARA
Undergraduate and Graduate Courses
- 1998 University of Ferrara, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, Adjunct professor "Systematic and Animal Phylogeny" (20 hours)
- from 1999 to 2010, 2014 "Vertebrate Zoology", Degrees in Biology and Natural Sciences (3-6 ETCS)
- from 2002 to 2004 "Animal Behaviour Laboratory", Degrees in Biology and Natural Sciences (3 ETCS)
- from 2003 to 2009 "Ethology", Degrees in Biology and Natural Sciences (3-6 ETCS)
- from 2003 to 2009 "Molecular Chronobiology", Degree in Biomolecular and Cellular Sciences (3 ECTS)
- from 2009 to present "Applied Ethology", Degree in Ecology and Evolution (6 ECTS)
- 2012 "Zoology", Degree in Biology (5 ECTS)
- from 2015 to 2018 “Animal Biology”, Degree in Biotechnologies (6 ETCS)
- from 2016 to 2021 “Animal biodiversity”, Degree in Biomolecular and Evolutionary Sciences (6 ETCS)
- from 2016 to present “Zoology”, Degree in Biology (9 ECTS)
- from 2016 to present “Ethology”, Degree in Biomolecular and Evolutionary Sciences (6 ETCS)
- from 2021 to present “Animal Biology”, Degree in Pharmacy (3 ETCS)
- from 2022 to present “Methodologies for Research in Molecular Biology and Model Organisms” (1 ECTS)
Post-Graduate Courses
- from 2003 to 2014 "Ethology" and “Zoology”, Postgraduate School of Teaching (SSIS classes A059 e A060)
- 2012, "Ethology of Urban Species", Ecopolis - International Master
Teaching at foreign university
- 2005 School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham (UK); Invited lecturer "Integrative Animal Biology"
UNIVERSITY SERVICES
- 2005 University of Ferrara, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, member of the examining committee "Progetto di Tutorato" (a.a. 2005-2006)
- from 2010 to 2012, University of Ferrara, Degree in Biology, Member of the "Gruppo di Autovalutazione"
- from 2012 to 2013 University of Ferrara, Degree in Biology, Tutor for the Master degree (laurea magistrale) in Ecology and Evolution
- 2010-2018 University of Ferrara, Degree in Biology, Member of the "Commissione Riconoscimento Crediti"
- 2016-2018 University of Ferrara, Degree in Biology, Member of the “Gruppo del Riesame”
- 2018-to date Coordinator PLS Biology-Biotecnology for the University of Ferrara
MEMBER OF DOCTORAL BOARDS
- From 2001 to 2005 Member of the Doctoral Board of the Ph.D. programme in Biology and Environmental Biology
- From 2002 to present Member of the Doctoral Board of the Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology; coordinator of the curriculum Physiology and Behaviour
- From 2013 Member of the Doctoral Board of the Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology
- From 2022 Member of the Doctoral Board of the Ph.D. programme in Life Sciences and Biotechnology
- From 2024 Member of the Doctoral Board of the National Ph.D. programme in Biodiversity
SUPERVISOR OF MASTER AND Ph.D. THESES
- From 1998 to present supervisor of about 70 experimental theses in Biology, Natural Sciences and Biotechnology of which 30 for Master degrees.
- Supervisor of 16 Ph.D. students at the University of Ferrara:
Elena Frigato - Ph.D. programme in Biology and Environmental Biology (XVIII cycle a.a. 2003-2005)
Nicola Cavallari - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXII cycle a.a. 2007-2009)
Pietro Negrini - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXVII cycle a.a. 2012-2014)
Irene Dall’Ara - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXVIII cycle a.a. 2013-2015)
Viviana Di Rosa - Dottorato in cotutela con l’Università di Murcia (SP) (XXVIII ciclo a.a. 2013-2015)
Giuseppe Di Mauro - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXI cycle a.a. 2016-2019)
Elisa Morbiato - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXII cycle a.a. 2017-2020)
Giulia Montalbano - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXV cycle a.a. 2019-2022)
Elisa Samorì - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVI cycle a.a. 2020-2024)
Santiago Pintos - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVII cycle a.a. 2021-2024)
Franciois Hussein - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVII cycle a.a. 2021-2024)
Francesca Conti - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVII cycle a.a. 2021-2024)
Filippo Chisci - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVIII cycle a.a. 2022-2025) (Cotutore)
Georgiana Andrei - Ph.D. programme in Life sciences and Biotechnology (XXXIX cycle a.a. 2023-2026)
Giuditta Codogno – National Ph.D. programme in Biodivesity (XXXIX cycle a.a. 2023-2026) (Cotutore)
Anna Albanese - Ph.D. programme in Life sciences and Biotechnology (XL cycle a.a. 2024-2027)
Furthermore, he was supervisor of a Ph.D. student (Viviana Di Rosa) in Biology in co-tutele between University of Ferrara and University of Murcia (SP). Currently, in the same program of co-tutele CB is co-supervisor with two other Ph.D. students Elisa Samorì and Francesca Conti.
MEMBER OF THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE FOR THE ADMISSION TO Ph.D. PROGRAMMES
- 2002-2006 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Biology and Environmental Biology (XVIII-XXI cycle)
- 2011 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXVII cycle)
- 2016 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXII cycle)
- 2019 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXV cycle)
- 2023 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (XXXIX cycle)
- 2024 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (XL cycle)
- 2025 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (XLI cycle)
PARTICIPATION IN EVALUATION/OPPOSITION COMMITTEES OF Ph.D. STUDIES
- 2009 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXI cycle)
- 2009 University of Padova, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology (XXI cycle)
- 2012 Universitad de Murcia (SP), Ph.D. programme in Biology
- 2013 University of Sassari, Ph.D. programme in Natural Sciences (XXIX cycle)
- 2015 Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya Barcelona (SP)
- 2017 University of Padova, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology (XXVIII cycle)
- 2022 University of Padova, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology (XXVIII cycle)
- 2022-23 University of Tuscia, Ph.D. programme in “Ecology and Sustainable Management of Environmental Resources” (XXVIII-XXXVIII cycle)
- 2024 University of Siena, Ph.D. Programme in Life Sciences (XXXVII cycle)
- 2025 University of Firenze, Parma e Ferrara, Ph.D. Programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVII cycle)
MEMBER OF EVALUATION COMMITTEES FOR ASSISTANT PROFESSORSHIP (RICERCATORE) OR PROFESSORSHIP IN ZOOLOGY
- 2006 University of Padova
- 2008 University of Pisa
- 2016 University of Pisa
- 2020 University of Tuscia (VT), University of Florence, University of Ferrara
- 2021 University of Ferrara
- 2022 University of Firenze
- 2023 University of Parma, University of Florence, University of Turin
- 2024 University of Palermo, University of Pisa
- 2025 University of Insubria
Ferrara, December 31st, 2025
CURRICULUM VITAE ET STUDIORUM
December 31st, 2025
Date and Place of Birth: June 10, 1967, Viareggio (LU), Italy
Nationality: Italian
Married to Ornella, with twins Caterina and Eleonora
Full Professor in Zoology
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology
University of Ferrara
via L. Borsari, 46 44121 FERRARA (Italy)
Phone & Fax: +39-0532-455485 @-mail address: bru@unife.it
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY RESEARCH ACTIVITY
I am a zoologist and my research activity is focused on the study of temporal organization of physiological and behavioural processes and, in particular, on the circadian timekeeping system of vertebrates. I investigate the role of the hypothalamus in the generation and regulation of circadian and seasonal behavioural rhythms in reptiles; the roles of extraretinal photoreception in circadian physiology and behaviour, particularly photic entrainment and sun compass orientation in reptiles and fish; the influence of environmental signals, such as light, temperature and feeding, on the central and peripheral circadian oscillators and their outputs in mammals and reptiles. In the last years I studied the evolution of the biological clock in animals adapted to extreme environmental conditions: the hypogean blind cavefish and the Antarctic krill. Using a multidisciplinary approach (from gene to behaviour) my research activity has allowed me to achieve significant results for understanding of the circadian timing system in vertebrates. Recently, I investigated behavioural plasticity and cognitive mechanisms in fish also through the use of zebrafish mutants. Some research activities have focused on the study of animal welfare in aquaculture.
During my research activity, I had the opportunity to participate to several national and international scientific networks. This networking has resulted in a set of common publications, and in some academic invitations in order to develop common research programs.
Currently, my scientific accomplishments include 160 papers published in international peer-reviewed journals; I am first author (including equal contribution) in 20 papers as well as corresponding author in 18 papers, and last author in 48 papers. I am also author of 4 book chapters, more then 80 proceedings of national and international congresses, 8 popular books, and 1 patent. My h-index is equal to 39 and the sum of citations of my papers is equal to 5161 from Google Scholar (dated on December 31, 2025).
DEGREES
- 1993 Laurea (MSc) in Biology, University of Pisa, Italy
- 1994 Qualification to the exercise of the biologist profession, University of Pisa, Italy
- 1998 Ph.D. degree in Animal Biology
- 1998 University of Ferrara, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, License to teach ("Cultore della Materia") "Systematic and Animal Phylogeny" and "Ethology"
- 1998 Fellowship from the Consorzio Ferrara Ricerche
- 2014 Habilitation (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) for Full and Associate Professor - sector 05/B1 (Zoology and Antropology)
- 2020 Research Fellow at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn of Napoli
PUBLICATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL
Minutini L., Innocenti A., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (1994) - Electrolytic lesions to the optic chiasm affect circadian locomotor rhythms in lizards. Neuroreport 5: 525-527.
Minutini L., Innocenti A., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (1995) - Circadian organization in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula: the role of the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus. J. Comp. Physiol. A 176: 281-288.
Innocenti A., Bertolucci C., Minutini L., Foà A. (1996) - Seasonal variations of pineal involvement in the circadian organization of the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula. J. Exp. Biol. 199: 1189-1194.
Foà A., Bertolucci C., Marsanich A., Innocenti A. (1997) - Pineal transplantation to the brain of pinealectomized lizards: effects on circadian rhythms of locomotor activity. Behav. Neurosc. 111(5): 1123-1132.
Bertolucci C., Foà A. (1998) - Seasonality and role of the SCN in entrainment of lizard circadian locomotor rhythms to daily melatonin injections. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (4): R1004-R1014.
Bertolucci C., Leorati M., Innocenti A., Foà A. (1999) - Circannual variations of lizard circadian activity rhythms in constant darkness. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 46 (3): 200-209.
Borroni A., Loy A., Bertolucci C. (1999) - Daily and circadian rhythms of rest and activity of Talpa romana Thomas (Mammalia, Insectivora: Talpidae). Preliminary results. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei s. 9, v. 10: 89-99.
Bertolucci C., Sovrano V.A., Magnone M.C., Foà A. (2000) - The role of the suprachiasmatic nuclei in circadian and light-entrained behavioral rhythms of lizard. Am. J. Physiol. 279 (6): R2121-R2131.
Tosini G., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2001) - The circadian system of reptiles: a true multioscillatory and multiphotoreceptive system. Physiol. & Behav. 72 (4):461-471.
Foà A., Bertolucci C. (2001) - Temperature cycles induce a bimodal activity pattern in ruin lizards: masking or clock-controlled event? a seasonal problem. J. Biol. Rhythm, 16(6): 574-584.
Foà A., Magnone M.C., Bertolucci C. (2002) - Circadian organization in ruin lizards: phase response curve for melatonin changes with season. J. Comp. Physiol. A 188: 141-145.
Bertolucci C., Foà A., Van't Hof T.J. (2002) - Seasonal variations in circadian rhythms of plasma melatonin in ruin lizards. Horm. Behav, 41: 414-419.
Bertolucci C., Wagner G., Foà A., Gwinner E., Brandstätter R. (2003) - Photoperiod affects amplitude but not duration of in vitro melatonin production in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula. J. Biol. Rhythm, 18(1):63-70.
Foà A., Bertolucci C. (2003) - Toward a seasonal model of the circadian system: the case of ruin lizards. Front. Bioscienc, 8: 236-242.
Magnone M.C., Bertolucci C., Piazza F., Foà A. (2003) - Daily and circadian rhythms of neurotransmitters and related compounds in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei of a diurnal vertebrate. Brain Res. 973(1): 115-121.
Pasqualetti M.*, Bertolucci C.*, Ori M., Innocenti A., Magnone M.C., De Grip W.J., Nardi I., Foà A. (2003) - Identification of circadian brain photoreceptors mediating photic entrainment of behavioural rhythms in lizards. Eur. J. Neurosc. 18: 364-372. (*contributed equally to this work)
Piccione G.*, Bertolucci C.*, Foà A., Caola G. (2004) - Influence of fasting and exercise on the daily rhythm of serum leptin in the horse. Chronobiol. Int. 21(3):405-417. (*contributed equally to this work)
Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2004) - Extraocular photoreception and circadian entrainment in non-mammalian vertebrates. Chronobiol. Int. 21(4-5): 501-519.
Magnone M.C., Jacobmeier B., Bertolucci C., Foà A., Albrecht U. (2005) - Circadian expression of the clock gene Per2 is altered in the ruin lizard (Podarcis sicula) when temperature changes. Mol. Brain Res. 133: 281-285.
Pinotti M.*, Bertolucci C.*, Portaluppi F., Colognesi I., Frigato E., Foà A., Bernardi F. (2005) - Daily and circadian rhythms of TFPI and Factor VII activity. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 25: 646-649.
Bertolucci C., Pinotti M., Colognesi I., Foà A., Bernardi F., Portaluppi F. (2005) - Circadian Rhythms in Mouse Blood Coagulation. J. Biol. Rhythms 20(3): 219-224.
Bertolucci C., Caola G., Foà A., Piccione G. (2005) - Daily rhythms of serum leptin in ewes: effects of feeding, pregnancy and lactation. Chronobiol. Int. 22(5): 817-827.
Piccione G., Bertolucci C., Costa A., Di Mauro S., Caola G. (2005) - Daily rhythm of body and auricle temperature in goats kept at two different ambient temperature. Biol. Rhythms Res. 36(4): 309-314.
Piccione G., Costa A., Bertolucci C., Borruso M., Pennisi P., Caola G. (2006) - Acid-base balance modifications in the lamb and kid during the first week of life. Small Ruminant Res. 63: 304-308.
Piccione G., Foà A., Bertolucci C.*, Caola G. (2006) - Daily rhythm of salivary and serum urea concentrations in sheep. J. Circadian Rhythms 4: 16. (*corresponding author)
Foà A., Brandstätter R., Bertolucci C. (2006) - The circadian system of ruin lizards: a seasonally changing neuroendocrine loop? Chronobiol. Int. 23(1-2): 317-327
Frigato E., Vallone D., Bertolucci C.*, Foulkes N.S. (2006) - Isolation and characterization of melanopsin and pinopsin expression within photoreceptive sites of reptiles. Naturwissenschaften 93(8):379-385. (*corresponding author)
Pavan B., Frigato E., Pozzati S, Prasad P.D., Bertolucci C.*, Biondi C. (2006) - Circadian clocks regulate adenylyl cyclase activity rhythms in human RPE cells. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 350(1): 169-173. (*corresponding author)
Vallone D., Frigato E., Vernesi C., Foà A., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2007) - Hypothermia modulates circadian clock gene expression in lizard peripheral tissues. Am. J. Physiol. 292: R160-R166.
Colognesi I., Pasquali V., Foà A., Renzi P., Bernardi F., Bertolucci C.*, Pinotti M. (2007) - Temporal variations of coagulation factor VII activity in mice are influenced by lighting regime. Chronobiol. Int. 24(2):305-313 (*corresponding author)
Malatesta M., Frigato E., Baldelli B., Battistelli S., Foà A., Bertolucci C. (2007) - Influence of temperature on the liver circadian clock in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula. Microsc. Res. Tech. 70(7):578-584.
Piccione G.*, Bertolucci C.*, Caola G., Foà A. (2007) - Effects of restricted feeding on circadian activity rhythms of sheep - a brief report. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 107(3-4):233-238. (*contributed equally to this work)
Piccione G., Bertolucci C., Grasso F., Giudice E. (2007) - Changes in gas composition and acid-base values of venous blood samples stored at different temperatures in four domestic species. Vet. Clin. Pathol. 36(4):358-360.
Piccione G., Bertolucci C., Giannetto C., Giudice E. (2008) - Clotting profiles in newborn Maltese kids during the first week of life. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 20:114-118.
De Pittà C*, Bertolucci C.*, Mazzotta G.M., Bernante F., Rizzo G., De Nardi B., Pallavicini A., Lanfranchi G., Costa R. (2008) - Systematic sequencing of mRNA from the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and first tissue specific transcriptional segnature. BMC Genomics 9:45. (*contributed equally to this work)
Bertolucci C., Cavallari N., Colognesi I., Aguzzi J., Chen Z., Caruso P., Foà A., Tosini G., Bernardi F. Pinotti M. (2008) - Evidence for an overlapping role of Clock and Npas2 transcription factors in liver circadian oscillators. Molecular and Cellular Biology 28(9): 3070-3075.
Bertolucci C., Giannetto C., Fazio F., Piccione G (2008) Seasonal variations in daily rhythms of activity in athletic horses. Animal 2(7): 1055-1060.
Bertolucci C., Fazio F., Piccione G. (2008) - Daily rhythms of serum lipids in dogs: influence of lighting and fasting cycles. Comparative Medicine 58(5): 485-489.
Frigato E., Lunghi L., Ferretti M.E., Biondi C., Bertolucci C. (2009) - Evidence for circadian rhythms in human trophoblast cell line that persist in hypoxia. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 378(1):108-111.
Bertolucci C., Giudice E., Fazio F., Piccione G. (2009) - Circadian intraocular pressure rhythms in athletic horses under different lighting regime. Chronobiol. Int. 26(2):348-358.
Foà A, Basaglia F., Beltrami G., Moretto E., Carnacina M., Bertolucci C. (2009) - Orientation of lizards in a Morris water-maze: roles of the sun compass and the parietal eye. J. Exp. Biol. 212(18):2918-2924.
Mazzotta G.M., De Pittà C., Benna C., Tosatto S.C.E., Lanfranchi G., Bertolucci C.*, Costa R. (2010) - A cry from the krill. Chronobiol. Int. 27(3): 425-445. (*corresponding author)
Beltrami G., Parretta A., Bertolucci C., Petrucci F., Foà A. (2010) Sky polarization compass in lizards: a central role of the parietal eye. J. Exp. Biol. 213: 2048-2054.
Pinotti M.*, Bertolucci C.*, Frigato E., Branchini A., Cavallari N., Baba K., Contreras-Alcantara S., Ehlen C., Bernardi F., Paul K.N., Tosini G. (2010) Chronic sleep deprivation markedly reduces coagulation factor VII expression. Haematologica 95(8): 1429-1432. (*contributed equally to this work)
Piccione G., Giannetto C., Fazio F., Bertolucci C. (2011) Daily variations of serum lipids in Ovis aries under different lighting and feeding conditions. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 95: 603-608.
Cavallari N., Frigato E., Vallone D., Fröhlich N., Lopez Olmeda J.F., Foà A., Berti R., Sánchez Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2011) A Blind Circadian Clock in Cavefish Reveals that Opsins Mediate Peripheral Clock Photoreception. PLoS Biology 9(9): e1001142.
Lunghi L., Frigato E., Ferretti M.E., Biondi C., Bertolucci C. (2011) Circadian variation of cell proliferation in HTR-8/SVneo cell line. Human Cell 24(4):161-164.
Tarttelin E., Frigato E., Bellingham J., Di Rosa V., Berti R., Foulkes N.S., Lucas R.J., Bertolucci C. (2012) Encephalic photoreception and phototactic response in the troglobiont Somalian blind cavefish Phreatichthys andruzzii. J. Exp. Biol. 215: 2898-2903.
Idda M.L., Bertolucci C., Vallone D., Gothilf Y., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Foulkes N.S. (2012) Circadian clocks: Lessons from fish. Chapter 3 in: Kalsbeek A., Merrow M., Roenneberg T., Foster, R.G. (eds): Neurobiology of Circadian Timing. Progress in Brain Research 199, 41-57.
Beltrami G., Parretta A., Petrucci F., Buttini P., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2012) The lizard celestial compass detects linearly polarized light in the blue. J. Exp. Biol. 215, 3200-3206.
Piccione G., Giannetto C., Bertolucci C., Refinetti R. (2013) Daily rhythmicity of circulating melatonin is not endogenously generated in the horse. Biol. Rhythms Res. 44(1), 143-149.
Mazzotta G., Rossi A., Leonardi E., Mason M., Bertolucci C., Caccin L., Spolaore B., Martina A.J.M., Schlichting M., Grebler R., Helfrich-Förster C., Mammi S., Costa R., Tosatto S.C.E. (2013) Fly Cryptochrome and the Visual System. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110(15), 6163-6168.
Vera L.M., Negrini P., Zagatti C., Frigato E., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C. (2013) Light and feeding entrainment of the molecular circadian clock in a marine teleost (Sparus aurata). Chronobiol. Int. 30(5), 649-661.
Pagon N., Grignolio S., Pipia A., Bongi P., Bertolucci C., Apollonio M. (2013) Seasonal variation of activity patterns in roe deer in a temperate forested area. Chronobiol. Int. 30(6), 772-785.
Villamizar N., Blanco-Vives B., Oliveira C., Dinis M.T., Di Rosa V., Negrini P., Bertolucci C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J. (2013) Circadian rhythms of embryonic development and hatching in fish: A comparative study of Zebrafish (diurnal), Senegalese sole (nocturnal) and Somalian cavefish (blind). Chronobiol. Int. 30(7):889-900.
De Pittà C., Biscontin A., Albiero A., Sales G., Millino C., Mazzotta G.M., Bertolucci C., Costa R. (2013) The Antarctic krill Euphausia superba shows diurnal cycles of transcription under natural conditions. PLoS One 8(7): e68652.
Fusani L.*, Bertolucci C.*, Frigato E., Foà A. (2014) Cryptochrome expression in the eye of migratory birds depends on their migratory status. The Journal of Experimental Biology 217:918-923 (*contributed equally to this work).
Maoret F., Beltrami G., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2014) Celestial Orientation with the Sun Not in View: Lizards Use a Time- Compensated Sky Polarization Compass. Journal of Biological Rhythms 29(2):144-147.
Bisazza A., Tagliapietra C., Bertolucci C., Foà A., Agrillo C. (2014) Non-visual numerical discrimination in a blind cavefish (Phreatichthys andruzzii). The Journal of Experimental Biology 217, 1902-1909.
60. Piccione G., Cannella V., Monteverde V., Bertolucci C., Frigato E., Congiu F., Guercio A. (2014) Circadian gene expression in peripheral blood of Bos taurus under different experimental condition. J. Appl. Biomed. 12:271-275.
(DOI: 10.1016/j.jab.2014.07.002)
61. Stemmer M., Schuhmacher L.N., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C., Wittbrodt J. (2015) Cavefish eye loss in response to an early block in retinal differentiation progression. Development. , 142:743-75.
(DOI: 10.1242/dev.114629)
62. Di Rosa V., Frigato E., López-Olmeda J.F., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C. (2015) The light wavelength affects the ontogeny of clock gene expression and activity rhythms in zebrafish larvae. PLoS ONE 10(7): e0132235.
(DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132235)
63. Giannetto C., Bazzano M., Marafioti S., Bertolucci C., Piccione G. (2015) Monitoring of total locomotors activity in mares during pre- and post-partum period. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 10(5): 427-432.
(DOI:10.1016/j.jveb.2015.05.003)
64. Sovrano V.A., Bertolucci C., Frigato E., Foà A., Rogers L.J. (2016) Influence of exposure in ovo to different light wavelengths on the lateralization of social response in zebrafish larvae. Physiology & Behavior, 157: 258-264
65. Di Rosa V., López-Olmeda J.F., Burguillo A., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Piferrer F., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J. (2016) Daily rhythms of expression of key genes involved in sex differentiation in zebrafish. PLoS ONE, 11(6): e0157716.
66. Biscontin A., Frigato E., Sales G., Mazzotta G.M., Teschke M., De Pittà C., Jarman S., Meyer B., Costa R., Bertolucci C. (2016) The opsin repertoire of the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. Marine Genomics, 29: 61-68.
67. Brivio F., Bertolucci C., Tettamanti F., Filli F., Apollonio M., Grignolio S. (2016) The weather dictates the rhythms: Alpine chamois activity is well adapted to ecological conditions. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 70(8):1291-1304.
68. Foulkes N.S., Whitmore D., Vallone D., Bertolucci C. (2016) Studying the evolution of the vertebrate circadian clock: The power of fish as comparative models. In “Genetics, Genomics and Fish Phenomics” (Edited by Nicholas S. Foulkes); Advances in Genetics, Volume 95, Pages 1-30.
69. Dall'Ara I., Ghirotto S., Ingusci S., Bagarolo G., Bertolucci C., Barbujani G. (2016) Demographic history and adaptation account for clock gene diversity in humans. Heredity, 117(3):165-172.
70. Calderoni L., Rota-Stabelli O., Frigato E., Panziera A., Kirchner S., Foulkes N.S., Kruckenhauser L., Bertolucci C., Fuselli S. (2016) Relaxed selective constraints drove functional modifications in the peripheral circadian clock of the cavefish P. andruzzii and provides insight into the time of cave colonization. Heredity, 117(5):383-392.
71. Brivio F., Grignolio S., Brogi R., Benazzi M., Bertolucci C., Apollonio M.(2017) An analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the activity of a nocturnal species: the wild boar. Mammalian Biology, 84:73-81.
72. Miletto Petrazzini M.E., Fraccaroli I., Gariboldi F., Agrillo C., Bisazza A., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2017) Quantitative abilities in a reptile (Podarcis sicula). Biology Letters, 13(4). pii: 20160899
73. Biscontin A., Wallach T., Sales G., Grudziecki A., Janke L., Sartori E., Bertolucci C., Mazzotta G., De Pittà C., Meyer B., Kramer A., Costa R. (2017) Functional characterization of the circadian clock in the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba. Scientific Reports 7(1):17742.
74. Miletto Petrazzini M.E., Bertolucci C., Foà A. (2018) - Quantity discrimination in trained lizards (Podarcis sicula). Frontiers in Psychology 9:274. (doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00274)
75. Benedusi M., Frigato E., Beltramello M., Bertolucci C., Valacchi G. (2018) Circadian clock as possible protective mechanism to pollution induced keratinocytes damage. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 172: 13-20.
76. Ceinos R.M., Frigato E., Pagano C., Froehlich N., Negrini P., Cavallari N., Vallone D., Fuselli S., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2018) Mutations in blind cavefish target the light-regulated circadian clock gene, period 2. Scientific Reports, 8(1): 8754.
77. Pagano C., Siauciunaite R., Idda M.L., Ruggiero G., Ceinos R.M., Pagano M., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S., Vallone D. (2018) Evolution shapes the responsiveness of the D-box enhancer element to light and reactive oxygen species in vertebrates. Scientific Reports, 8:13180.
78. Zhao H., Di Mauro G., Lungu-Mitea S., Negrini P., Guarino A.M., Frigato E., Braunbeck T., Hongju M., Lamparter T., Vallone D., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2018) Modulation of DNA repair systems in blind cavefish during evolution in constant darkness. Current Biology, 28: 3229-3243.
79. Grignolio S., Brivio F., Apollonio M., Frigato E., Tettamanti F., Filli F., Bertolucci C. (2018) Is the chamois’s nocturnal activity compensatory? Mammalian Biology, 93: 173-181.
80. Kostovski E., Frigato E., Dahm A., Sandset P.M., Mowinckel M., Skretting G., Østerud B., Bertolucci C., Iversen P.O. (2018) Clock gene expression in peripheral blood cells in males with blunted melatonin levels and disrupted feedback loops; the effect of exogenous melatonin in tetraplegia. Spinal Cord, 56: 1076-1083.
81. Sovrano V.A., Potrich D., Foà A., Bertolucci C. (2018) Extra-Visual systems in the spatial reorientation of cavefish. Scientific Reports, 8: 17698.
82. Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C. (2019) Guppies show rapid and lasting inhibition of foraging behaviour. Behav Processes, 164:91-99.
83. Brogi R., Brivio F., Bertolucci C., Benazzi M., Luccarini S., Cappai N., Bottero E., Columbano N., Apollonio M., Grignolio S (2019) Capture effects in wild boar: a multifaceted behavioural investigation. Wildlife Biology, 2019(1).
84. Limonta G., Mancia A., Benkhalqui A., Bertolucci C., Abelli L., Fossi M.C., Panti C. (2019) Microplastics induce transcriptional changes, immune response and behavioral alterations in adult zebrafish. Scientific Reports, 9, 15775.
85. Morbiato E., Frigato E., Dinarello A., Maradonna F., Facchinello N., Argenton F., Carnevali O., Dalla Valle L., Bertolucci C. (2019) Feeding entrainment of the zebrafish circadian clock is regulated by the glucocorticoid receptor. Cells, 8(11):1342.
86. Basili D., Lutfi E., Falcinelli S., Balbuena-Pecino S., Navarro I., Bertolucci C., Capilla E., Carnevali O. (2020) Photoperiod Manipulation Affects Transcriptional Profile of Genes Related to Lipid Metabolism and Apoptosis in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae: Potential Roles of Gut Microbiota. Microb Ecol., 79(4):933-94
87. Lucon-Xiccato T., Di Mauro G., Bisazza A., Bertolucci C. (2020) Alarm cue-mediated response and learning in zebrafish larvae. Behavioural Brain Research, 380:112446.
88. Lucon-Xiccato T., De Russi G., Bertolucci C. (2020) A novel-odour exploration test for measuring anxiety in adult and larval zebrafish. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 335:108619.
89. Morbiato E., Bilela S., Tirri m., Arfè R., Fantinati A., Savchuk S., Appolonova S., Frisoni P., Tagliaro F., Neri M., Grignolio S., Bertolucci C., Marti M. (2020) Potential of the zebrafish model for the forensic toxicology screening of NPS: a comparative study of the effects of APINAC and Methiopropamine on the behavior of zebrafish larvae and mice. Neurotoxicology, 78:36-46.
90. Lucon-Xiccato T, Montalbano G., Bertolucci C. (2020) Personality traits covary with individual differences in inhibitory abilities in two species of fish. Current Zoology, 66(2):187-195.
91. Lucon-Xiccato T, Bisazza A., Bertolucci C. (2020) Guppies show sex and individual differences in the ability to inhibit
Behaviour. Animal Cognition, 23(3):535-543.
92. Sovrano V.A., Baratti G., Potrich D., Bertolucci C. (2020) The geometry as an eyed fish feels it in spontaneous and rewarded spatial reorientation tasks. Scientific Reports, 10(1):8020
93. Olivotto I., Zarantoniello M., Randazzo B., Gioacchini G., Truzzi C., Giorgini E., Riolo P., Gioia G., Bertolucci C., Osimani A., Cardinaletti G., Lucon-Xiccato T., Milanovic V., Annibaldi A., Tulli F., Notarstefano V., Ruschioni S., Clementi F. (2020) Zebrafish (Danio rerio) physiological and behavioural responses to insect-based diets: a multidisciplinary approach. Scientific Reports 10:10648
94. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Dadda M., Bertolucci C. (2020) Lateralisation correlates with individual differences in inhibitory control in zebrafish. Biology Letters, 16(8): 20200296.
95. Lucon-Xiccato T, Bertolucci C. (2020) Inhibitory control in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Journal of Fish Biology, 97:416-423.
96. Frigato E., Benedusi M., Guiotto A., Bertolucci C., Valacchi G. (2020) Circadian Clock and OxInflammation: functional cross-talk in cutaneous homeostasis. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2309437.
97. Montalbano G., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2020) Measures of inhibitory control correlate between different tasks but do not predict problem-solving success in a fish, Poecilia reticulata. Intelligence, 82: 101486.
98. Lucon-Xiccato T., Conti F., Loosli F., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2020) Development of open-field behaviour in the medaka, Oryzias latipes. Biology, 9(11):389.
99. Benedusi M., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Valacchi G. (2021) Circadian deregulation as possible new player in pollution induced tissue damage. Atmosphere, 12(1):116.
100. Sbragaglia V., López-Olmeda J.F., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Arlinghaus R. (2021) Size-selective mortality induces evolutionary changes in group risk-taking behavior and the circadian system in a fish. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90:387- 403.
101. Zhao H., Du J., Di Mauro G., Li H, Lungu-Mitea S., Geyer N., Vallone D., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2021) Regulation of ddb2 expression in blind cavefish and zebrafish reveals plasticity in the control of sunlight-induced DNA damage repair. PLoS Genetics, 17(2): e1009356.
102. Schalm G., Bruns K., Drachenberg N., Geyer N., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C., Gerlach G. (2021) Finding Nemo’s clock genes: Switch from nocturnal to diurnal activity in clownfish development. Scientific Reports, 11, 6801.
103. Lucon-Xiccato T., Bella L., Mainardi E., Baraldi M., Bottarelli M., Sandonà D., Bertolucci C. (2021) An automated low-cost swim tunnel for measuring swimming performance in fish. Zebrafish, 18(3), 231-234.
104. Brivio F., Bertolucci C., Marcon A., Cotza A., Apollonio M., Grignolio S. (2021) Dealing with intra-individual variability in the analysis of activity patterns from accelerometer data. Hystrix, 32(1):41-47.
105. Merola C., Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C., Perugini M. (2021) Behavioural effects of early-life exposure to parabens in zebrafish larvae. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 41(11):1852-1862.
106. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Reddon A.R., Bertolucci C. (2022) Social environment affects inhibitory control via developmental plasticity in a fish. Animal Behaviour, 183: 69-76.
107. Montalbano G.; Bertolucci C.; Lucon-Xiccato T. (2022) Cognitive Phenotypic Plasticity: Environmental Enrichment Affects Learning but Not Executive Functions in a Teleost Fish, Poecilia reticulata. Biology, 11: 64.
108. D’Agostino Y., Frigato E., Noviello T.M.R., Toni M, Frabetti F., Cigliano L., Ceccarelli M., Sordino P., Cerulo L., Bertolucci C., D’Aniello S. (2022) Loss of circadian rhythmicity in bdnf knock-out zebrafish larvae. iScience, 25(4): 104054.
109. Lucon-Xiccato T., Loosli F., Conti F., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2022) Anxiety-like and social behaviour of medaka: evaluation of six tests and comparison with zebrafish. Scientific Reports, 12: 10926.
110. Urso I., Biscontin A., Corso D., Bertolucci C., Romualdi C., De Pittà C., Meyer B., Sales G. (2022) A thorough annotation of the Krill transcriptome offers new insights for the study of physiological processes. Scientific Reports, 12: 11415.
111. Tonelotto V., Consorti C., Facchinello N., Trapani V., Sabatelli P., Giraudo C., Spizzotin M., Cescon M., Bertolucci C., Bonaldo P. (2022) Collagen VI ablation in zebrafish causes neuromuscular defects during developmental and adult stages. Matrix Biology, 112: 39-61.
112. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Frigato E., Loosli F., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2022) Medaka as a model for seasonal plasticity: Photoperiod-mediated changes in behaviour, cognition, and hormones. Hormones and Behavior, 145: 105244.
113. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Gatto E., Frigato E., D’Aniello S., Bertolucci C. (2022) Individual differences and knockout in zebrafish reveal similar cognitive effects of BDNF between teleost fish and mammals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 289: 20222036.
114. Lucon-Xiccato T., Tomain M., D’Aniello S., Bertolucci C. (2023) bdnf loss affects activity, sociability, and anxiety-like behaviour in zebrafish. Behavioural Brain Research, 436: 114115.
115. Caioni G, Merola C., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T., Başak Savaşçı B., Massimi M., Colasante M., Fioravanti G., Cacciola N.A., Ippoliti R., D’Angelo M., Perugini M, Benedetti E. (2023) Early-life exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of triclocarban impairs ocular development in zebrafish larvae. Chemosphere, 324: 138348.
116. Mancia A., Abelli L., Candela M., Palladino G , Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C., Fossi M.C., Baini M., Panti C. (2023) Sorbed environmental contaminants increase the harmful effects of polyethylene microplastics in adult zebrafish, Danio rerio. Aquatic Toxicology, 259: 106544.
117. Pintos S., Lucon-Xiccato T., Vera L.M., Bertolucci C. (2023) Daily rhythms in the behavioural stress response of the zebrafish Danio rerio. Physiology and Behaviour, 268: 114241.
118. Zarantoniello M., Alves De Oliveira A., Sahin T., Freddi L., Torregiani M., Tucciarone I., Chemello G., Cardinaletti G., Gatto E., Parisi G., Bertolucci C., Riolo P., Nartea A., Gioacchini G., Olivotto I. (2023) Rearing European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in aquaponic systems fed on diets including enriched black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) prepupae meal: a multidisciplinary study on fish welfare and quality traits. Animals, 13(12): 1921.
119. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Bertolucci C. (2023) Adaptive phenotypic plasticity induces individual variability along a cognitive trade-off. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 290: 20230350.
120. Dalla Barba F., Soardi M, Mouhib L., Risato G., Akyürek E. E., Lucon-Xiccato T., Scano M., Benetollo A., Sacchetto R., Richard I., Argenton F., Bertolucci C., Carotti M., Sandonà D. (2023) Modelling sarcoglycanopathy in Danio rerio. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(16), 12707
121. Lucon-Xiccato L., Başak Savaşçı B., Merola C., Benedetti E., Caioni G., Aliko V., Bertolucci C., Perugini M. (2023) Environmentally relevant concentrations of triclocarban impair behaviour, learning, and brain gene expression in fish. Science of the Total Environment, 903, 166717
122. Lucon-Xiccato T., De Russi G., Cannicci S., Maggi E., Bertolucci C. (2023) Embryonic exposure to artificial light at night impairs learning abilities and their covariance with behavioural traits in teleost fish. Biology Letters 19, 20230436.
123. Montalbano G., Bertolucci C., Bisazza A., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2023) Interspecific differences in developmental mode determine early cognitive abilities in teleost fish. Animal Cognition, 26(6), 1893-1903.
124. Merola C., Caioni G., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T., Savaşçı B.B., Taite S., Casella M., Camerini S., Benedetti E., Perugini M. (2024) Embryonic and larval exposure to propylparaben induces developmental and long-term neurotoxicity in zebrafish model. Science of the Total Environment, 912, 168925.
125. Brivio F., Apollonio M., Anderwald P., Filli F., Bassano B., Bertolucci C., Grignolio S. (2024) Seeking Temporal Refugia to Heat Stress: Increasing Nocturnal Activity Despite Predation Risk. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 291, 20231587.
126. Yu D., Ren Y., Uesaka M., Beavan A.J.S., Muffato M., Shen J., Li Y., Sato I., Wan W., Clark J.W., Keating J.N., Carlisle E.M., Dearden R.P., Giles S., Randle E., Sansom R.S., Feuda R., Fleming J.F., Sugahara F., Cummins C., Patricio M., Akanni W., D'Aniello S., Bertolucci C., Irie N., Alev C., Sheng G., de Mendoza A., Maeso I., Irimia M., Fromm B., Peterson K.J., Das S., Hirano M., Rast J.P., Cooper M.D., Paps J., Pisani D., Kuratani S., Martin F.J., Wang W., Donoghue P.C.J., Zhang Y.E., Pascual-Anaya J. (2024) Hagfish genome elucidates vertebrate whole genome duplication events and their evolutionary consequences. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 8, 519–535.
127. Lucon-Xiccato T., De Russi G., Frigato E., Dadda M., Bertolucci C. (2024) One-trial odour recognition learning and its underlying brain areas in the zebrafish. Behavioural Brain Research, 465, 114949.
128. Varracchio C., Gatto E. Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2024) Do captive fish need cognitive enrichment? A test with a puzzle feeder in guppies. Ethology, 130, e13442.
129. Pintos S., Lucon-Xiccato T., Vera L.M., Conceição L., Bertolucci C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Rema P. (2024) Social buffering of behavioural stress response in two fish species, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and koi carp (Cyprinus carpio). Ethology, 130, e13464
130. Gatto E., Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C. (2024) Environmental conditions shape learning in larval zebrafish. Behavioural processes, Behavioural Processes, 218, 105045
131. Di Rosa V., Frigato E., Negrini P., Cristiano W., López-Olmeda J.F., Rétaux S., Sánchez-Vázquez F., Foulkes N.S., Bertolucci C. (2024) Sporadic feeding regulates robust food entrainable circadian clocks in blind cavefish. iScience, 27, 110171.
132. Caioni G., Merola C., Perugini M., Angelozzi G., Amorena M., Benedetti E., Lucon-Xiccato T., Bertolucci C. (2024)
Sodium valproate effects on the morphological and neurobehavioral phenotype of zebrafish. Environmental Toxicology & Pharmacology, 110: 104500.
133. Keene, A.C., Duboue, E.R., Foulkes, N.S., Bertolucci, C. (2024). Evolved Loss of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Cavefish. In: Gehrman, P., C. Keene, A., F. Grant, S. (eds) Genetics of Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Springer, Cham.
134. Rovegno, E., Lucon-Xiccato, T., Terrin, F., Dalla Valle L., Bertolucci, C. (2024) Knockout in zebrafish reveals the role of the glucocorticoid receptor in shaping behavioral syndromes. Behavioural Brain Research, 473: 115179.
135. Andreazzoli M., Argenton F., Bertolucci C., Finazzi D., Gabellini G., Mione M., Pistocchi A., Santoro M., Sordino P., Cavalieri V. (2024) Zebrafish from the Alps to Sicily: the 4th Italian Zebrafish Meeting in Palermo. Zebrafish, 21(4): 275-278.
136. Gatto E., Varracchio C., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2024) Puzzle feeder as a cognitive enrichment strategy determines long-term welfare improvements in a teleost fish. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 279: 106401.
137. Colaianni D., Virga F., Tisi A., Stefanelli C., Zaccagnini G., Cusumano P., Sales G., Bogdan Preda M., Martelli F., Taverna D., Mazzone M., Bertolucci C., Maccarone R., De Pittà C. (2024) miR-210 is essential to retinal homeostasis in fruit flies and mice. Biology Direct, 19: 90.
138. De Russi G., Montalbano G., Maggi E., Cannicci S., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2024) Differential impact of artificial light at night on cognitive flexibility in visual and spatial reversal-learning tasks. Animal Behaviour 218: 173-183.
139. Pintos S., De Alba G., Lucon-Xiccato T., Campos F.C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C., Vera L.M. (2024) Circadian modulation of behavioural stress indicators varies between diurnal and nocturnal fish species. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 281: 106458
140. De Russi G., Lanzoni M., Bisazza A., Domenici P., Castaldelli G., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2024) Eels' individual migratory behaviour stems from a complex syndrome involving cognition, behaviour, physiology and life-history. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 121(48): e2407804121.
141. Agrillo C., Rovegno E., Dadda M., Bertolucci C., Bisazza A. (2024) Assessment of replicability and efforts to refine an operant conditioning procedure for larval zebrafish. Animals 14(24), 3684
142. Stefanelli C., Colaianni D., Mazzotta G., Sales G., Bertolucci C., Meyer B., Biscontin A., De Pittà C. (2024) Functional characterization of the second feedback loop in the circadian clock of the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. BMC Biology 22:298
143. Conti F., Vergès-Castillo A., Sánchez-Vázquez F. J., López-Olmeda J.F., Bertolucci C., Muñoz-Cueto J.A. (2025) Daily rhythms of locomotor activity and transcript levels of non-visual opsins in the brain of the blind Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 299: 111772.
144. Conti F., de Alba G., López-Olmeda J.F., Vera L.M., Lucon-Xiccato G., Mainardi E., Cesari S., Bottarelli M., Bertolucci C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Gatto E. (2025) An automated low-cost solution for creating a multiple-step thermal gradient to record daily fish thermoregulatory behaviour. Zebrafish, 22(1): 15-19.
145. De Russi G., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Artificial light at night impairs visual lateralisation in a fish. Journal of Experimental Biology, 228(2): JEB249272.
146. Pintos S., Lucon-Xiccato T., Vera L.M., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C. (2025) Circadian modulation of behavioural stress responses in zebrafish is age-dependent. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology 343:457-467.
147. Rovegno E., Frigato E., Dalla Valle L., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Expression of glucocorticoid-receptor covaries with individual differences in visual lateralisation in zebrafish. Animal Cognition 28: 21.
148. De Russi G., Gatto E., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Sex affects the network of covariances between cognitive, behavioural, and physiological traits in guppies. iScience, 28(5):112487
149. Vergata C., Codogno G., De Russi G., Frigato E., Lucon-Xiccato T., Cannicci S., Bertolucci C., Fratini S. (2025) Transcriptome-wide deregulation of gene expression in zebrafish exposed to artificial light at night. Environ Pollut 382:126683
150. Li H., Scheitle C., Di Mauro G., Fuselli S., Fritsch-Decker S., Todo T., Weiss C., Vallone D., Lamparter T., Bertolucci C., Foulkes N.S. (2025) Conservation of dark CPD photolyase function in blind cavefish. Nature Communications 16(1):7377
151. Varracchio C., Paci F.P., Bertolucci C., Bertorelle G., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Habituation with apparatus and group testing improve assessment of fish preferences. Journal of Fish Biology in press
152. Andrei G., Colombani A., Gatto E., Scoponi M., Abelli L., Mancia A., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Microplastic ingestion affects the lateralised processing of predator stimuli in fish. Journal of Fish Biology 107:1825-1828.
153. Gatto E., Conti F.., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Early-life heat stress impairs cognition and alters its covariation with behaviour in zebrafish. Ecology and Evolution 15(9): e72139
154. Gatto E., Samorì E., Frigato E., Bertolucci C., Lucon-Xiccato T. (2025) Analysis of neural plasticity genes' expression in fish brain reveals the basis of individual differences in learning. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 222: 108106.
155. Rodia M.T., Fazzina M., Costa R., Altieri M.T., Sabbioni G., D’Aversa E., Breveglieri G., Gatto E., Bertolucci C., Lombardi S., Bergonzoni M., Casadei R., Santi S., Papa V., Ratti S., Cenacchi G., Borgatti M., Frabetti F. (2025) Novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of LGMDD2: role of TNPO3 in experimental cell and zebrafish models. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 82(1): 424.
156. Conti F., Gatto E., de Alba G., Pintos, S., López-Olmeda J.F., Vera L.M., Rey Planellas S., Mackenzie S.A., Bertolucci C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J.,(2025) The daily rhythms of temperature preference are conserved in nocturnal and blind fish. J. Thermal Biology, 134, 104339.
157. Frigato E., De Russi G., Vergata C., Codogno G.,Lucon-Xiccato T., Cannicci S., Fratini S., Bertolucci C. (2026) Impact of artificial light at night on zebrafish circadian rhythms: insights from behavioural and molecular data. Sciences of the Total Environment 1011, 181077.
158. Lucon-Xiccato T., Montalbano G., Andrei G., Frigato E., Scoponi M., Abelli L., Mancia A., Bertolucci C. (2026) Does microplastic ingestion affect cognition and brain gene expression in zebrafish, Danio rerio? Ethology 132: 41-54.
159. Pintos S., Lucon-Xiccato T., De Alba G., Geralda Campos F., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Bertolucci C., Vera L.M. (2026) Is social buffering consistent across the time of the day? A study in a diurnal (Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus) and a nocturnal fish species (tench Tinca tinca). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 296: 106895.
160. Conti F., Frigato E., Ruohisto E., Bertolucci C., López-Olmeda J.F., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Baldisserotto C., Pancaldi S. (2026) Exploring light-effects of microalgal extract on zebrafish caudal fin cell regeneration for aquaculture applications. Aquaculture International in press.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER
INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FERRARA
- 2005-2007 Member of the evaluation committee for the Local Research Grant (FAR - Fondo di Ateneo per la Ricerca), Sector Biology
- 2012-2014 Member of the Research Council (Consiglio della Ricerca)
- 2015-2016 Member of the Research Council (Consiglio della Ricerca)
- From 2017 Member of the Animal welfare committee (Organismo per il Benessere Animale) - VicePresident
- From 2017 Animal Welfare Responsabile for the fish house
- 2018-2024 Coordinator of the Degree in Biological Sciences
- 2024-2028 Vice Director of the Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology
- 2024-2026 Designated member by ANVUR for the composition of GEV 05 – Biological Sciences for the VQR 2020–2024
RESEARCH GRANTS
- from 1999 to 2005, Local Research Grant (Contributo per ricerca scientifica di interesse locale ex 60%); annual funding
- MIUR-PRIN 1999 "Mechanisms of acquisition and use of environmental information in animals" (Research Group Member)
- 2001 University of Ferrara - Young scientists Grant "Photoreception and melatonin synthesis in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula" (Principal Investigator)
- MIUR-PRIN 2004 "Modulation of Factor VII-Tissue Factor pathway" (Research Group Member)
- 2005 Italian Antarctic Research Programme "Circadian oscillators and photic entrainment in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba" (Principal Investigator)
- from 2006 to 2024 Local Research Grant (Fondo di Ateneo per la Ricerca - FAR); annual funding
- MIUR-PRIN 2008 "Magnetic orientation in birds: magnetoreception, brain regions involved in processing magnetic stimuli and the role of geomagnetic parameters in navigation" (Research Group Member)
- 2008 AIT-MIUR and DAAD Progetto Vigoni "Evolution in the dark: molecular and behavioural analysis of the circadian clock in a hypogean fish" (Principal Investigator)
- 2009 University of Ferrara - Internationalization Initiatives Start-up "EVOCLOCK" (Principal Investigator)
- 2010 MIUR Integrated Action Italy-Spain "Fish chronobiology network: ontogeny of the biological clock and circadian rhythms in the reproduction rhythms" (Research Group Member)
- 2011 University of Ferrara - Internationalization Initiatives Start-up "CRONOFISH" (Principal Investigator)
- 2012. MIUR-PRIN 2010-2011 "Biological and cultural heritage of the central-southern Italian population trough 30 thousand years. Molecular typing of genes affecting biological rhythms" (Research Group Member)
- 2013. PolarTime - Biological timing in a changing marine environment: Clocks and rhythms in polar pelagic organisms. Virtual Helmholtz Institute, Coordination: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association; PD Dr. Bettina Meyer (Research Group Member)
- 2013. Italian Antarctic Research Programme "Cryptochromes and the visual complex in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba" (Principal Investigator).
- 2013 University of Ferrara - Internationalization Initiatives Start-up "EVODARK" (Principal Investigator)
- 2015 Research in Svalbard (RIS). Chronobiology of polar organisms: Melatonin and polar lighting effects on an arctic “living fossil”. (Project member; Resp. Progetto V. Pasquali - Università “La Sapienza” di Roma). (RIS-ID 10011).
- 2017 Italian Antarctic Research Programme "Ontogeny of the circadian clock in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba" (Principal Investigator).
- 2018 MIUR Fondo per il finanziamento delle attività̀ base di ricerca anno 2017 (L. 232/2016, c. 295) (Principal Investigator)
- 2018 MIUR-DAAD Joint Mobility Program Italy-Germany “Life without the day-night cycle: exploring photoreceptors beyond the eye" (Principal Investigator).
- 2018 Ministerio de Economia, Industria Y Competitividad de Espana. “BLUESOLE: Blue growth and sole aquaculture - Use of new blue LED illumination and cycles of light and temperature to improve the rhythms of reproduction, development and growth” Coordination: Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez, University of Murcia (Spain) (Research Group Member) (AGL2017-82582-C3-R).
- 2018 University of Ferrara - Fondo Incentivazione della Ricerca (FIR) (Principal Investigator).
- 2020 H2020-MSCA-ITN-EID-2020 “EASYTRAIN - Eco-Innovative Aquaculture System Training for European Industrial Doctorates” Coordination: Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez, University of Murcia (Spain) (Principal Investigator) (n° 956129)
- 2020 University of Ferrara - Fondo Incentivazione della Ricerca (FIR) (Principal Investigator).
- 2021 Italian Antarctic Research Programme " Functional and molecular characterization of the circadian clock in the Antarctic key species Euphausia superba " (PNRA19_00065 - B) (Principal Investigator).
- 2022 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de Espana. “BBLUE-AQUA: Improved sustainability & fish welfare through harmonisation between environmental cycles and biological rhythms” Coordination: José Antonio Muñoz-Cueto, University of Cádiz (Spain) (Research Group Member).
- 2022 EU - PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020 - “Sustainable aquaculture: Optimization of farming conditions for the improvement of animal welfare and product quality” (PI for a research contract)
- 2023 MIUR PRIN 2022 PNRR “Rock around the clock: how biological invasions alter circadian clocks of native species” (Project code: P20222E4CY) (Principal Investigator)
- 2023 Proof of Concept Empowering and Speeding-up Technology Evolution - POC PNRR 2022 “ZEA: Trattamento e prevenzione di disordini trombotici e di malattie cardiovascolari” (Research Group Member)
- 2023 MIUR PNRR “MNESYS - A multiscale integrated approach to the study of the nervous system in health and disease” (Research Group Member).
- 2024 MIUR PNRR “NANOTHER - “Testing novel nanodelivery of RNA molecules and synthetic genes as therapeutic approaches for muscular dystrophy” Bando a cascata Spoke 1 "Genetic Diseases" National Center for Gene Therapy and Drugs based on RNA Technology – RNA & Gene Therapy (Research Group Member)
- 2024 MIUR PNRR “BioPo - "Biodiversità ittica nel basso corso del fiume Po: un modello di studio degli effetti dei cambiamenti globali nei grandi fiumi" Bando a cascata Spoke 3 National Biodiversity Future Center – NBFC (Principal Investigator).
- 2024 MIUR PRIN 2022 “Some like it hot and lit: the compound effect of light pollution and warming on key costal species” (Project code: 2022RW9772) (Principal Investigator of Research Unit)
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATIONS (past and in progress)
- Prof. Robert Lucas, University of Manchester (UK) "Circadian photoreception in non-mammalian vertebrates"
- Prof. Marco Apollonio, Università di Messina (I) "Chronobiology in wild ruminant"
- Prof. Giuseppe Piccione, Università di Messina (I) “Chronobiology in livestock”
- Prof. Nicholas Foulkes, Karlsruhe Forschungcentre (D) "Circadian clocks in fish"
- Prof. Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez, Universitad de Murcia (SP) "Behavioural circadian rhythms in fish"
- Prof. Salvatore D’Aniello, Stazione Zoologica di Napoli (I) “Role of BDNF in zebrafish”
PARTICIPATION IN HIGH QUALITY ORGANIZATIONS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTES, FOREIGN AND INTERNATIONAL
- 1997 Max Planck Institut fuer Verhaltensphysiologie (Andechs, D), Principal Investigator: Prof. Eberhard Gwinner
- 2000 Research Center for Ornithology of the Max Planck Society (Andechs, D), Principal Investigator: Prof. Eberhard Gwinner
- 06-07/2004; 07/2005; 07/2006 Max Planck Institut for Developmental Biology (Tübingen, D) Principal Investigator: Dr. Nicholas Foulkes
- 07/2008; 08/2009; 06-07/2010 Karlsruhe Forschungzentrum in der Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (D). Responsabile: Prof. Nicholas Foulkes
- 11/2009, 02/2010, 09/2010 Università di Murcia (SP) Principal Investigator: Prof. Javier Sanchez Vasquez
- 07/2010 University of Manchester (UK) Principal Investigator: Robert Lucas
- 04-09/2011 Karlsruhe Forschungzentrum in der Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (D). Principal Investigator: Prof. Nicholas Foulkes
- 12/2011; 02/2012 Università di Murcia (SP) Principal Investigator: Prof. Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez
- 07/2012 Karlsruhe Forschungzentrum in der Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (D) Principal Investigator: Prof. Nicholas Foulkes
- 04/2013, 10/2013, 02/2014 Università di Murcia (SP) Principal Investigator: Prof. Francisco Javier Sanchez-Vasquez
- 07/2014; 07/2015; 03/2018; 03/2019; 07, 10/2019, 02/2020 Karlsruhe Forschungzentrum in der Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (D) Principal Investigator: Prof. Nicholas Foulkes
ACHIEVEMENT OF AWARDS FOR SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY
Some comments/articles have been dedicated to my paper Cavallari et al. (2011) PLOS BIOLOGY,9, e1001142. Among them I point out:
-Nature 477, 253 (15 September 2011) [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7364/full/477253e.html]
-New York Times (September 12, 2011) [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/science/13clock.html]
-Science Daily (Sep. 6, 2011) [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906181543.htm]
Furthermore, it has been selected and evaluated by two members of the Faculty of 1000 [http://f1000.com/prime/13328967]
The Journal of experimental Biology dedicated three articles to comment CB publications:
LIZARDS SENSE SUN COMPASS WITH PARIETAL EYE. J Exp Biol 2009 212:ii. doi:10.1242/jeb.037333 [http://jeb.biologists.org/content/212/18/ii.full]) to the paper: Foà et al. (2009) J. Exp. Biol. 212, 2918-2824.
CRYPTOCHROME COULD HELP BLACKCAPS FIND WAY. J Exp Biol 2014 217, 817. doi: 10.1242/jeb.104547 [http://jeb.biologists.org/content/217/6/817.full] to the paper Fusani et al. (2014) 217:918-923.
FISH DON’T NEED EYES FOR NUMERACY. J Exp Biol 217, 1833-1834. doi: 10.1242/jeb.107904 [http://jeb.biologists.org/content/217/11/1833.2] to the paper Bisazza et al. (2014) 217, 1902-1909.
GUPPIES LEARN DIFFERENTLY WHEN THEIR FOOD IS UNPREDICTABLE. J Exp Biol (2023) 226 (17): JEB245024. Doi: 10.1242/jeb.245024 [https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/226/17/JEB245024/326580/Guppies-learn-differently-when-their-food-is] to the paper Lucon-Xiccato et al. (2023) Proc. Royal Soc. B, 290: 20230350
Current Biology dedicated a Dispatch to my paper Zhao et al. (2018) 28: 3229-3243.
- Nicolas Rohner (2018) Evolution: A Dark Past, Current Biology, 28(20): R1190-R1192.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE CREATION OF NEW ENTERPRISES, DEVELOPMENT, DEPLOYMENT AND COMMERCIALISATION OF PATENTS
-2012 Spinner 2013 Global Grant "Interventions for human resources qualification in the research and technological innovation sectors". Academic tutor for an industrial research project (International Mobility) between Italy and Spain "Optimization of fish aquaculture methods: study on the influence of light, temperature and feeding on reproduction rhythms and larvae development"
-2013 Italian Patent n° 0001404510 "GRUPPO PER LE SPERIMENTAZIONI IN LUCE POLARIZZATA". Inventori: A. Parretta, F.C. Petrucci, G. Beltrami, C. Bertolucci, A. Foà, L. Landi. Titolare: ENEA
REFEREE FOR SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS
- 2008 The Royal Society, Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship
- 2008 Czech Science Foundation
- 2010 National Environmental Research Council (UK)
- 2011 U.S.A.-Israel Binational Science Foundation
- 2012 German-Israel Foundation for Scientific Research and Development
- 2012-2013 Università di Padova
- 2013 Italian Ministry for University and Research (MIUR)
- 2016 Fondazione di Sardegna - Università di Sassari
- 2019 Israel Science Foundation
- 2021 NC3Rs - UK
- 2024 Swiss National Science Foundation
- 2024 DFG
REFEREE FOR SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS
Chronobology International, BMC Physiology, Journal of Biological Rhythms, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Microscopy Research and Technique, Biological Procedures Online, American Journal of Physiology, Italian Journal of Zoology, Brain Research, Molecular Vision, Journal of Zoology, Life Sciences, Animal Behaviour, Journal of Applied Physiology, Central European Journal of Biology, Haematologica, Journal of Circadian Rhythms, Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, Journal of Applied Biomedicine, Journal of Veterinary Behaviour, Current Zoology, Acta Zoologica, Plos One, Journal of Veterinary Science, Behaviour Brain and Evolution, Thrombosis Research, Cell Biochemistry & Function, Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, Photochemestry & Photobiology. Animal Biology, Livestock Science, Polar Biology, Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, Ethology, Ecology and Evolution, Fish Biology and Fisheries, Ethology, Scientific Reports, Nature Communications, Acta Theriologica, Frontiers in Physiology, BMC Genomics, General Comparative Endocrinology, JoVE, Zebrafish, Animal Cognition, Journal of Thermal Biology, Mammal Research, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Environmental Pollution, Enviromental Pharmacology and Toxicology
From June, 2013 he is Academic Editor of PLOS One
From December ,2013 he is member of the Editorial Board (Review editor) of Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
From October 2018 he is member of the Editorial Board (Review Editor) of Frontiers in Endocrinology - Experimental Endocrinology
From May 2020 he is Editor of Biology (Zoology section)
From April 2021 he is member of the Editorial Board (Review editor) of Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology - Morphogenesis and Patterning
From May 2022 he is member of the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Conferences and workshop organising and scientific committees
- 1999 Organizing Committee of the Erasmus Summer School on Chronobiology ("Biological clock: evolution, behaviour and ecology"); Ferrara, June 6-13
- 2002 Organizing Committee of the Chronobiology Summer School Max Planck Research Center for Ornithology (Andechs-Seewiesen, D), September 8-13
- 2005 Organizing Committee of the 1° Congress of the Italian Society for Evolutionary Biology; Ferrara, August 24-26
- 2010 Scientific and Organizing Committees of the V European Conference on Behavioural Biology; Ferrara, July 16-18
- 2012 Member of Organizing Committee of the "Festival della Ricerca 2012" Ferrara, September 5th
2019 Organizing Committees of the 9th annual meeting of the EFOR Network. Cave Organisms Workshop, May 6-7, Paris (F)
2024 Scientific Committee 4th Italian Zebrafish Meeting, February 6-9, Palermo (I)
2025 Chair of Symposium at the XVIII Congress of the European Biological Rhythms Society, from August 24 – 28 (Lübeck, D).
2026 Scientific Committee 5th Italian Zebrafish Meeting, January 15-16, Trento (I)
INVITED TALKS
- 1997. Max Planck Institut fuer Verhaltensphysiologie (Andechs, D) "Seasonal variations in the circadian rhythms of locomotor activity in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula" February 26 th
- 1998. XXV Seminario sull'Evoluzione Biologica e i grandi problemi della biologia: Ritmi biologici "Meccanismi di regolazione delle ritmicità stagionali e circannuali". Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei Roma, February 25 th -27 th
- 2002. Il tempo nei sistemi informatici e biologici "I ritmi biologici: dai geni al comportamento" Domus Galileiana Pisa, June 21
- 2002. University of Messina, Faculty of veterinary Sciences; Messina, December 12 th -14 th
- 2004. Amanti infedeli e genitori premurosi: Sessualità, riproduzione e cura della prole negli animali " Attrazione fatale. Etologia e fisiologia dei cicli della riproduzione" Museum of Nat. History - Ferrara, May 6 th
- 2004. 65° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana - Taormina (CT), September 23 th
- 2005. Organismic and Environmental Biology Seminar, University of Birmingham - "Central and Peripheral Circadian Clock in Reptiles" Birmingham (UK), February 1st
- 2005. 66° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Roma, September 19 th
- 2006. XXII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Erice (TR), September 22 th
- 2007. 68° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Lecce, September 27 th
- 2010. 71° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Palermo, September 21 th
- 2012. XXV Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) Viterbo, September 15 th
- 2012. 73° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Firenze, September 26 th
- 2013. University of Calgary, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Developmental Biology and Genetics Seminar Series, May 1st
- 2013. 74° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana Modena, September 30th
- 2015. XXVI Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) Parma June 16th
- 2015. 9th Inter. Congress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemestry, Krakov (Poland) September 26th
- 2016. 15th Meeting Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Palm Harbor, Florida, USA, May 24 th
- 2016 I Joint Congress SITE-UZI-SIB, Milano, August 31th
- 2017 7° Congresso della Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Roma, August 28-31th
- 2017 17th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Pisa, September 4-8th
- 2019 2nd Italian zebrafish meeting, Pisa, January 30th- February 1st
- 2021 ChronoLunchMeeting, University of Groningen, Groningen (NL), 1st June
- 2021 Physio Webinars, University of São Paulo, São Paulo (Brazil), 23th November
- 2024 10° Congress Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica (SIBE), Napoli, September 8th-11th
- 2025 Medaka PI Meeting, Heidelberg (D), July 22th-24th
ATTENDANCES TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSES
- XVI Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), Parma, June 8-10 1994
- XVII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), San Miniato (PI), June 3-5 1996
- IV International Acanthocephala Workshop, Ferrara, September 8-10 1997
- 58° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Cattolica (RN), September 24-28 1997
- XVIII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) e Summer meeting of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, Urbino, September 2-4 1998
- Gordon Research Conference on Chronobiology, Il Ciocco (LU), June 13-18 1999
- 60° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Pavia, September 26-30 1999
- 7th Meeting Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Amelia Island Plantation (FL, USA) May 10-13 2000
- XIX Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), S. Giuliano Terme (Pisa), October 4-6 2000
- 8th Meeting Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Amelia Island Plantation (Fl, USA), May 22-26 2002
- Congress of the Società Italiana di Neuroscience (SINS), Pisa, September 26-28 2003
- XXI Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), Padova, September 14-17 2004.
- 65° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Taormina (CT), September 21-25 2004
- 66° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Roma, September 19-22 2005
- XXII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), Erice (TR), September 18-22 2006
- Gordon Research Conference on Chronobiology, Auisson (F), May 6-10 2007
- 68° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Lecce, September 24-27 2007
- 69° c Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Sinigallia (AN), September 22-25 2008
- XI Congress of the European Biological Rhythms Society, Strasbourg (F), August 22-28 2009
- 71° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana, Palermo, September 20-23 2010
- XII Congress of the European Biological Rhythms Society, Oxford (UK), August 22-26 2011
- XXV Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) Viterbo, September 12-15 2012
- 73° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana, Firenze, 24-27 September 2012
- 74° Congress of the Unione Zoologica Italiana, Firenze, September 30-October 3 2013
- XXVI Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE), Parma, June 15-19 2015
- 9th International Congress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemestry - Krakov (Poland), September 23-29 2015
- 15th Meeting Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Palm Harbor, Florida, USA, May 21-25 2016
- I Congresso Nazionale Congiunto SITE-UZI-SIB, Milano, August 30 - September 2 2016
- Italian Zebrafish meeting, Padova, February 2-3 2017
- XXVII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Calci (PI) June 18-21 2017
- OCC World Congress and Annual SFRR-E Conference Metabolic Stress and Redox Regulation - Berlin (D) June 21-23 2017
- WildClock 2018 - MPI for Ornithology, Seewiesen (Germany) October 15-18 2018
- XXVIII Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Firenze September 9-12 2019
- 3rd Italian Zebrafish meeting, Napoli, 9-11 February 2022
- "From A(rcherfish) to Z(ebrafish) - How teleost brains interact with the world", Satellite meeting within the framework of the International Congress of the International Society of Neuroethology, Lisbon (P) July 22-24 2022
- 9° Congress of the Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica (SIBE), Ancona September 4-7 2022
- XXIX Congress of the Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Padova September 12-14 2022
- Aquaculture Europe 2023 - Vienna (Austria) September 18 - 21 2023
- 4° Italian Zebrafish Meeting – Palermo February 7-9 2024
- AQUA 2024 – Copenaghen (DK) August 26-30 2024
- XXX Congress Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE) - Torino September 4-6 2024
- 10° Congress Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica (SIBE), Napoli September 8-11 2024
- 83° Congress Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI), Pisa September 11-14 2024
MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC ORGANISATIONS
- 1999 Italian Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (SIE, Società Italiana di Etologia)
- 2005 Unione Zoologica Italiana
- 2011 European Biological Rhythms Society
- 2016 Society for Research on Biological Rhythms
- 2017 Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology
From the 2021 CB is member of the Board of the Italian Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (SIE, http://www.sie-etologia.it/)
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
TEACHING ACTIVITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FERRARA
Undergraduate and Graduate Courses
- 1998 University of Ferrara, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, Adjunct professor "Systematic and Animal Phylogeny" (20 hours)
- from 1999 to 2010, 2014 "Vertebrate Zoology", Degrees in Biology and Natural Sciences (3-6 ETCS)
- from 2002 to 2004 "Animal Behaviour Laboratory", Degrees in Biology and Natural Sciences (3 ETCS)
- from 2003 to 2009 "Ethology", Degrees in Biology and Natural Sciences (3-6 ETCS)
- from 2003 to 2009 "Molecular Chronobiology", Degree in Biomolecular and Cellular Sciences (3 ECTS)
- from 2009 to present "Applied Ethology", Degree in Ecology and Evolution (6 ECTS)
- 2012 "Zoology", Degree in Biology (5 ECTS)
- from 2015 to 2018 “Animal Biology”, Degree in Biotechnologies (6 ETCS)
- from 2016 to 2021 “Animal biodiversity”, Degree in Biomolecular and Evolutionary Sciences (6 ETCS)
- from 2016 to present “Zoology”, Degree in Biology (9 ECTS)
- from 2016 to present “Ethology”, Degree in Biomolecular and Evolutionary Sciences (6 ETCS)
- from 2021 to present “Animal Biology”, Degree in Pharmacy (3 ETCS)
- from 2022 to present “Methodologies for Research in Molecular Biology and Model Organisms” (1 ECTS)
Post-Graduate Courses
- from 2003 to 2014 "Ethology" and “Zoology”, Postgraduate School of Teaching (SSIS classes A059 e A060)
- 2012, "Ethology of Urban Species", Ecopolis - International Master
Teaching at foreign university
- 2005 School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham (UK); Invited lecturer "Integrative Animal Biology"
UNIVERSITY SERVICES
- 2005 University of Ferrara, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, member of the examining committee "Progetto di Tutorato" (a.a. 2005-2006)
- from 2010 to 2012, University of Ferrara, Degree in Biology, Member of the "Gruppo di Autovalutazione"
- from 2012 to 2013 University of Ferrara, Degree in Biology, Tutor for the Master degree (laurea magistrale) in Ecology and Evolution
- 2010-2018 University of Ferrara, Degree in Biology, Member of the "Commissione Riconoscimento Crediti"
- 2016-2018 University of Ferrara, Degree in Biology, Member of the “Gruppo del Riesame”
- 2018-to date Coordinator PLS Biology-Biotecnology for the University of Ferrara
MEMBER OF DOCTORAL BOARDS
- From 2001 to 2005 Member of the Doctoral Board of the Ph.D. programme in Biology and Environmental Biology
- From 2002 to present Member of the Doctoral Board of the Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology; coordinator of the curriculum Physiology and Behaviour
- From 2013 Member of the Doctoral Board of the Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology
- From 2022 Member of the Doctoral Board of the Ph.D. programme in Life Sciences and Biotechnology
- From 2024 Member of the Doctoral Board of the National Ph.D. programme in Biodiversity
SUPERVISOR OF MASTER AND Ph.D. THESES
- From 1998 to present supervisor of about 70 experimental theses in Biology, Natural Sciences and Biotechnology of which 30 for Master degrees.
- Supervisor of 16 Ph.D. students at the University of Ferrara:
Elena Frigato - Ph.D. programme in Biology and Environmental Biology (XVIII cycle a.a. 2003-2005)
Nicola Cavallari - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXII cycle a.a. 2007-2009)
Pietro Negrini - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXVII cycle a.a. 2012-2014)
Irene Dall’Ara - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXVIII cycle a.a. 2013-2015)
Viviana Di Rosa - Dottorato in cotutela con l’Università di Murcia (SP) (XXVIII ciclo a.a. 2013-2015)
Giuseppe Di Mauro - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXI cycle a.a. 2016-2019)
Elisa Morbiato - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXII cycle a.a. 2017-2020)
Giulia Montalbano - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXV cycle a.a. 2019-2022)
Elisa Samorì - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVI cycle a.a. 2020-2024)
Santiago Pintos - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVII cycle a.a. 2021-2024)
Franciois Hussein - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVII cycle a.a. 2021-2024)
Francesca Conti - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVII cycle a.a. 2021-2024)
Filippo Chisci - Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVIII cycle a.a. 2022-2025) (Cotutore)
Georgiana Andrei - Ph.D. programme in Life sciences and Biotechnology (XXXIX cycle a.a. 2023-2026)
Giuditta Codogno – National Ph.D. programme in Biodivesity (XXXIX cycle a.a. 2023-2026) (Cotutore)
Anna Albanese - Ph.D. programme in Life sciences and Biotechnology (XL cycle a.a. 2024-2027)
Furthermore, he was supervisor of a Ph.D. student (Viviana Di Rosa) in Biology in co-tutele between University of Ferrara and University of Murcia (SP). Currently, in the same program of co-tutele CB is co-supervisor with two other Ph.D. students Elisa Samorì and Francesca Conti.
MEMBER OF THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE FOR THE ADMISSION TO Ph.D. PROGRAMMES
- 2002-2006 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Biology and Environmental Biology (XVIII-XXI cycle)
- 2011 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXVII cycle)
- 2016 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXII cycle)
- 2019 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXV cycle)
- 2023 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (XXXIX cycle)
- 2024 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (XL cycle)
- 2025 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (XLI cycle)
PARTICIPATION IN EVALUATION/OPPOSITION COMMITTEES OF Ph.D. STUDIES
- 2009 University of Ferrara, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology (XXI cycle)
- 2009 University of Padova, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology (XXI cycle)
- 2012 Universitad de Murcia (SP), Ph.D. programme in Biology
- 2013 University of Sassari, Ph.D. programme in Natural Sciences (XXIX cycle)
- 2015 Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya Barcelona (SP)
- 2017 University of Padova, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology (XXVIII cycle)
- 2022 University of Padova, Ph.D. programme in Evolutionary Biology (XXVIII cycle)
- 2022-23 University of Tuscia, Ph.D. programme in “Ecology and Sustainable Management of Environmental Resources” (XXVIII-XXXVIII cycle)
- 2024 University of Siena, Ph.D. Programme in Life Sciences (XXXVII cycle)
- 2025 University of Firenze, Parma e Ferrara, Ph.D. Programme in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (XXXVII cycle)
MEMBER OF EVALUATION COMMITTEES FOR ASSISTANT PROFESSORSHIP (RICERCATORE) OR PROFESSORSHIP IN ZOOLOGY
- 2006 University of Padova
- 2008 University of Pisa
- 2016 University of Pisa
- 2020 University of Tuscia (VT), University of Florence, University of Ferrara
- 2021 University of Ferrara
- 2022 University of Firenze
- 2023 University of Parma, University of Florence, University of Turin
- 2024 University of Palermo, University of Pisa
- 2025 University of Insubria
Ferrara, December 31st, 2025
