Born on October 2nd, 1972 in Italy, married, two children.
Education/training:
July 1996: graduated with honors in Biological Science (5 years master degree), University of Bologna.
1997: qualification to practice the profession of biologist, University of Bologna (2nd session).
March 2001: PhD in Cellular Biology and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Bologna Supervisor: Prof. Antonio Contestabile.
1999-2000: research periods under the supervision of Dr. Cristina Alberini at Department of Neuroscience, Brown University (Providence, R.I., U.S.A).
December 2000-September 2005: Post-Doc, Lab of Prof. Antonio Contestabile, Department of Biology, University of Bologna.
During the PhD and Post-Doc periods, BM attended several courses from Turin Biotechnology Foundation, Italian Society of Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Italian Society of Physiology and FENS.
Positions:
From December 2022: Full Professor of Physiology (SSD BIO/09), Department of Pharmacy and BioTechnology, University of Bologna.
September 2018: visiting professor at Vassar College (NY, USA).
September 2014-December 2022: Associate Professor of Physiology (SSD BIO/09), Department of Pharmacy and BioTechnology, University of Bologna.
January 2014: national scientific qualification as associate professor in 05/D1 – Physiology (ASN 2012).
May-July 2008: visiting scientist at Brain Repair and Imaging in Neural Systems (BRAINS) lab of Prof. Deniz Kirik.
October 2006-September 2014: assistant professor (ricercatore) at Department of Biology (until 2012) and of Pharmacy and BioTechnology (FaBiT, from 2012), University of Bologna.
Teaching activities:
Form 2012: supervisor of Post-Doc fellows.
From AY 2013-2014: supervisor of PhD students of the PhD Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology.
From AY 2006-2007: supervisor of several undergraduate and master thesis of Biology and Biotechnology Degrees.
From AY 2021-2022: teacher of the CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY course (Cfu:6), in the international Master Degree in Molecular and Cell Biology.
From AY 2018-2019: teacher of INTEGRATED PHYSIOLOGY module (3 credits) of HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY course, PHARMACY Master Degree.
From AY 2017-2018: teacher of PHYSIOLOGY OF NUTRITION course (1 credit), Specialization School in Hospital Pharmacy.
From AY 2014-2015: teacher of MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY course (6 credits), HEALTH BIOLOGY Master Degrees.
From AY 2013-2014 to AY 2020-2021: teacher of NEUROBIOLOGY course (6 credits), CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY/HEALTH BIOLOGY Master Degrees.
From AY 2006-2007 to AY 202-2021: teacher of NEUROSCIENCES course (4 credits), BIOINFORMATICS International Master Degree.
From A.Y. 2005-2006 to A.Y. 2011-2012: tutor of PHISIOLOGY LAB course (1 credits; Prof. Marco Virgili), Degrees in BIOLOGICAL and NATURAL SCIENCES.
Scientific activities:
PI of the Fabit research group in cellular neurobiology, which deals with the study, by using both in vitro and in vivo models, of cellular, molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of interactions between glial cells (microglia, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) and neurons both in physiological conditions, as well as in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric pathologies in order to identify potential therapeutic targets.
Grants:
- 2023-2027: member of the international research group of the HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN-JD (#101072895) TClock4AD project "Targeting Circadian Clock Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease" (Coordinator Prof.ssa Maria Laura Bolognesi, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy), with the role of supervisor of 1 PhD student and co-supervisor of another PhD student.
- 2023-2025: PI in the spoke 1 - Neurodevelopment coordinated by the University of Parma, in the Extended Partnership 12 "Neuroscience and neuropharmacology" of the PNRR.
- 2023-2025: PI in the spoke 3 - Neurodegeneration coordinated by IIT - Genoa, in the National Center 3 "Development of gene therapy and drugs with RNA technology" of the PNRR.
- 2022-2024: PI of the AlMarieCurie project funded by the University of Bologna.
- 2022-2023: member of the research group of the project funded by the Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna Foundation (Carisbo #2022.0031) (Coordinator Dr. Raffaella Casadei, Department of Life Quality Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy).
- 2019-2022: scientific coordinator of the Telethon grant GGP19067 (co-PI: Dott. Massimo Lasorsa, IBIOM-CNR, Bari);
- 2019-2020: PI of the ALS Association pilot grant (Co-PI: Dr. Giampaolo Zuccheri, FaBiT, UniBO);
- 2021-2022: member of the project funded by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna (Carisbo) "Functional characterization of lncRNA LINC00520 in Parkinson's disease (#19099)" (Coordinator Prof.ssa Flavia Frabetti, DIMES, University of Bologna, Italy). 2020-2022: project member within UNA Europa (PI: Dr. Giampaolo Zuccheri, Fabit, University of Bologna, Italy).
- 2017-2018: member of the University of Bologna FIBRA project to create the first Brazil-Bologna Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Joint Lab (B2AlzD2; PI: Prof. Maria Laura Bolognesi, FaBiT, UniBO);
- 2016-2018: scientific coordinator of a research project from the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) Italia-USA (Partner USA: Prof. Stewart Anderson, Univ. Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine/Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia);
- 2014-2015: scientific coordinator of the research project granted by the Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna;
- 2014-2016: member of the project FARB 2013 - Line 1 funded by the University of Bologna (PI: Prof. Daniel Remondini, DIFA, UniBO);
- 2019-2011: co-PI of the PRIN 2008 project (PI: Prof.ssa Alessandra Concas, Univ. Cagliari);
- 2011-2014: co-PI of the Telethon grant GGP11139 (PI: Prof. Ferdinando Palmieri, Univ. Bari);
- 2007-2010: scientific coordinator of a research project in the framework of the strategic projects from University of Bologna.
Invited speaker of several seminars and communication at national and international meetings;
Author of 80 publications in peer-reviewed international journals with impact factor, of which 13 as first author and 17 as corresponding author. Total FI (referring to the year of publication): 343,2; Average IF: 4.4. Total citations: 3183; h-index: 30; average citations: 40 (Data updated to November 15th, 2023 Scopus).
Reviewer for many international scientific journals with IF (BMC Neurosci, Brain Res, Glia, J Neurochem, J Neurodegener Dis, J Neuroimmun Pharm, J Neuroinflammation, J Neurosci, J Neurosci Res, Neuropharmacology, Neurosci lett, Neurotoxicity Res, Synapse, etc), foundations as PARKINSON’S UK, for ANVUR VQR 2011-2015 and for national and international projects, as well as REPRISE member.
In 2020 and 2022 she has been a member of the Expert Panel "Cellular and developmental biology" for the evaluation of research projects submitted to the National Science Centre, Poland (NCN).
In 2020-2021, BM has been editor of the special issue "Microglia in Neurodegeneration" in the journal “Biomolecules” (website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/biomolecules/special_issues/Microglia_Neurodegeneration).
Since October 2022 he has been Associate Editor of the journal Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience.
Institutional activities and academic assignments:
Since January 2022: she chairs the University Equipment Commission.
From November 2021: Delegate of the Pro-Rector for Research for Research Equipment and Infrastructures.
From May 2021: member elected in the shortlist indicated by Director of the Board of the Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology.
From December 2019: member of the commission of the Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology for the transfer to the Navile.
Since October 2019: substitute member of the Disciplinary Commission established by the Regulations of disciplinary proceedings for students of the University of Bologna
From May 2018: elected member as teachers/researchers’ representative for Scientific Area 01 in the University Senate, University of Bologna (three years 2018-2021).
May 2017-April 2018: member of the Student-Professor Joint Committee, School of Pharmacy, Biotechnology and Motor Sciences, University of Bologna.
Since 2013: member of the PhD Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology Academic Board, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna.
2012-2015: member of the Teaching Committee, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna.
2012-2014: elected member as researchers’ representative in the Council of Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna.
Awards and honors:
February 2008: awarded of a Marco Polo fellowship for a research period in EU.
September 2006: awarded of the SIF 2006 prize as best young researcher for 2006 of the Italian Society for Physiology.
May 2005: awarded of a “L’Oreal Italy fellowship for women in science”.
October 1999: awarded of a short-term fellowship from Human Frontier Science Program Organization.
October 1998: awarded of a short-term fellowship for PhD student exchange between the University of Bologna and the Brown University.
Scientific memberships:
Since 2022, member of the Cassa di Risparmio di Imola Foundation.
From 2019, correspondent member of the Academy of Sciences, Institute of Bologna
From 2019, member of the Italian Society of Physiology (SIF)
From 2016, member of the Italian Society of Neurosciences (SINS) and of the European Federation of Neuroscience Societies (FENS)
Since 2015, member of the Italian Association of Cell Biology and Differentiation (ABCD).
