EDUCATION
1987 Doctor in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) - University of BOLOGNA
2010 Doctor in Philosophy (PhD)- University of Liverpool (UK) on "Molecular and clinical investigations of avian Metapneumovirus induced-disease following live vaccination"
2013 De Facto recognition as Diplomate of the European College of Poultry Veterinary Science (ECPVS)
ACADEMIC CAREER
1990-2008 Researcher (SSD VET-05) University of Bologna
2008 to date, Associate professor (SSD VET-05) University of Bologna
2020 to date, Full professor (SSD VET05) University of Bologna
VISITS, WITH EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE IN UNITED KINGDOM
1996 (3 months); 1997 (3 weeks) INTERVET ltd (Huntingdon UK) (LEONARDO exchange programme of the Commission of European Communities). Project title: Immunological and virological studies on the disseminaton of avian Pneumovirus in the chicken.
2002 (6 weeks); Liverpool University (UK); Research Project: epidemiology of Avian Metapneumovirus.
2003 - 2010; part-time, of-site PhD studentship in Liverpool University.
ACADEMIC TEACHING in Degree courses of Veterinary Medicine
1994-1997 "Health and production of Poultry" University of Teramo.
1997-2000 "Health and production of Poultry" University of Bologna.
1999 to date "Avian Pathology" and "Practical qualifying period in Avian
Pathology" University of Bologna.
SUPERVISION of 39 graduation thesis, University of Bologna
2004-2010, Member of Board of Teachers (from 2008-2010 vice-coordinator) of the PhD course “Epidemiology and Control of zoonosis”;
2010-2012, Member of Board of Teachers of the Phd Course "Veterinary Sciences".
Supervision of n. 10 PhD students since 2005
INSTITUTIONAL POSITIONS UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA
2000- 2007, head of the laboratory of Avian Virology of the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Animal Pathology
2007- 2016, head of the laboratory of Avian Pathology of the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences
2012-2018, Member of the Research committee of the Department of Veterinary Medical sciences
2016 onwards, head of the Service of Avian Pathology of the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences
2017 onwards, member of the scientific committee of the GB Ercolani Library.
2017 onwards, Referent for the Department of vìveterinary Medical science for the scientific group VET05
MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Major research interests: all fields of the poultry diseases. In particular: viral respiratory infections like Avian metapneumovirus, Infectious bronchitis, Newcastle disease and Infectious Bursal Disease viruses, molecular epidemiology, pathogenicity, in vivo studies, in vivo evaluation of safety and efficacy of live attenuated traditional and new generation vaccines, investigation of mechanisms of reversion to virulence of live vaccines and field virus evolution, development and testing of avian metapneumovirus recombinant vaccines for the expression of surface heterologous proteins.
Professional and laboratory skills: clinical and post-mortem diagnosis of diseases of domestic birds, avian histopathology, avian virology, avian serology, molecular detection and characterization of avian pathogens, management of in vivo experimental trials in secure isolation conditions (poultry isolators), development of experimental models for the
evaluation of safety and efficacy of avian vaccines.
TUTORSHIP of n. 5 grants for post- graduation training or research programs
TUTORSHIP of n. 4 post-doctoral research grants
APPOINTED AS INTERNATIONAL PHD EXTERNAL EXAMINER
2014 - by University of Liverpool (UK) as External Examiner for PhD thesis title "Studies on the immunopathogenesis, diagnosis and control of infectious bronchitis and avian metapneumoviruses in chicken".
2016 - by the INSTITUT NATIONAL POLYTECHNIQUE DE TOULOUSE (FR) as External Examiner for PhD thesis title "Avian influenza and co-infections: investigation of the interactions in the poultry models".
MEMBERSHIP of scientific organizations
1988 to date - member of the Italian Branch (SIPA) of the World Veterinary Poultry Association;
2010-2015, member of the Directive Committee of SIPA.
2019 - member and secretary of the Directive Commettee od SIPA
REVIEWER for scientific journals
Avian Pathology
Poultry science
Vaccine
Veterinaria Italiana
Virology Journal
BMC Veterinary Research
Italian Journal of animal Science
British Poultry Science
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
Journal of virological methods
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
2011- 2016, Member of the selection committee of the Bart Rispens Memorial Award.
2014 Referee for Institut Pasteur De Tunis (IPT) call: Internal collaborative projects.
2016 Referee for the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), UK
2017 Referee for the National Science Center, Polonia, funding scheme SONATA.
Speaker or Chairmen at 24 national or international scientific meetings (7 invited; 6 chairmen)
2016 Head of the organizing committee and scientific Chair of the "3rd European College of Poultry Veterinary Science Symposium” 20/09/2016, Bologna.
2017 - Member of “Local Organizing Commette (LOC)” of the XXII WORLD VETERINARY POULTRY ASSOCIATION CONGRESS (WVPAC 2021) that will be held from 6-10 september 2021 a VERONA
2019 - Chair of the Scientific Program of the XXII WORLD VETERINARY POULTRY ASSOCIATION CONGRESS (WVPAC 2021) WVPAC; that will be held from 6-10 september 2021 a VERONA
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR OF RESEARCH PROJECTS
FUNDED by National and international research Institutions
2005-2007 "Development and standardization of new molecular techniques
for Avian Pneumovirus detection" OIE/FAO and National Reference
Laboratory For Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease Istituto
Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Padua. ITALY
2005 "Electropherotyping of Avian Rotavirus" Istituto Zooprofilattico
Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia, Brescia, ITALY
2007- 2011 "Studio della prevalenza e delle carateristiche degl AMPV-1
(NDV) nell'avifauna migratoria italiana ed identificazione di uno schema
vaccinale verso la Malattia di Newcastle di facile applicazione in campo
nelle Densely populated Poultry Area (DPPA) OIE/FAO and National
Reference Laboratory For Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease Istituto
Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Padua. ITALY.
2009-2010 "Understanding the molecular basis of pathogenicity of avian
metapneumovirus" University of Liverpool (UK)
2010 "Characteristics of avian metapneumovirus recombinant viruses"
University of Liverpool (UK).
2011- 2013 "Developing vectored vaccines based on avian metapneumovirus
using reverse genetics" University of Liverpool (UK)
2013 - 2015 "Developing vectored vaccines based on avian metapneumovirus
reverse genetics system aMPV subtype B reverse genetics to be developed
as a vector for in ovo hatchery vaccination of chickens against IBV"
University of Liverpool (UK).
2017 "Role of Demanyssus gallinae in the transmission of Salmonella
gallinarum, and effect of Fluralaner to control the infection in Layers"
University of Bari (Italy).
FUNDED by private companies
2002 "Study on the aetiology and epidemiology of transmissible enteritis
in Grey legged partridges". ITCO SRL.
2005 "Avian Pneumovirus infections in breeders: epidemiological surveys
and control of the drop in egg production". Veronesi SRL.
2006 "In vitro antiviral activity of chestnut extracts against reovirus
and Metapneumovirus" Silva extract SRL.
2006 "Epidemiology of avian Pneumovirus in Italian layers" funded by
Intervet Italia SRL.
2007 "Protection in SPF chicks with live avian pneumovirus and two
different strains of Newcastle disease virus vaccines applied singly or
in combination" Merial
2009 "Epidemiological and histopathological survey during Gumboro disease
field outbreaks". Merial
2009-2010 "Epidemiological and histopathological survey of coccidiosis in
turkeys". Bayer
2010-2011 "Epidemiological and histopathological survey during Gumboro
disease field outbreaks"- Intervet Shering Plough Animal Health
2014 "Preliminary evaluation of the in vivo efficacy of an acaricidal
against the red mite in layers after oral administration", Vetspin s.r.l.
2014 "Evaluation of in vivo safety a live attenuated vaccine for avian
Infectious Brochitis" Vetspin s.r.l.
2015 "Pathogenicity study in SPF chickens of the ITA 01 strain of
infectious bursal disease Virus (IBDV)" Ceva Salute Animale S.p.a.
2015-2016 "Clinical in vivo evaluation of live attenuated vaccines for
Newcastle disease and avian infectious bronchitis control" Vetspin s.r.l.
2016, "Transfer of an avian Metapneumovirus virulent strain and training
in tracheal organ coltures preparation and use", Laboratorios HIPRA S.A.
2017, "Sensitivity and Efficiency of an RRT-PCR protocol for the
detection and quantification, in different matrixes, of the NDV vaccines
CALIER NEWBAX HB1 and CALIER NEWBAX clone 30", Laboratorios CALIER S.A
Author or co-Author of more than 190 scientific publication including Papers published in indexed scientific Journals (53 scopus source –July 2020) or contributes to scientific meetings or books.
Co-autor of the BOOK chapter "Avian Metapneumovirus" in "Monomegaviruses of Veterinary Importance, Volume 2: Molecular epidemiology and Control" Editor Muhammad Munir, CABI International, Oxfordshire, UK, pp. 127-143. ISBN-13:978 1 78064 417 2.
