PERSONAL DETAILS
Date of birth: August 4, 1962
Place of birth: Serra San Quirico (AN), Italy
Citizenship: Italian
EDUCATION
* Degree in Biological Sciences at University of Bologna (grade
110/110 with honours, 18 July 1986).
* Ph.D. in Cellular Biology and Physiology at University of Bologna
(June 1991).
PRESENT POSITION
Assistant Professor in General Microbiology at the University of
Bologna, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology , Laboratory of Molecular Virology (since October 2001).
Technical Officer at the Department of Experimental Pathology,
Section of Microbiology and Virology, University of Bologna from
February 1991 to October 2001
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Graduate thesis project:
" Comparative analysis of structural and functional properties of
ubiquinol-cytochrome c oxidoreductase (E.C.1.10.2.2.) isolated from
higher eukaryotes"
Supervisors: Prof. Giorgio Lenaz and Prof. Mauro degli
Esposti
PhD Thesis Project:
“Gene expression and functional analysis of glycoproteins C, D and
H of Herpes Simplex Virus”
Supervisor: Prof. Gabriella Campadelli -Fiume.
Post-Doc projects and current interests:
The research interests are mainly focused on the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and the membrane proteins virus-encoded. In particular, molecular mechanisms of the viral entry into host cell and the virus-induced cellular alterations were investigated. These studies have allowed the identification and characterization of cellular receptors for HSV, the structural and functional characterization of the viral fusogenic glycoproteins, the identification of viral factors that positively and negatively modulate fusogenic activity, as well as the identification of morphological and structural changes in the cytoskeleton and the Golgi Apparatus, induced by viral infection.
In recent years research projects have focused on the molecular engineering of viral vectors derived from herpes simplex virus, retargeted towards tumor markers and usable for oncolytic therapy.
PUBLICATIONS
33 articles published on international peer-reviewed journals: Virology, Journal of Virology, Proceedings of National Academy of Science, Journal of Biological Chemistry etc.
Scopus Author ID: 6601967105
h-index 23; Citations 1440 (2022)
GRANTS
1987-2020: Participant of the Virology Operating Unit directed by Prof. G. Campadelli-Fiume, Principal Investigator of ERC Advanced GRANT N. 340060 (2013-2020): ONCOLYTIC HERPESVIRUSES RETARGETED TO CANCER- SPECIFIC RECEPTORS; Panel LS7.
Since 2006: RFO Grants (ex 60%).
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES MEMBERSHIP
European Society of Virology (ESV)(2008-)
Italian Society of General Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnologies (SIMGBM)(until 2012)
Italian Society of Virology (SIV)(2001-2012).
TEACHING
2002 –present: In charge of the “ Applied Virology” and “General Virology” courses for the three-year Degree in Biological Sciences and (since 2010) for the two-years Master degree in Health Biology, University of Bologna.
1991-2001: Some lectures in the "General Microbiology" course for the five-year Degree in Biological Sciences at University of Bologna and University of Milano; Some lectures in the "General Microbiology" and "Molecular Virology" courses for the three-year Degree in Biotechnology at the University of Bologna.
2000-2005: Supervisor in the "Laboratory of General Microbiology" course for the five-year and the three-year Degree in Biotechnology at the University of Bologna; Supervisor in the “Laboratory of Microbiological analysis” course for the three-year Degree in Biological Sciences (2003) and in the "Laboratory of Molecular Virology" for the two-year Specialization Degree in Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology (2005), University of Bologna.
