Associate Professor of Anatomy at the University of Bologna since 2025, she conducts research in the field of rare diseases involving the central and peripheral nervous systems. Her research interests are translational and clinically oriented, with a focus on defining the morphological and molecular alterations underlying the studied disorders. The ultimate goal is to identify or validate therapeutic strategies.
Education
Graduated with honors in Cellular and Molecular Biology in 2007 from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Bologna.
In 2011, she obtained a Doctor Europaeus degree in Biochemistry from the University of Bologna.
Academic Career
Type B Researcher in Anatomy at the University of Bologna from 2022 to 2025.
Research Fellow at the University of Bologna from 2011, she has held several teaching and tutoring positions under contract. Since March 15, 2022, she has served as a Type B Researcher (BIO/16) at the same institution.
Teaching Activities
Lecturer in Anatomy II and III for the Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery, Ravenna Campus.
Lecturer in Anatomy III for the Degree Course in Nursing Sciences, Faenza Campus.
Member of the Examination Committee for Biochemistry in the Nursing Sciences Degree Course (University of Bologna – Bologna, Rimini, and Faenza campuses) from 2008 to 2018.
From academic year 2019 to 2022, member of the Examination Committee for the Integrated Course “Chemistry and Biochemistry (I.C.)” in the Single-Cycle Master’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery, University of Bologna.
Supervisor of numerous theses in Medicine, Biological Sciences, and Biotechnology at the Universities of Bologna and Ferrara.
Scientific Activity
Her main research focus has been the development and validation of therapeutic alternatives for patients with Mitochondrial NeuroGastroIntestinal Encephalomyopathy (MNGIE). In 2015, her work contributed to the successful first liver transplant for an MNGIE patient at the Sant'Orsola Polyclinic in Bologna, followed by additional cases in Italy and abroad, currently under follow-up.
On March 31, 2019, she participated as a member of Working Group 1 at the consensus conference “Diagnosis and Treatment of Mitochondrial NeuroGastroIntestinal Encephalomyopathy (MNGIE)”, which resulted in the publication of international clinical guidelines in August 2020.
She is also engaged in the study of rare disorders with severe alterations of the enteric nervous system, including chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO). She developed a new quantitative method for the evaluation of enteric neurons in paraffin-embedded tissue samples. For many years, she has been investigating gastrointestinal vascular alterations and defective neoangiogenesis in patients with primary or secondary mitochondrial gastrointestinal disorders.
Although rare diseases are her primary focus, she also conducts research on more common conditions, such as celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and neuroenteric aspects of disorders primarily affecting the central nervous system (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia).
Co-Principal Investigator of the 2022 Alma Idea project titled: “Cytoarchitectonic study of the medial parieto-occipital cortex of the human brain.”
Peer Reviewer for several scientific journals.
Memberships
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Member of the Italian Society of Anatomy and Histology (S.I.A.I.) since 2022
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Member of the Italian Society of Histochemistry since 2022
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Member of the Italian Group for the Study of Neuromorphology (G.I.S.N.) since 2012
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Member of GISMAD (Italian Group for the Study of Gastrointestinal Motility) from 2015 to 2018
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Member of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU) from 2008 to 2012
