Associate Professor at the University of Bologna since 1992, he carries out his research in the field of General Pathology. The research interests are aimed in particular at Glycobiology and Glycopathology, disciplines that deal with the biosynthesis, structure and role of the glycan chains of glycoconjugates. In particular, he studies the consequences of the alterations of glycosyltransferases associated with neoplastic transformation on the phenotype and gene expression profile of tumor cells.
Training
High school graduation in Industrial Physics in 1974. Graduation with honors in Biological Sciences in 1979.
Academic career
After two years (1981-82) as a volunteer researcher at the Institute of General Pathology of the University of Bologna, from 1982 to 1992 he was appointed Technical Assistant, then as a Graduate Technician at the Institute of General Pathology (successively Department of Experimental Pathology ) of the University of Bologna. In 1992 he won a competition as Associate Professor of Molecular Pathology at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Bologna, enrolled in the Department of Experimental Pathology. Currently he is enrolled in the Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES).
Teaching activity
Since 1992 he has been continuously teaching as holder of various courses for Degree Courses, Master's Degrees and Specialization Schools for the School of Medicine and Surgery.
He currently teaches in the integrated courses of Immunology and Molecular Pathology and of General Pathology and Physiopathology for the Master's Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery, as well as teaching "Precancerous and Cancerous Histopathology Laboratory" in the Medicine and Surgery course in English of the University of Bologna. He teaches General Pathology in some Postgraduate Schools. He annually holds a cycle of seminars on Glycobiology and Glycopathology for the PhD students of the PhD School doctorate in hematology, oncology and pathology.
Scientific activity
He has been the continuous holder of RFO funding since 1994 and of a share of the "Pallotti" bequest for cancer research since 2004. He has participated as PI in national and international research programs such as PRIN 2001 and 2003 and Marie Curie H2020 Glycocan .
From May to July 1986 he was Research Fellow at the Department of Medical Chemistry of the Free University of Amsterdam, supported by an "EMBO short term fellowship". From January to July 1994 and in July and August 1995 he was Research Fellow at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, USA, supported by a grant from the "USA / Italy" Cancer Program (1994) and a "Luisa Santunione" grant of the Italian Cancer Research Foundation (1995).
From 2007 to 2011 he was a member of the "Consortium for Functional Glycomics" organization for the study of glycobiology funded by the US NIH.
He is referee of numerous international journals in the field of Pathology and Biochemistry.
He is a member of the "Society for Glycobiology" and of the Italian Cell Biology of Differentiation Association (ABCD).
Institutional activities and academic positions
He was a member of the Council of the PhD school in Oncology and Experimental Pathology and now of the PhD school in Hematology, Oncology and Pathology. In 2003-2006 he was a member of the 06 committee of the RFO.
Membership in scientific and editorial committees
Since 2016 he has been a member of the editorial board of the magazine "Glycobiology"
From 2018 to 2020 he was a member of the editorial board of the "International Journal of Molecular Sciences".
Since 2017 he has been a member of the editorial board of the journal "Frontiers in Endocrinology"
Awards and acknowledgments
2017 - Award of recognition for a high didactic commitment (PRIDE) as "best information provider", issued by the School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Bologna for the 2016-17 academic year.
Other activities
He participated as a member of the Evaluation Commission in the final exam of two PhD students from the University of Porto.
He has carried out scientific consultancy activities for the US company Makana Therapeutics, Inc.
He contributed to the translation from English of "Robbins, Pathologic Basis of Disease, 6th Edition and" Abbas, Molecular and Cellular Immunology
