Roberto Chiocchetti DVM, PhD
Associate Professor
http://www.unibo.it/SitoWebDocente/default.htm?UPN=roberto.chiocchetti@unibo.it
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences http://www.scienzemedicheveterinarie.unibo.it/it/
the first Italian School included in the "List of Evaluated and
Approved Veterinary Establishment of the EAEVE (European
Association of Establishment for Veterinary Education)"
- University of Bologna - http://www.unibo.it/it
Via Tolara di sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia ( Bologna),
Italy
Phone: +39/051/2097946 ; Fax:+39/051/2097953
e-mail: roberto.chiocchetti@unibo.it
Date of Birth 12 September 1964
Nationality Italian
Language Skills:
Italian
Native speaker
English
Fluent
German Basic
knowledge
Curriculum Vitae
Education :
-High School: Liceo Scientifico A. Rosmini at Rovereto (Trento,
Italy).
-July 1992: Graduated in Veterinary Medicine at Bologna
University with the thesis: "Biomechanics of the domestic mammals
vertebral column"
-September 1996: Doctorship in "Domestic Animal Morphology" with
the thesis: "Spinal and cerebellar projections of the
Edinger-Westphal nucleus in mammals and birds"
Professional Experiences :
Since 1 July 1995 to September 2007 - Researcher at
Department of Veterinary Morphophysiology and Animal Production,
Anatomy section, University of Bologna.
- Academic Years 1996/98 - Teacher in "Veterinary
Anatomohistological Methodology" (Degree in Biotechnology),
University of Bologna
- Academic Year 1998/2002 - Teacher in "Anatomy of Domestic
Animals" (Degree in Veterinary Medicine), University of Bologna
- Academic Year 2000/01 - Teacher in "Anatomy of the aquatic
species" (Diploma Course in Hygiene and Animal Health -
Aquaculture and Ichthyopatology), University of Bologna, Sede di
Cesenatico
- Academic Years from 2002/03 to 2013/14 - Teacher in
"Veterinary Topographic Anatomy I"(Degree in
Veterinary Medicine), University of Bologna
- Academic Year 2004/07 - Teacher in "Animal Morphophysiology"
(degree in "Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari, Facoltà di Agraria,
sede di Cesena, Università di Bologna).
- Academic Year 2005 - Teacher in Fish Anatomy (english
language) by "the Centro Residenziale Universitario di Bertinoro",
in the course "Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture in the
Mediterranean", promoted by "the Ministero degli Affari Esteri" and
in collaboration with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Bologna.
- Academic Year 2006/07 - Teacher in "Anatomy and Physiology of
Domestic Animals" (degree in "Trasformazione e Valorizzazione dei
Prodotti di Origine Animale", Facoltà di Agraria di Modena e
Reggio Emilia.
Since 1 October 2007 - Associate Professor at
Department of Veterinary Morphophysiology and Animal Production,
Anatomy section, University of Bologna.
- Academic Years from 2008/09 to now - Teacher in "Systematic
Comparative Veterinary Anatomy II" (Degree in Veterinary
Medicine), University of Bologna
Since 2013 - Unanimous enabling national scientific functions
Full Professor in the competitive sector 07/H1 (Bando 2012, DD n.
222/2012).
Since 2018 - Unanimous enabling national scientific functions Full Professor in the competitive sector 07/H1 (Bando 2016, D.D. 1532/2016).
Since 2005 - Member of the departmental board of the PhD;
at present tutor of two PhD Students.
Since 2007 - Delegate of the Department for the
Orientation of prospective Students
Since 2008 - Member of scientific committee of the
Library of the Department
Since 2009 - Institutional referent to the agreement
between the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Bologna (now Dept. of
Veterinary Medical Sciences) and Sydney
Since 2013 - included in the EAEVE (European Association of
Establishment for Veterinary Education) expert master
list.
Tutor of the following experimental thesis (and correlated
publications)
Degree thesis
- "Sottoclassi neuronali che esprimono immunoreattività
per la calbindina nel sistema nervoso enterico di ileo di pecora
(2003) "
"Subclasses of neurons expressing immunoreactivity for
Calbindin in the enteric nervous system of the sheep ileum
(2003)"
Published in:
Chiocchetti R. , Grandis A., Bombardi C., Clavenzani P., Lalatta
Costerbosa G., Lucchi M.L., Furness J.B. Characterisation of
neurons expressing calbindin immunoreactivity in the ileum of the
unweaned and mature sheep. Cell and Tissue Res 318:289-303,
2004
2."Localizzazione, morfologia e corredo neurochimico dei
neuroni efferenti ed afferenti che innervano i muscoli gastrocnemio
e flessore superficiale delle dita nel bovino (2004)"
"Localization, morphology and immunohistochemistry of
the efferent and afferent neurons innervating the gastrocnemius and
the flexor digitorum superficialis muscles in the cattle
(2004)"
Published in:
Chiocchetti R., Grandis A., Bombardi C., Clavenzani P., Spadari
A., Gentile A., Bortolami R.
Localization, morphology and immunohistochemistry of the
efferent and afferent neurons innervating the gastrocnemius and the
flexor digitorum superficialis muscles in the cattle. Am. J.
Vet. Res. Apr; 66:710-20, 2005.
3."Origine estrinseca ed intrinseca
dell'immunoreattività del peptide correlato al gene della
calcitonina (CGRP) nell'ileo di agnello. Studio morfometrico e
neurochimico" (2004).
"Extrinsic and intrinsic sources of calcitonin gene-related
peptide immunoreactivity in the lamb ileum. Morphometric and
neurochemical study (2004) "
Published in:
Chiocchetti R. , Grandis A., Bombardi C, Lucchi Ml, Tadini Dal
Lago D, Bortolami R, Furness JB. Extrinsic and intrinsic sources of
calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity in the lamb ileum.
A morphometric and neurochemical investigation. Cell and Tissue
Res. Feb;323:183-96, 2006
4."Neuroni afferenti primari intrinseci del sistema nervoso
enterico di cavia. Affinità per la lectina" (2004).
"Intrinsic primary afferent neurons of the guinae-pig.
Affinity for lectin IB4 (2004)â€
Published in:
Hind A, Migliori M, Thacker M, Staikopoulos V, Nurgali K,
Chiocchetti R, Furness JB
Primary afferent neurons intrinsic to the intestine, like
primary afferent neurons of spinal and cranial sensory ganglia,
bind the lectin, IB4. Cell and Tissue Research 321(2):151-157,
2005
5."IL nucleo rosso del bovino: topografia, morfologia,
citoarchitettura e proiezioni lombo-sacrali" (2005).
" The cattle red nucleus. Localization, morphology,
cytoarchitecture, and lumbo-sacral spinal cord projections
(2005) "
Published in:
Chiocchetti R , Bombardi C, Grandis A, Mazzuoli G, Gentile A,
Pisoni L, Joechler M, Lucchi ML. The cattle red nucleus.
Cytoarchitecture, morphology and lower spinal cord projections.
American Journal Veterinary Research, Oct;67:1662-1669, 2006
6."Sistema nervoso enterico e malattie da prioni
(encefalopatie spongiformi trasmissibili" (2005).
"The enteric nervous system and prions diseases
(transmissible spongiform encephalopathies) (2005)"
7. "Il complesso nucleare vestibolare nel bovino. Topografia,
morfologia, citoarchitettura e proiezioni
lombo-sacrali"(2006).
"Vestibular nuclear complex in cattle: Topography,
morphology, cytoarchitecture and lumbo-sacral projections
(2006)"
Published in:
Grandis A., Bombardi C., Travostini B., Gentile A., Joechler M.,
Pisoni L., Chiocchetti R.
Vestibular nuclear complex in cattle: Topography, morphology,
cytoarchitecture and lumbo-sacral projections . Journal of
Vestibular Research, 17 (1):9-24, 2007
8."Innervazione delle tonsille palatine e delle placche del
Peyer ileali nella pecora: possibili vie neuro invasive utilizzate
dall'agente della scrapie" (2007).
"Innervation of the palatine tonsils and ileal Peyer's
patches in the sheep: possible routes of prions (Scrapie)
neuroinvasion (2007)"
Published in:
Russo D, Mongardi Fantaguzzi C, Di Guardo G, Clavenzani P,
Lalatta-Costerbosa G, Ligios C, Chiocchetti R. Characterization
of sheep (Ovis aries) palatine tonsil innervation. Neuroscience.
161:813-826, 2009
Chiocchetti R, Mazzuoli G, Albanese V, Mazzoni M, Clavenzani P,
Lalatta-Costerbosa G, Lucchi ML, Di Guardo G, Marruchella G,
Furness JB. Anatomical evidence for ileal Peyer's patches
innervation by enteric nervous system: a potential route for prion
neuroinvasion? Cell and Tissue Research 332:185-194, 2008
9."Innervazione intramurale dello sfintere pilorico di
agnello" (2009).
"Intrinsic neuronal control of the pyloric sphincter of the
lamb 2009)"
Published in:
Mazzuoli Gemma , Lucherini Maria Chiara, Russo Domenico,
Clavenzani Paolo, Chiocchetti Roberto (2008) Intrinsic neuronal
control of the pyloric sphincter of the lamb.
J Chem Neuroanat 36:98-106, 2008
10."Innervazione estrinseca ed intrinseca della vescica di
cane"(2009).
"Intramural innervation of t dog urinary bladder
(2009)"
- 11."Alterazioni morfologiche e neurochimiche dell'intestino
di cavallo in colica"(2010).
"Morphological and neurochemical modification in the horse
intestine during colic (2009)"
12."Innervazione sensitiva del trigono vescicale di
maiale"(2010).
"Sensory innervation of the pig urinary bladder trigone
(2010)"
Published in:
Russo Domenico, Ragionieri Luisa, Botti Maddalena, Gazza
Ferdinando, Bo Minelli Luisa, Caterina Sorteni, Clavenzani Paolo,
Panu Rino, Chiocchetti Roberto. Neurochemical features of boar
lumbo-sacral dorsal root ganglion neurons and characterization of
sensory neurons innervating the urinary bladder trigone. J Comp
Neurol 521:342-366, 2013
13."Innervazione intrinseca della giunzione ileo-ciecale del
cavallo" (2011).
"Intrinsic innervation of the ileocaecal junction in the
horse (2011)"
Published in:
Roberto Chiocchetti, Cristiano Bombardi, Caterina
Mongardi-Fantaguzzi, Domenico Russo, Elena Venturelli, Corrado
Montoneri, Alessandro Spadari, Noemi Romagnoli, Annamaria Grandis
(2009) Intrinsic innervation of the ileocaecal junction in the
horse. Equine Vet J 41:759-764, 2009
14."Innervazione adrenergica della giunzione ileo-ciecale del
cavallo"(2011).
"The sympathetic innervation of the ileocaecal
junction in the horses (2011)"
Published in:
D Russo, C Bombardi, A Grandis, JB Furness, A Spadari, C
Bernardini, R Chiocchetti (2010) The sympathetic innervation of the
ileocaecal junction in the horses. J Comp. Neurol 518: 4046-4066,
2010
15."Modificazioni del sistema nervoso enterico in seguito a
digiuno prolungato: l'anguilla come modello
sperimentale"(2011).
"Modification of the enteric nervous system during prolonged
starvation: the eel as experimental model (2011)"
Published in:
Sorteni C, Clavenzani P, De Giorgio R, Portnoy O, Sirri R,
Mordenti O, Di Biase A, Parmeggiani A, Menconi V, Chiocchetti R.
2013. Enteric neuroplasticity in seawater-adapted European eel
“(Anguilla anguilla). J of Anatomy 224:180-191, 2014.
16."Perchè il cavallo non vomita: studio dei circuiti nervosi
preposti al controllo della giunzione gastro-esofagea"
(2012).
"Horse is unable to vomit: study on nervous pathways
controlling the horse gastro-esophageal junction (2012)"
Sumitted:
Chiocchetti Roberto, Giancola Fiorella, Maurizio Mazzoni,
Sorteni Caterina, Romagnoli Noemi, Pietra Marco. Intramural
excitatory and inhibitory neurons of horse caudal oesophagus and
gastric fundus.
17."Borsa bicipitale (bursa bicipitalis) nel cavallo:
morfologia ed innervazione (2012)".
"Bursa bicipitalis of the horse: morphology and innervation
(2012)"
18."La proteina prionica nel sistema nervoso enterico dei
Felidi"(2012).
"The prion protein in the enteric nervous system of Felidae
(2012)"
Published in:
Sorteni C, De Angeli M, Clavenzani P, De Giorgio R, Johnson CJ,
Chiocchetti R. Expression of PrPC in enteric glial cells of the
domestic cat. Prion, 6 (supplement April/May/June 2012), PO-227,
pag. 127, PRION, Amsterdam. 2012.
Sorteni C, De Angeli M, Clavenzani P, De Giorgio R, Johnson C,
Chiocchetti R. Expression of PrPC in glial cells of the cat
intestinal tract. Abstract of the Joint International
Neurogastroenterology and Motility Meeting, 6-8 Sept 2012, Bologna,
Italy. Vol. 24, Supplement 2, pag. 121 Sept 2012 (online ISSN
1365-2982), 2012
19. Co-tutor - "Proiezioni dirette ai
motoneuroni dell'oculomotore di fibre afferenti trigeminali
primarie capsaicino-sensibili dei muscoli estrinseci dell'occhio di
pecora (1997)"
20. Co-tutor - "Somatotopia
dei motoneuroni del nervo laringeo caudale nella pecora
(1996)"
"Localisation of recurrent laryngeal nerve moteneurons in the
sheep by means of retrograde fluorescent labelling (1996)"
Published in:
Barazzoni AM, Clavenzani P, Chiocchetti R, Bompadre G, Grandis
A, Petrosino G, Lalatta Costerbosa G, Bortolami R. Localisation of
recurrent laryngeal nerve moteneurons in the sheep by means of
retrograde fluorescent labelling. Research in Veterinary Science
78, 249–253, 2005.
21. Co-tutor "Rappresentazione
viscerotopica parasimpatica del tratto retrodiaframmatico
dell'apparato digerente nella pecora (2000)"
" Viscerotopic representation of the
subdiaphragmatic tracts of the digestive apparatus within the vagus
complex in the Sheep"
Published In:
Chiocchetti R., Clavenzani P., Barazzoni A.M., Grandis A.,
Bombardi C., Lalatta Costerbosa G., Petrosino G., Bortolami R.
Viscerotopic representation of the subdiaphragmatic tracts of the
digestive apparatus within the vagus complex in the Sheep. Brain
Research, 961:32-44, 2003.
22. Co-tutor - "Distribuzione dei
recettori adrenergici beta-2 nel sistema nervoso enterico dell'ileo
di cavallo" (2010)
"Distribution of β2 adrenoceptors in the enteric
neurons of the horse ileum (2010)"
Published in:
Cristiano Bombardi , Annamaria Grandis, Anna Gardini, Caterina
Sorteni, Paolo Clavenzani, Roberto Chiocchetti. 2013. Expression of
β2 adrenoceptors within enteric neurons of the horse ileum. Res
Vet Sci 95(3):837-845, 2013
PhD experimental thesis :
- "Mechanosensitivity in the myenteric plexus of the
guinea-pig ileum" (2008).
- "Morphological and neurochemical features of sensory and
motor neurons innervating the boar urinary bladder trigone and
urethral muscle" (2014).
Published in:
Russo Domenico, Ragionieri Luisa, Botti Maddalena, Gazza
Ferdinando, Bo Minelli Luisa, Caterina Sorteni, Clavenzani Paolo,
Panu Rino, Chiocchetti Roberto. Neurochemical features of boar
lumbo-sacral dorsal root ganglion neurons and characterization of
sensory neurons innervating the urinary bladder trigone.
J Comp Neurol 521:342-366, 2013
L. Ragionieri, M. Botti, F. Gazza, C. Sorteni, R. Chiocchetti,
P. Clavenzani, L. Bo Minelli, R. Panu. 2013. Localization of
peripheral autonomic neurons innervating the boar urinary bladder
trigone and neurochemical features of the sympathetic
component.
European Journal of Histochemistry 57(2):e16, 94-105, 2013
Tutor of the following PhD thesis :
"Mechanosensitivity in the myenteric plexus of the guinea-pig
ileum" (2008).
"Morphological and neurochemical features of sensory and
motor neurons innervating the boar urinary bladder trigone and
urethral muscle"(2014).
Professional Courses
1994- "Neuroscience methods - Immunohistochemistry" at
Pathophysiology center for the nervous system (Modena).
1994- "Neuroscience methods - In situ hybridisation" at
Pathophysiology center for the nervous system (Modena).
1995- "Neuroscience methods - Image analysis" at Pathophysiology
center for the nervous system (Modena).
1997- "Immunolabelling for Electron Microscopy" at Royal
Postgraduate Medical School (London).
2001- II Leica Seminar Microsystems: "Confocal microscopy and
applications" (Bologna).
2002- (March-August) Visiting Research fellow by the Department
of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Centre for Neuroscience at the
University of Melbourne (Australia) -Autonomic Neuroscience, Pain
and Sensory Mechanisms laboratories- (Head prof. John Burton
Furness)
2003- (March) Visiting Research fellow by the Department of
Anatomy and Cell Biology and Centre for Neuroscience at the
University of Melbourne (Australia) -Autonomic Neuroscience, Pain
and Sensory Mechanisms laboratories- (Head prof. John Burton
Furness)
2003- (May-June) Visiting Research fellow by the Department of
Medicine, Digestive Disease Division, David Geffen School of
Medicine, University of California Los Angeles-UCLA (prof. Catia
Sternini's Laboratory)
2006- (Jan-February) Visiting Research fellow by the Department
of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Centre for Neuroscience at the
University of Melbourne (Australia) -Autonomic Neuroscience, Pain
and Sensory Mechanisms laboratories- (Head prof. John Burton
Furness).
2009- (Aug-Sept) Visiting Research fellow by the Departments of
Anatomy and Cell Biology and Centre for Neuroscience (Head prof.
John Burton Furness), Pathology and Mental Health Research
Institute of Victoria (Dr. Victoria Lawson), and of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, Bio 21 Institute and Mental Health Research
Institute of Victoria University of Melbourne, Australia (Andrew F
Hill).
2014 (March - April) - Visiting Professor by Faculty of
Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Vic 3010,
Australia. (contact in Melbourne: Prof. Helen M S Davies).
2014 (March -April) - Visiting Professor by the School of Animal
and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide - the
University of Adelaide Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy South
Australia 5371 Australia (contact in Adelaide: Prof. Rachel
Norris).
Research Interest
The capital activities of my research group are focused on the
neuromorphology.
The major research interests are concerned with the extrinsic
and intrinsic innervation of the intestine in species such horse,
sheep, guinea-pig, mouse, dog, cat, squirrel, wild rodents, and
fish. Recently we studied the innervation of the urinary bladder in
the pig.
Furthermore, we studied the nervous pathways utilized by prion
pathogens to reach the central nervous system from the palatine
tonsils and digestive system during neuroinvasion.
Techniques utilized: wholemount preparation of the intestinal
layers, paraffin- and cryo-sections, immunohistochemistry,
retrograde fluorescent tracers, fluorescence-confocal-electron
microscopy, cell and tissue culture, image analysis.
For details of all publications (82 at present, with impact
factor) see PubMed web site
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=chiocchetti+r
Research collaboration
- Prof. J.B. Furness - Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
& Centre for Neuroscience, University of Melbourne,
Australia
- Prof.ssa Catia Sternini, CURE/DDRC, Digestive Diseases
Division,
Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
- Prof. Dr. med. Karl-Herbert Sch äfer, Working Group Enteric
Nervous System, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern,
Campus Zweibr ücken, Germany
- Prof. Roberto De Giorgio, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e
Gastroenterologia, Università di Bologna, Italy
- Prof. Giovanni Di Guardo, Department of Comparative Biomedical
Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo,
Piazza Aldo Moro 45, 64100 Teramo, Italy
- Prof. Rino Panu, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, 43126 Parma, Italy
- Dr. Ciriaco Ligios, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale
della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
Ad hoc reviewer for the following journals:
-
- Acta Histochemica
- Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia
- Anatomical Record
- Biomolecules
- BMC Physiology
- BMC Veterinary Research
- Canadian J Vet Research
- Equine Veterinary Journal
- Frontiers in Veterinary Science
- JSM Diabetology and Management
- Histology and Histopathology
- Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy
- Journal of Neuroscience Research
- Journal of Neuroimmunology
- Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
- Neurogastroenterology and Motility
- PLOS1
- Research in Veterinary Science
- Veterinarni Medicina
Editorial board member of
Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Health (since 2014)
ISRN Anatomy (since 2012)
Dataset Papers in Biology (since 2012)
Member of
- Italian Society of Veterinary Morphology
- Italian Group for the Study of Neuromorphology
(G.I.S.N.)
- Scivac (Società Culturale Italiana Veterinari per
Animali da Compagnia)
- Sinvet (Societa' Italiana Di Neurologia Veterinaria)
Hobby - "
Mens sana in corpore sano"
Twenty years leagues "Serie A" Handball (1981-2001)
Two junior world championships (1983, Finland; 1985, Italy)
One world championships for university students (1986,
Germany)
One senior world championships (Olympic qualification, 1987,
Italy)
More than 40 games with the senior National Handball Team -
bronze medal for athletic prowess.
Since 2021 he has been part of the technical staff of a handball team (Handball Romagna) of Serie A1.