Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases
of Animals and Head of the UOS of Cesenatico of the Department of veterinary Medical Sciences
National Scientific Qualification as Full professor Sector 07/H3 from 1 September 2022 to 1 September 2032.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
1993 High School graduation at the Liceo Classico Cicognini,
Prato.
1999 Doctor in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bologna
(UNIBO) with dissertation on "Parapoxvirus: protein and genomic
study of strains" vote 110/110 cum laude.
2000 Update course in aquaculture, fish pathology and health of
products at the Instituto Zooprofilattico of Brescia final exam
with votes 100/100.
2000 Professional qualification to practice veterinary
medicine.
11-13 October 2000 Stage at the National Reference Centre for
diseases of fish, crustaceans and molluscs at the Istituto
Zooprofilattico delle Venezie, Padova.
2000-2003 PhD in epidemiology and control of zoonoses at the
Department of Public Veterinary Health and Animal Pathology,
University of Bologna working on the project "Viral
Encephalo-retinopathy of sea bass: epidemiological study".
12-13 February 2002 Stage at the Laboratory of Virology of the
Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova.
September-December 2002 Stage at the Fish Disease Laboratory in
the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis,
California. Under the supervision of Prof. Ronald P. Hedrick.
09-12 January 2006 Stage at the National Reference Centre for
microbiological and chemical control of live bivalve molluscs,
Istituto Zooprofilattico dell'Umbria e delle Marche, Ancona.
21-22 April 2009 Stage at the National Reference Laboratory for
the control of viral contamination of bivalve molluscs, Compliance
Community and Public health Area, Department of Veterinary Public
Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma.
6/9/2015 Workshop “Diagnostic test validation (Tips, tricks and traps)” Prof. Ian Gardner, Aquatic Epidemiology Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada.
WORK EXPERIENCE
2003 Research contract in the project: "Antigenic and genomic
characterization of strains of canine parvovirus (CPV-2) isolated
from domestic and wild carnivores".
2004-2005 Research contract for the development of the project:
"Study on viral and environmental factors influencing the
epidemiological pattern of infection in Betanodavirus wild fish
species and breeding".
January-February 2006 Project contract "Assessment in vitro and
ex vivo antiviral activity of plant extracts against animal virus
phylogenetically related to viruses responsible for emerging human
diseases".
2006-2020 Permanent researcher of
disciplinary scientific panel VET /05 "Infectious diseases of
animals" in the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (ex
DSPVPA) at the headquarters of the Degree Course in Aquaculture
and Hygiene of Fish Products, Cesenatico.
From September 2020 Associate Professor of "Infectious diseases of animals" in the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
The scientific work of Dr. Ciulli was completed in several areas
of infectious diseases of animals and in particular:
- diagnosis of major viral diseases of fish (ERV, LCDV, VHSV,
IHNV, IPNV, SVCV, sturgeon NCLDV).
- set up of molecular assays (PCR, Real Time PCR) to the
detection of viral pathogens (Betanodavirus, Lymphocistivirus, Fish
Rhabdovirus, Aquabirnavirus, Alphavirus, Norovirus,
Pestivirus, sturgeon NCLDV);
- molecular characterization using gene amplification,
sequencing, phylogenetic analysis of animal viruses such as
Betanodavirus, Lymphocistivirus, Norovirus, Pestivirus, sturgeon NCLDV;
- study on the spreading of Betanodavirus in vertebrate and
invertebrate aquatic animals both farmed and wild;
- survey on the contamination in bivalves from virus pathogenic
for humans (HAV, NoV, HEV);
- epidemiology and control of ruminant Pestivirus;
- development and application of qPCR to absolutely
quantification of cytokines (sea bass, trout, bovine);
- study on antiviral activity of natural and synthesis compounds
towards Betanodavirus;
- study on the virucidal activity of commercial compounds;
- development of microbial decontamination of shellfish;
- development and application of a biosecurity program at a
marine hatchery.
Involved in the following research projects:
- Multi-Year Research Project of national and international
interest funded by the University of Bologna. 2004-2005 Title:
"Evaluation of in vitro and ex vivo antiviral activity of plant
extracts against animal viruses phylogenetically related to viruses
responsible for human diseases emerging”. Project Manager prof.
Santino Prosperi.
- Research Project of National Interest PRIN 2006 “Genetic
characterization of Italian BVDV strains by sequencing and
Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism analysis”. Duration 24
months. Project Manager prof. Santino Prosperi.
- Fundamental or basis research project funded by autonomous
region of Sardegna. 2014 Title “Development of innovative
technologies for the molecular epidemiological surveillance of
bacterial and viral contaminates for the purpose of enhancing
production of bivalve molluscs in Sardinia”. Duration 18 months.
Project Manager dr. Patrizia Serratore.
- Partecipazione progetti dal titolo “Valutazioni di carattere epidemiologico sulla presenza di V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. cholerae, Norovirus (genogruppo 1 e 2) ed HAV in molluschi bivalvi vivi e verifica delle performance di depurazione relativamente ad E. coli”. Durata 12 mesi. Responsabile Dr. Patrizia Serratore.
- Partecipante al progetto dal titolo “Consumer driven Production: Integrating Innovative Approaches for Competitive and Sustainable Performance across the Mediterranean Aquaculture Value Chain. Durata 60 mesi. H2020-SFS-2016-2017. Coordinator: Dr. Katerina Moutou, University of Thessaly, Greece.
- Partecipante al progetto dal titolo “Novel feed ingredients from sustainable sources” Durata 36 mesi. HORIZON 20202 ERA-MBT 2nd Call. Cordinatore: Dr Fiona Provan, International Research Institute of Stavanger.
Scientific advisor for the following project:
- Project of industrial research, experimental development,
technological transfer. SPINNER 2013. Title "Development and
implementation of a biosecurity plan in a marine hatchery through
the expansion of knowledge on the spectrum of disinfectant activity
of a commercial coumpound and the introduction of disinfection
protocols aimed at improving health and quality of the final
product”.
Project Manager for the following projects:
- Research Project of National Interest PRIN 2008 “Evaluation of
the cytokine expression during bivalent vaccination against
Photobacterium damselae ssp. piscicida and Vibrio anguillarum of
post-larval stage of sea bass”. Duration 24 months.
-
Competitive projects for researchers of the DIMEVET. Title:
“development of an experimental model for the microbial
decontamination of Tapes philippinarum” Duration: 24
months.
-
Project “Assessment of virucidal activity of an oxidant compound (Perox, E’ Così S.r.l.) against two viruses of families Rhabdoviridae and Nodaviridae responsible of severe fish diseases”. Duration 5 months. Contratto di ricerca commissionata E’ Così S.r.l., 20/2015.
-
Project “Development of a real time PCR assay to detect Vibrio spp.”. Duration 6 months. Contratto di ricerca commissionata Empagram S.A., 79/2015.
-
Responsabile scientifico del Contratto di consulenza dal titolo “Valutazione dell’espressione genica in campioni di branzino” Durata 3 mesi. 134/2016.
-
Responsabile scientifico di Contratti di consulenza sulla “Ricerca del DNA del virus della linfocisti in campioni bioptici di pinna di Sparus aurata.” 2017-2018.
Author and co-author of 150 papers on national and
international papers and conference proceedings including 46 on indexed journals (Scopus; WO, Pubmed).
Co-author of the textbook "Manuale di Virologia Veterinaria"
Scagliarini et al., 2013 Ed. Bonomia University Press,
Bologna and of the book Aquaculture Pathophysiology - Volume I" Ed. F.S.B. Kibenge & R. S. M. Chong, Elsevier, 2021.
Supervisor/co-supervisor of 34 degree thesis in Veterinary Medicine, Biotechnology, Aquacuture and Fish Product Hygiene, Marine Biology.
Supervisor of 4 PhD student in Epidemiology and Control of Zoonosis and Veterinary Sciences.
Referee for le following journals: Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, BMC Veterinary Research, Folia Microbiologica, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, Journal of Fish Diseases, Fishes, Frontiers in Physiology, Virus Research, Veterinary research Communications, Current Microbiology, International Microbiology.
TEACHING
Since 2000 Teaching support within the following degree
programs: Safety and Quality of Animal Production, Biotechnology,
Veterinary Medicine, Aquaculture and Fish Pathology and graduate
school in animal health, farming and livestock production,
UNIBO.
Since 2003 Lecturer of the course "Infectious diseases of
aquatic animals" of the Degree in Aquaculture and
Ichthyopathology.
Since 2006 Lecturer of the course "Infectious diseases of
aquatic animals and Veterinary Hygiene" of the Degree in
Aquaculture and Ichthyopathology.
2008 and 2011 as part of the Course "Sustainable Fisheries and
Aquaculture in the Mediterranean" University Centre of Bertinoro
(CEUB) with a lesson on Fish Viral Diseases.
2008 Teaching within the School of Specialization in Breeding,
Hygiene and Pathology of Aquatic Species, University of Udine, with
a lecture entitled "Shellfish and Foodborn Viral Infections".
2013-2014; 2014-2015; 2017-2018 Teaching within the Master in Acquacoltura e Ittiopatologia, Università di Bolognathe, with lectures on “Major viral diseases of marine fish" and "Diagnosis of fish viral diseases" 2 hours.
2014-2015; 2017-2018 Lecturer of the course "Viral Diseases" 3 CFU, Scuola di Specializzazione in Allevamento, Igiene, Patologia delle Specie Acquatiche e Controllo dei Prodotti Derivati "Domenico Lanari", Università di Udine
2016 Course “Trattamento igienico sanitario delle specie ittiche e rilevazione dei dati per monitorare e controllare lo stato di salute – buone prassi” 16 hours. Regional Course for fisheries aquaculture operators, ENGIM EMILIA ROMAGNA.
2017 Courses “Gross examination and sampling for diagnostic purposes” and “Traditional and molecular methods to diagnose major infectious diseases of aquaculture marine fish” 7 hours, Project MADE 2 - Italian Egyptian Debt Swap, CIHEAM.
Since 2018 Course "Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology" of the Degree in Aquaculture and Fish Product Hygiene.
Since 2019 Corse "Infectious Diseases of Fish" and "Diagnosis and control of Fish Infectious Diseases" of the Scuola di specializzazione Sanità animale, allevamento e produzioni zootecniche, Università di Bologna.
