Current Position: Associate Professor, SSD MEDS-03/A (Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology), Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna
Education and training
2005-2018: Permanent Research Fellow in Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Department of Specialty, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna
2005: PhD in Viral Immunology, Karolinska Institute, Department of Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden;
2004: Diploma in Tropical Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Department of Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden;
2001: Specialization in Microbiology and Virology, University of Bologna (grade 70/70 cum laude);
1998: Licensed to practice as a medical surgeon;
1997: Degree in Medicine and Surgery, University of Bologna (grade 110/110 cum laude).
International Experience
2008-2010: Clinical microbiologist at Unit of Clinical Virology, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge (Sweden);
2006-2008: Post-doc at Department of Immunology, Stockholm University, Stockholm (Sweden);
2002-2005: PhD student at the Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm (Sweden).
Teaching Activities
- She holds several courses at the School of Medicine:
"Microbiology", English-language course of Medicine and Surgery (from AA 2018-19), 6 cfu;
"Clinical Microbiology" module (Integrated Laboratory diagnostics course), English-languagMaster course of Medical Biotechnology (from AA 2020-21), 4 cfu;
"Mycology and Parasitology" module (Integrated Course Clinical Microbiology II), Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques, 2 cfu;
"Tropical Diseases: Diagnosis" module, as part of the Elective Course "Tropical Diseases and Traveler's Medicine," course of Medicine and Surgery, 1 cfu;
"Global health, climate change, viruses and parasites" module as part of the Elective Course "Infections and infectious diseases in a globalized world; traveling of humans, animals and microbes" for which she is lecturer in charge, course in Medicine and Surgery, 1 cfu;
- She held the course "Parasitic and viral vector-borne infections" for master's and doctoral students at College of Health Science, Mekelle University (Ethiopia) within the Erasmus+ Mobility for Teaching in a non-European university program (Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility, International Mobility for Staff teaching and training activities, agreement no. 2017-1-IT02-KA107-036226)
- She held courses in Microbiology and Virology in collaboration with the nongovernmental organization CESTAS, including a course in La Paz (Bolivia) in 2013 and a course in Windhoek (Namibia) in 2012.
Research Activities
From 1997 to 2013, research interests were focused on the implementation of diagnostic methods for pathogens causing severe infections in immunocompromised patients or patients with immature immune systems, including human cytomegalovirus and sepsis-causing bacteria. Scientific activity were also focused on the study of the pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus infection, with particular interest in 'virus-host innate immunity interaction and virus-mediated immunopathology. She also focused on epidemiology and pathogenesis studies of arbovirus infections.
From 2013 to the present, research activity focuses on validation of new diagnostic tools, epidemiological studies in a One-Health perspective, and drug discovery in the field of human parasitoses, with focus on leishmaniasis.
The set of achievements has been disclosed in 97 publications, including 84 original scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals, 11 reviews in international peer-reviewed journals, and 2 book chapters per international publication.
Bibliometric indicators (Scopus): Total citations: 2423, H-index: 28.
Reviewer Activity
July 2024: She served as a reviewer for the University of Florence; call for funding of competitive projects proposed by fixed-term researchers of the University for the biennium 2025-2026;
Reviewer for the following journals: Journal of Infectious Diseases, iScience , PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Parasites and Vectors, Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, Acta Tropica, Pathogens , Microorganisms, New Microbiologica , InfezMed
She is registered in REPRISE (register of scientific experts established at MIUR, Italian Ministry of University) for the Basic Research section and has been a reviewer of n=1 research projects for the PRIN 2017 MIUR call (November 2018-January 2019)
Institutional Activities
2023-2024: Commissioner in the following competitions:
-Public selection for n.1 post of fixed-term researcher (RTD-A) (art.24, paragraph 3, letter a, L. 240/2010) at the University of Turin, SC 06/A3, SSD MED/07 (announced by R.D. 4306 of 02/08/2023 and rectified by DR n.4579 of 29/08/2023)
-Evaluation procedure for n.1 position of university professor of II fascia (art.24, paragraph 5, L. 240/2010) at the University of Turin, SC 06/A3, SSD MED/07 (Rectoral Decree n.2843 of 06/05/2024)
2009-current: Member of the Board of Lecturers, Doctorate of Surgical Sciences and Innovative Technologies, University of Bologna; July 2024-ongoing: is Member of the Board, Doctorate of Surgical Sciences and Innovative Technologies, University of Bologna;
2017-current: reference lecturer for Erasmus+ Studio projects for the Degree Course in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Bologna
February-October 2024: Appointed Member of the External Examining Board for a doctoral dissertation entitled “Diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia: current challenges and future prospects,” Doctorate Board of the University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Medicine (Netherlands)
2020-2022 Temporary Adviser at the invitation of the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop guidelines for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in HIV patients from East Africa and Southeast Asia
Funding
Project Coordinator:
2018-2023: "Finalized Research" (Italian Ministry of Health), three-year funding for a project entitled: "Emerging blood protozoa in the immunocompromised population: novel strategies for screening, diagnosis, monitoring and clinical management."
2017: Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna, one-year grant for a project entitled "Leishmania, an emerging infectious agent in Emilia-Romagna: Diagnostic implications and new drug development."
Project manager:
2010: Ragnar and Torsten Söderberg Foundations (Stockholm, Sweden), two-year grant for a project entitled: "Studies of the role of human cytomegalovirus infection in the development of immunopathology; implications for chronic inflammation and autoimmunity."
2007: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA/SAREC, Stockholm, Sweden), three-year grant for a project entitled: "Studies on the interaction between dendritic cells and Plasmodium falciparum with special focus on malaria during pregnancy."
2006: Swedish Society of Medicine (SLS, Stockholm, Sweden) one-year grant for a project entitled: “Interaction between Plasmodium falciparum and plasmacytoid dendritic cells in vitro and role of this interaction on downstream B cell and T cell responses”.
Responsible of Research Unit:
2023-ongoing: Non-thermal TECHnologies FOR the inactivation of emerging viral, bacterial and protozoan PATHogens on fruit and vegetable products - TECH4PATH. PRIN2022. Prot. 2022YB8ABM
2022-ongoing: WP leader (WP5: analysis of real samples) within the ECLIPSE- ECL-based Infectious Pathogen (bio)Sensor project. Proposal number: 10104678, funded by the European Commission, Horizon Europe;
2019-2021: Scientific Head of Research Unit for the two-year project "Ricerca Corrente 2019" (Ministry of Health) submitted by Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) and entitled: "Epidemiological studies of vectors and reservoir animal species of leishmaniasis in the Emilia-Romagna region"
2016-2018: Scientific Head of Research Unit for the two-year project "Ricerca Corrente 2016" (Ministry of Health) presented by IZSLER and entitled: "Development of an Integrated Leishmaniasis Surveillance System in the Emilia-Romagna Region"
Project participant:
2022-ongoing: "One Health Basic and Translational Research Actions addressing Unmet Needs on Emerging Infectious Diseases (INF-ACT)," National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP), funded by the European Union;
2020-2022: PASS - Plasma assisted sanitation system Funded by the European Commission, EIT-FOOD 2020);
2011-2017: PREDEMICS - Preparedness, Prediction and Prevention of Emerging Zoonotic Viruses with Pandemic Potential using Multidisciplinary Approaches; FP7 HEALTH 2011;
2007-2010: STOPPAM - Strategies TO Prevent Pregnancy-Associated Malaria FP7 HEALTH 2007.
Other relevant activities
She serves on the steering committee of LeishMan, a network of 50 specialists from 12 European countries that aims to harmonize the diagnosis and treatment of leishmaniasis in Europe.
2018-2023: she was a member of the Study Committee for Parasitology (CoSP), within the Association of Italian Clinical Microbiologists (AMCLI)
She is a member of several scientific societies: SIM (Italian Society of Microbiology), SIMET (Italian Society of Tropical Medicine and Global Health), SOIPA (Italian Society of Parasitology), European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).
Public engagement
2023-ongoing: focal point for Médecins Sans Frontières Italy (MSF); for the activation of training and educational activities aimed at fostering a better knowledge of issues related to health care and assistance in crisis contexts as well as the scientific study of the phenomenon and the global spread of infections and infectious diseases for UNIBO students
2019-2020: project promoter and local coordinator of the project "University corridors for refugees (Ethiopia-UNIBO), University of Bologna.
