| Biographical Info |
Education
1987 MD cum laude, Medical School, University of Milan
1992 PhD in Biotechnology Applied to Pharmacology and Cellular and Molecular Biotechnologies University of Milan
Professional career
1992- 1993 Research Associate The Salk Institute, La Jolla, USA
1993 -1995 Research Associate CCIPE - CNRS/INSERM, Montpellier, France
Since 1995 Group leader at the CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
Since 1997 CNR Researcher leader at the CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy (Permanent position)
Since 2008 CNR First Reseacher
Since 2019 CNR Director of Research
2014 National Scientific Habilitation - Full Professor in Biochemistry (05/E1)
2019 National Scientific Habilitation - Full Professor in Pharmacology (05/G1
Research topics: Molecular pharmacology of neuropeptide and neuropeptide receptors.
The main goal of the laboratory is to characterize the neurochemical basis of oxytocin and vasopressin signalling. These two neuropeptides paly a crucial role in shaping the social brain and are promising new traget for several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.
1) Oxytocin and vasopressin receptors as prototypes of G-protein coupled receptors.
The laboratory is focused on the molecular and cellular pharmacology of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors, including drug design, binding and signalling properties of specific ligands, structure function studies for the identification of the conformational states underlying receptor activation and inactivation, confocal and video imaging analysis of receptor localization and trafficking.
2) Oxytocin and vasopressin in brain disorders:
In the last years, the range of topics and techniques has expanded to include neurobiological studies of oxytocin/vasopressin involvement in autism, Prader-Willi syndrome and schizophrenia. By combining neurochemical, anatomical and behavioral approaches in vitro and in vivo, our final goal is to develop new pharmacological analogues of potential clinical use in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders
Ongoing Grant support
2019-2020 Fritz Thyssen Foundation (Role: PI)
2020-2023 Telethon grant GGP19103 (Role: PI)
Technology transfer and industrial activity
2011 co-founder of the spin off company Proxentia, whose mission is to develop a proprietary
label-free technology for the detection of biomeolecular interactions.
In 2015 Proxentia has won a SME Instrument grant in the H2020 program of the European Community (http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/203337_en.html )
Teaching activity
2002- 2006 Pharmacology, Medical School, San Raffaele University, Milan
2004 -2005 Pharmacology, Biotechnology School, San Raffaele Univ, Milan
2004- 2009 Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Science, Univ of Milan
Since 2016 Pharmacology, Medical School, Humanitas University, Milan |
