Interests

My research interest is mainly focused on the cross-talk between neurons and glia as determinant  to the establishment and maintenance of a brain environment to ensure normal function. In particular the role of astrocytes and microglia cells  as active players that respond to environmental changes and act for the survival, growth, differentiation and repair of the nervous tissue, with special interest on the role played by  chemokines as mediators of neuron-glia cross-talk in brain homeostasis both in physiological and in pathological conditions.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Degree (Laurea) in Biological Sciences with honours (110/110 cum laude), University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy (1993)

PhD, Medical Genetics, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy (1994-1998)

Research Fellow , Human Genome Center, LLNL, Livermore (USA) (1997 during PhD training)

Research fellow, Medical Genetics Center South-West Netherlands, Department of Human Genetics (1998 during PhD training)

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA (1998-2000)

Research Assistant, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome ,Italy (2000-2008)

ACADEMIC APOINTMENTs

Assistant Professor, Department Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy (2008-2015)

Faculty member of the PhD program  in Neurophysiology, Sapienza University, Rome,Italy (2008-2013)

Faculty member of the PhD program Clinical/Experimental Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy (2012-2014)

 Associate Professor of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacology and Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy ( 2015-current position)

Bibliometric index:

# Peer reviewed articles  44 ; # Citations  2287;  H-factor  25