Eugenio Barone
Eugenio Barone is a Full Professor of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, where he leads a research group focused to understanding the biochemical and metabolic alterations underlying neurodegenerative disorders and brain aging. He graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from the University of Calabria in 2006 and obtained a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome in 2011. During his academic career, he had the opportunity to train in internationally renowned laboratories, first at the University of Kentucky (USA, 2010-2011) and later at the Brain Mind Institute of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, 2012-2014). In 2014, he was awarded a Marie-Curie Fellowship for young researchers, funded by the European Union, which enabled him to return to Italy and join Sapienza University of Rome.Professor Barone’s work focuses on exploring the cellular mechanisms underlying cognitive decline during aging, intellectual disability associated with Down syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease. His groundbreaking studies have identified early alterations in brain insulin signaling, unveiling a novel biomarker (the protein BVR-A) whose alterations precede those of canonical markers. This discovery links insulin resistance to mitochondrial dysfunctions and cognitive decline and highlights a shared mechanism between brain and peripheral tissues, representing a significant risk factor for diabetes and AD. Prof. Barone also advanced the understanding of intranasal insulin therapy in AD. He was the first to clarifying the molecular mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects.Prof. Barone is the author of over 100 scientific publications in international journals (H-index = 43) and holds a patent. In addition to his research activity, he is a member of the Ph.D. School in Biochemistry and the SapiExcellence Program Committee at Sapienza University of Rome. He has received prestigious funding from international and national organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association (2020-24), Jerome-Lejeune Foundation (2019-21 and 2022-24), European Commission (2014-16), and the Italian Ministry of Research (2023-25, 2015-18). He was one of the first two recipients of the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine Fellowship Award (2010) and has received numerous international awards, including those from the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine (2015 and 2016), the Federation of European Pharmacological Societies (2013), the Alzheimer’s Association (2017), and the Trisomy 21 Research Society (2017). In 2024, he chaired the Organizing Committee of the 5th International Conference of the Trisomy 21 Research Society (www.t21rs2024.com). He is currently Associate Editor for the journals Neuromolecular Medicine (Springer Nature), Antioxidants (MDPI), and Frontiers in Neuroscience (Frontiers). He is currently member of the Scientific Committee for the upcoming International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN) conference and of the 10th International Cell Senescence Association (ICSA) meeting, which will be held in New York and Rome in 2025, respectively. Since 2021, he is a member of the European Brain Research Area (EBRA) for the Trisomy 21 cluster. Professor Barone also holds leadership roles in international scientific societies, such as the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine, where he chairs the Strategic Alliances & Outreach Committee, and the Trisomy 21 Research Society, where he leads the Sponsoring and Membership Committee.