Senior Medical Manager

Pathophysiology of Osteoarthritis (OA)

1985: Medical degree, cum laude, University of Bologna, Italy.

1989 Specialist qualification, cum laude, in Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Bologna, Italy.

• 1991: present Senior Medical Manager of the Laboratory of Immunology and Genetics, IOR, Bologna.
• 1988-1991: Attendance at the Laboratory of Immunology and Genetics, IOR (fellowship in 1991).
• 1986-1988: Attendance at the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology of the Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, University of Bologna (Fellowship in 1986 and 1988, University of Bologna).

English: fluent.

Office, Internet and software packages for graphical or statistical purposes.

Teaching contribution to ECM courses.
Tutor for:  

• degree thesis, courses in Medicine and Surgery, Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies, University of Bologna;
• specialist thesis, course in Toxicology, University of Bologna;
• doctoral (PhD) thesis, (University of Valencia, Spain, University of Montpellier, France, University of Bologna).

Scientific co-ordination and management of the below listed Research Projects (last 15 years):

• 1999-2001: Research project of national interest (ex-40% fund) Italian MIUR: Chemokines and chondrocytes: role in osteoarthritis cartilage.
• 2001-2003: Research project of national interest (ex-40% fund) Italian MIUR: Chemokine role in osteoarthritis cartilage damage.
• 2004-2006 Research project of national interest (ex-40% fund) Italian MIUR: Molecular mechanisms of chondrocyte activation by cytokines and chemokines in osteoarthritis.
• 2007-2009: Research project in the frame of the University Strategic Projects, University of Bologna: Common molecular targets among pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory pathways in Osteoarthritis.
• 2006-2009: Research project supported by CARISBO Foundation: Identification of molecular targets of therapeutical interest in osteoarthritis.
• 2008-2010: Research project supported by CARISBO Foundation: Molecular mechanisms of the altered functionality of OA chondrocytes: from the molecules to the patients for a disease-modifying therapy.
• 2011-2015: Research project supported by MIUR: "Pathogenesis and molecular targets in degenerative muscoskeletal diseases" FIRB - RBAP10KCNS.

Participation to the following projects:

• 2016-2017 Research project supported by Del Monte Foundation: “Spermidin as a “disease modifying drug” in osteoarthritis: evidence of homeostatic effects in articular chondrocytes”.
• 2016-2017 Research project supported by Telethon Foundation “Defining the molecular pathogenesis of the ribosomopathy cartilage hair hypoplasia”.

Member of OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International).

Reviewer of scientific journals:

Arthritis And Rheumatology, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Arthritis Research And Therapy, Clinical Orthopaedic & Related Research, Journal of Rheumatology, Journal of Cellular Phisiology, Rheumatology, Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, Frontiers in Bioscience, Cell proliferation.

Member of the evaluations board for the assignment of research funds: Translational Adult Stem Cell Research Programme, The Netherlands.

68 publications in Journals with IF. H index=25.

• In the field of Medical Orthopaedic Pathology: cartilage pathophysiology in OA and analysis of the major signaling pathways responsible for the loss of maturational arrest of articular chondrocytes, extra cellular matrix remodeling, DNA damage and senescence. Evaluation of nutraceuticals as therapeutical tools in osteoarthritis.
• In the field of Regenerative Medicine: analysis of the role of polyamines in the proliferation and differentiation of adipose tissue derived stem cells.