Gabriele Losi

Short Bio

Researcher for two decades in Neuroscience studying excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission and the functional role of astrocytes in physiological and pathological conditions (epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease).

Recently moved to Nanoscience Institute (CNR-NANO) at the Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neuroscience of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Currently PI of a PRIN 2020 National Research Project (2022-2024), he was PI of Research Projects Granted by Gruppo Famiglie Dravet Onlus (2018-2019) and Spinner Consortium (2004-2005). He collaborated to several National and International Research Projects (funded by European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme, Telethon, Horizon 2020-Marie Curie, Eranet, MUR, Cariparo). Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (cum laude, 1999), PhD in Neuropharmacological Studies (2004).

Author of 36 publications, h-index: 22, Citations: 1367 (from Scopus).

Research Interests

Neurophysiology and pathology; astrocyte-neuron interactions; glial cells; tripartite synapses; Ca2+ signaling; synaptic plasticity; seizures; epilepsy; Dravet Syndrome; Alzheimer’s Disease; aging; dementia.

Techniques used: Confocal and multi-photon laser scanning microscopy for Ca2+ and glutamate imaging; optogenetics, chemogenetics; Patch-clamp recordings (whole-cell); field potential recordings; long term potentiation (LTP) studies; viral vector injections; primary neuronal and astrocytic cell coltures; cell viability assays.

Selected Recent Projects

PRIN 2020AMLXHH (2021-2023)

Selected Publications

A Lia, V J Henriques, M Zonta, A Chiavegato, G Carmignoto, M Gómez-Gonzalo and G Losi. Calcium Signals in Astrocyte Microdomains, a Decade of Great Advances, 2021, Front. Cell. Neurosci., doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2021.673433

Mariotti L*, Losi G*, Lia A, Melone M, Chiavegato A, Gómez-Gonzalo M, Sessolo M, Bovetti S, Forli A, Zonta M, Requie LM, Marcon I, Pugliese A, Viollet C, Bettler B, Fellin T, Conti F, Carmignoto G. Interneuron-specific signaling evokes distinctive somatostatin-mediated responses in adult cortical astrocytes. Nature Communications. 2018 Jan 8;9(1):82. * equal contribution.

Librizzi L*,Losi G*, Marcon I, Sessolo M, Scalmani P, Carmignoto G, de Curtis M. Interneuronal Network Activity at the Onset of Seizure-Like Events in Entorhinal Cortex Slices. J Neurosci. 2017 Oct 25;37(43):10398-10407. * equal contribution.

Losi G, Mariotti L, Sessolo M, Carmignoto G. New Tools to Study Astrocyte Ca2+ Signal Dynamics in Brain Networks In Vivo. Front Cell Neurosci. 2017 May 9;11:134.

Mariotti L*, Losi G*, Sessolo M, Marcon I, Carmignoto G. The inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA evokes long-lasting Ca2+ oscillations in cortical astrocytes. Glia. 2016 Mar;64(3):363-73. doi: 10.1002/glia.22933. * equal contribution.

Losi G, Mariotti L, Carmignoto G. GABAergic interneuron to astrocyte signalling: a neglected form of cell communication in the brain. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2014. Oct 19;369(1654):20130609. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0609.

Cammarota M*, Losi G*, Chiavegato A, Zonta M, Carmignoto G. Fast spiking interneuron control of seizure propagation in a cortical slice model of focal epilepsy. J Physiol. 2013 Feb 15;591(4):807-22. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.238154. * equal contribution.