2019- present: Researcher at the Nanoscience Institute-CNR @ Laboratorio NEST (National Enterprise for nanoScience and nanoTechnology), Pisa (IT). Responsible of the Cell and Tissue Culture facilities of the Institute.
2018- 2019: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Individual fellowship @ Dept. Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam (NL), in the lab of Prof. Y. Elgersma.
2015- 2017: Post-doctoral Fellowship grants of Fondazione Umberto Veronesi, at Nanoscience Institute-CNR @ Laboratorio NEST, Pisa (IT).
2010- 2014: Post-doc position at Scuola Normale Superiore, Laboratorio NEST, Pisa (IT).
2011: European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Short-term fellowship at Dept. Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam (NL).
2007- 2009: Post-doc position at Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati (ISMN)-CNR, Bologna (IT).
2005- 2006: Marie Curie PhD fellowship at the Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience (Prof. L.H. Bergersen and J. Storm Mathisen), University of Oslo (NO).
2005: PhD visiting student at the Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology (Prof. B. Fredholm), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm (SE).
2004- 2007: PhD in Drugs' Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pisa (IT).
1998- 2003: Specialistic (Master) Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (CTF), University of Pisa (IT).
My main research interest focuses on the development of biocompatible nanostructured materials to heal the peripheral nervous system (e.g. scaffolds for nerve regeneration) and to cure and study central nervous system diseases (e.g. neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases). I am interested in the study of cell-environment interactions and extracellular sensing of neuronal cells, working in the borderlands between different disciplines (e.g. biochemistry, neuroscience, material science, regenerative medicine). My research activity aims to explore the processes that regulate the adhesion, growth, migration and connectivity of neural cells in physiological and pathological conditions (e.g. nerve trauma, UBE3A-related neurodevelopmental disorders, leukodystrophies), by exploiting nano/micro-structured materials, cellular biology and high-resolution microscopies. My present research focuses on the development of nanovectors for the non-invasive delivery of drugs (e.g. molecules, oligonucleotides, enzymes) to the brain.
Istituto Nanoscienze
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
PEC: protocollo.nano@pec.cnr.it
Partita IVA 02118311006