Curriculum

AFFILIAZIONE A SOCIETA’ SCIENTIFICHE

• Dal 2003 è membro della Società Italiana di Farmacologia (SIF);
• Dal 2003 della Società Italiana per lo Studio dell’Aterosclerosi (SISA);
• Dal 2013 della Endocrine Society (ENDO);
• Dal 2015 della British Pharmacological Society (BPS);
• Dal 2015 della European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS);
• Dal 2015 della America Heart Association (AHA);
• Dal 2016 della Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA);
• Dal 2018 della European Association for Cancer Research (EACR).

• Senior Editor: della rivista Journal of inflammation
• Editorial Board Member: delle riviste PharmAdvances; Prosthesis; Neural Regeneration Research; Environmental Disease
• Advisory Board Member: delle riviste Advances in Therapy e di Current Pharmacogenomics & Personalized Medicine;
• Guest Editor della rivista Biomolecules
• Guest Associate Editor per Frontiers in Immunology sezione Inflammation.
• Reviewer per riviste scientifiche internazionali quali:

• Advances in Therapy
• BBA General Subjects
• Biochemical Pharmacology
• BBA Molecular Basis of Diseases
• BMC Endocrine Disorders
• BMC Public Health
• Biomolecules
• Botanics: Targets and Therapy
• British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
• British Journal of Pharmacology
• Current Pharmacogenomics & Personalized Medicine
• Diabetes
• European Journal of Pharmacology
• Food and Function
• Frontiers in Immunology
• Frontiers in Pharmacology
• International Wound Journal
• Meta Gene
• Molecular Nutrition and Food Research
• Neural Regeneration Research
• Nutrients
• Nutrition Research
• Osteoporosis International
• Pharmacological Research
• Scientific Reports
• The Indian Journal of Medical Research
• The American Journal of Pathology
• Tissue Engineering
• Wound Repair and Regeneration

• Nel 2013 dalla Pharmamab s.r.l., spin-off dell’Università di Chieti per valutare gli effetti di una proteina isolata nel loro laboratorio in un modello sperimentale di alterata cicatrizzazione (risultati coperti da secrecy agreement).
• Nel 2014 dal Ministero della Salute (Ricerca finalizzata bando 2011-2012) “Use of flavonoids contained in Flavocoxid to reduce vascular damage in an experimental model of atherosclerosis” (GR-2011-02346946)
• Nel 2016 dalla Primus Pharmaceuticals Inc., per condurre uno studio su “Use of folate and B12 with Vasculera, BCP, BCM-95, and combination with diabetic induced (STZ) mice” (risultati coperti da secrecy agreement).
• Nel 2017-2020 PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020 nell'ambito dell’Asse I “Investimenti in capitale umano” – Azione 1.1 Dottorati innovativi con caratterizzazione industriale – finanziato nel Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze Biomediche Cliniche e Sperimentali 33° ciclo.
• Nel 2019 dal Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (MIUR) PRIN 2017, “Antagonizing miRNA targeting the Wnt pathway to treat primary and secondary osteoporosis” (20178THBKP_001)
• Nel 2020 dal Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (MUR) PI del progetto FISR 2019_04480 “Uso di Graphene Quantum Dots come carrier di agenti teranostici per tumori solidi – GRATA”
• Nel 2020-2023 PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020 nell'ambito dell’Asse I “Investimenti in capitale umano” – Azione 1.1 Dottorati innovativi con caratterizzazione industriale – finanziato nel Dottorato di Ricerca Translational Molecular Medicine and Surgery 36° ciclo.

• Nel 2012 dall’azienda Straumann per un progetto dal titolo “Evaluation of blood flow variation and angiogenesis in rats with subcutaneous insertions of different Straumann MembraGel compositions” i cui esiti sono stati pubblicati (Tissue Eng Part A. 2015;21(3-4):580-5).
• Nel 2014 dal Ministero della Salute (Ricerca finalizzata bando 2011-2012) “Metabolic, endocrine, and central effects of genistein aglycone in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis” (GR-2011-02351960).

• Joint symposium tra Società Italiana di Farmacologia e Società Italiana di Reumatologia denominato “New insights on osteoporotic drugs and future therapeutic prospectives” con il contributo Adenosine receptor stimulation improves glucocorticoid‐induced osteoporosis, durante il 38° congresso nazionale della SIF (Rimini, 25-28 ottobre 2017) https://www.odmbologna.it/wp-content/uploads/assets_odm/3541/Programma%20Congresso%20SIF.pdf
• Simposio della Società Italiana di Farmacologia denominato “Future pharmacotherapy of obesity: new drugs on the horizon” con il contributo New anti-obesity drugs on the horizon durante il 39° congresso nazionale della SIF (Firenze, 20-23 novembre 2019) https://www.farmindustria.it/app/uploads/2019/11/6380.pdf

• della sessione “Bedside to Bench: Clinical and Genetic Regulation of Lipid Metabolism” al congresso ENDO 2016 – mondiale della Endocrine Society (https://plan.core-apps.com/tristar_endo16/event/9445b20a9620d8603fca8f893b62bd6c)
• della sessione “Pharmacological approaches in oncology” durante il 38° congresso nazionale della SIF (Rimini, 25-28 ottobre 2017) https://www.odmbologna.it/wp-content/uploads/assets_odm/3541/Programma%20Congresso%20SIF.pdf
• della sessione “Cancer Pharmacology” (https://congresso.sifweb.org/files/timetable-congresso.pdf)  durante il 40° congresso nazionale della SIF (Digital edition, 9-13 marzo 2021)

Curriculum

Education and positions

- Born in Messina on August 26th, 1979. Actually leaving in Messina, via G. Bruno, 148 is. 123. 

- Scientific education at the Lyceum “G. Seguenza” of Messina.

- Degree in Medicine at the University of Messina, 110/110 cum laude (July, 23rd 2003).

- Post-graduated (Residency) in Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Messina, 50/50 cum laude (November, 12th 2007).

- PhD at the International Doctorate School in "Experimental Medicine" at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (February, 22nd 2011).

- March 2011- December 2017: Assistant Professor of Pharmacology (tenure track position) at the School of Medicine of the University of Messina, Italy

- December 2017-present: Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the School of Medicine of the University of Messina, Italy

 

Main Academic appointments

- 2014-2017 elected component of Council of the "Struttura Interdipartimentale di Raccordo - SIR - Ex-Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia" 

- 2016-present Founder of the Academic spin-off SunNutraPharma s.r.l.

- 2017-2019 component of the board of teachers of the PhD Course in Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences

- 2018-present Coordinator of the Bachelor Degree in Biotechnology at the University of Messina, Italy

- 2018-present Coordinator of the Master Degree in Medical Biotechnology at the University of Messina, Italy

- 2018-present Deputy Coordinator of the International PhD Course in Translational Molecular Medicine and Surgery at the University of Messina 

- 2018-present elected component of the National Council of Biotechnology courses Coordinators.

 

Scientific Activity:  

- Author of 203 papers (all in international Journals; mean IF>4) and over 100 abstracts for national and international Meetings. 

- Scopus H-index: 43

- Total cites: 6043

 

- Member of the following Scientific Societies: Italian Society of Pharmacology (SIF), British Pharmacological Society (BPS), Italian Society of Atherosclerosis (SISA), Endocrine Society, American Heart Association (AHA), and European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS), European Association for Cancer Research (EACR).

- Reviewer of British Journal of Pharmacology, Diabetes, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Biochemical Pharmacology, BBA General Subjects, Osteoporosis International, Advances in therapy, Current medical research and opinion, Frontiers in Physiology, Frontiers in Pharmacology, Scientific Reports, Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, Tissue Engineering, The Indian Journal of Medical Research. 

- Editorial board member: Journal of Inflammation (senior Editor), Current Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine (member of the Editorial board), Frontiers in Immunology (Guest associate Editor), Biomolecules (Guest Editor), Advances in Therapy (member of the Editorial Advisory Board), Environmental Disease (member of the Editorial board), PharmAdvances (member of the Editorial board), Prosthesis (member of the Editorial board).

 

Awards 

-  Winner of a 5.000 Euros grant as Best Young Researcher at University of Messina in 2005

- Winner of the award as Best Poster presentation at the “XII seminar for PhD candidates in pharmacological sciences” held in Siena, Italy, in September 2008 (“Effects of the phytoestrogen genistein in an experimental model of postmenopausal metabolic syndrome”)

- Invited speaker at the “8th International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment” held in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2008 (“Effects of Genistein Aglycone on Endometrial Hyperplasia in Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial”).

- Winner of the Young Investigator Award at the “International Joint Meeting of the International Osteporosis Foundation and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry” held in Orlando, Florida in March 2009 (“Genistein aglycone for the management of secondary osteoporosis: an experimental study”). 

- Winner of the 2009 Young Investigator Award in Pharmacological Sciences (Farmindustria 2009).

- Winner of the Best Clinician Award at the “Clinical Osteoporosis 2010” held in San Antonio, Texas in March 2010 (Genistein aglycone is effective in reducing bone loss and some predictors of cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women: a 3-years study.)

- Winner of the award as Best Oral presentation at the “XIV seminar for PhD candidates in pharmacological sciences” held in Siena, Italy, in September 2010 (“Protective effects of melanocortins on short-term changes in a rat model of traumatic brain injury”)

- Invited speaker at the “9th International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment” held in Washington DC, October 16-19 2010 (“Effects of Genistein Aglycone on Insulin Resistance and Lipid Metabolism in Postmenopausal Women with Metabolic Syndrome: Preliminary Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial”). 

- Winner of the award as Best Poster presentation at the XXXV Meeting of the Italian Pharmacology Society, held in Bologna, Italy, in September 2011 (“Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) reduces HMBG-1 production and the severity of collagen-induced arthritis by stimulation of adenosine A2A receptor”)

- Winner of the Travel Grant Award of the Italian Atherosclerosis Society at the XXVII National Meeting, held in Rome, Italy, in November 2013.

- Selected as featured poster at the Endocrine Meeting ENDO2018, held in Chicago, IL, in March 2018.

 

Main fields of research:

* Basic and translational: molecular targets of pharmacologically active substances to treat metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases and their associated complications using murine experimental models. 

* Clinical research: design and interpretation of randomized clinical trials in the metabolic field; health status assessment of subjects resident in polluted areas; pharmacogenetics studies. 

 

Grants: 

* 2012-2013 funded by Institute Straumann AG: co-PI of the project “Evaluation of blood flow variation and angiogenesis in rats with subcutaneous insertions of different Straumann MembraGel compositions”

* 2013 funded by Pharmamab s.r.l.: PI of the project “Effects of L-GAL in altered wound healing”

* 2014-2017 funded by the Italian Ministry of Health (call 2011-2012): PI of the project “Use of flavonoids contained in Flavocoxid to reduce vascular damage in an experimental model of atherosclerosis” (GR-2011-02346946); 

* 2014-2017 funded by the Italian Ministry of Health (call 2011-2012): co-PI of the project “Metabolic, endocrine, and central effects of genistein aglycone in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis” (GR-2011-02351960). 

* 2016 funded by Primus Pharmaceuticals Inc: PI of the project “Use of folate and B12 with Vasculera, BCP, BCM-95, and combination with diabetic induced (STZ) mice”

* 2019-2021 funded by the Ministry of Research (call 2017): PI of the project “Antagonizing miRNA targeting the Wnt pathway to treat primary and secondary osteoporosis” (20178THBKP_001)

* 2020-2022 Italian Ministry of Research: PI of the FISR project 2019_04480 Uso di Graphene Quantum Dots come carrier di agenti teranostici per tumori solidi –GRATA

*2017-2020 PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020 nell'ambito dell’Asse I “Investimenti in capitale umano” – Azione I.1 Dottorati innovativi con caratterizzazione industriale –

*2020-2023 PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020 nell'ambito dell’Asse I “Investimenti in capitale umano” – Azione I.1 Dottorati innovativi con caratterizzazione industriale –

 

Registered Patents 

- “Methods for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy with flavonoids”, US Patent 61/147,460

- “Composizione per il trattamento dell’infertilità maschile”, Italian Patent, TO2009000515

- "Composizione per il trattamento di malattie croniche intestinali", Italian Patent, 102015000074748 

 

Teaching  

- 2011-present Lecturer of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Bachelor Degree Course of Biotechnology

- 2011-present Lecturer of Molecular Pharmacology in the Master Degree Course of Medical Biotechnology

- 2011-present Lecturer of Pharmacology in the Master Degree Course of Medicine and Surgery

- 2011-present Mentor of Bachelor and Master degree candidates

- 2011-present Mentor of PhD students

 

Other Experiences

2000: Histology laboratory, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

2001: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Austria

2002: Infectious Disease Department, University of Aarhus, Denmark 

2003: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases and Atherosclerosis, University of Helsinki, Finland

2004: Laboratory of Molecular Genetic, University of Barcelona, Spain 

2009: January-October - Visiting Fellow at Department of Neurosciences of Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA

2015: November-December – Visiting Researcher at Saha Cardiovascular Center of the University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA