Curriculum

Curriculum

Maria Paola Bertuccio, PhD.
Personal information
Home address Marital status
Via Roma N.3, Married
98124 Messina, Italy
Date and place of birth Citizenship
November 22, 1981 Italian
Siracusa (Italy)
Contacts
Mobile: +39 3476190182
Email: mbertuccio@unime.it
Education
December 18, 2019: II level Master Degree in “Pharmacovigilance, pharmacoepidemiology and
pharmacoeconomics: assessments through the use of real world data” (50/50 cum laude). Faculty of
Medicine, University of Messina, Messina (Italy).
December 18, 2015: Postgraduate Specialization in “Clinical Biochemistry” (50/50 cum laude). Faculty
of Medicine, University of Messina, Messina (Italy). Title of experimental thesis: “Human papillomavirus
screening and detection in saliva samples from subjects with genital HPV diagnosis”.
April 14, 2011: Ph.D. in “Specialistic Medical Sciences”, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and
Morphological and Functional Images Dep. University of Messina, Messina (Italy). Thesis Title: “Cellular
adaptation and structural involution of the lymph node: the hypoxic origin of T lymphocytes death in HIV
infection”. Advisors: Prof. Riccardo Ientile.
July 25, 2008: I level Master Degree in Applied Biotechnologies (89/100), Faculty of Pharmacy,
University of Messina, Messina (Italy).
October 02, 2006: Master Degree in Biological Sciences (110/110 cum laude), University of Messina,
Messina (Italy). Title of experimental thesis: “Role of a Xanthine derivative on red blood cell function”.
July 2000: High School Certificate (100/100)
Professional experience
December 2021 to today: Researcher in Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology, Department
of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging. University of Messina.
September 2020-December 2021: Fellowship for research activity in the field of the study: “ICONA cohort
study”, Ist. Nazionale Malattie Infettive - INMI L. Spallanzani IRCCS- U.O.C. Immunodeficienze Virali, Rome.
November 2018-April 2020: Fellowship for research activity in the field of the study: “Analysis of health
databases in the field of pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology”, University of Messina.
July 2017-June 2018: Postdoctoral Researcher, Pennsylvania University, Philadelphia, USA.
January 2017-May 2017: Graduate Teaching Assistant: Tutor of graduate students for Master II degree in
“Advanced Medical Biotechnology in laboratory diagnostics", University of Messina, Messina (Italy).
May 2016-June 2017: Research volunteer, Dept. Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morpho Functional
Imaging, University of Messina, Messina (Italy).
November 2015-March 2016: Sales Rep. at Omikron Italia s.r.l.
June 2015-October 2015: Sales Rep. at Greenpharma s.r.l.
June 2013-May 2015: Research fellow for project “New figures of specialists of advanced technologies for
the identification and analysis of biomarkers in oncology (NGS)” financed by PON 01 _02418 (MIUR);
Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l., Viagrande (Catania, Italy).
January 2012- January 2015: Teaching assistant for the courses of General and Applied Hygiene Faculty
of Sciences, University of Messina, Messina (Italy).
April 2011-May 2013: Research volunteer, Dept. Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morpho Functional
Imaging, University of Messina, Messina (Italy).
A.A.2009/2010: Graduate Teaching Assistant: Tutor of undergraduate students for the courses of Hygiene II.
Faculty of Sciences, University of Messina, Messina (Italy).
July 2008-April 2011: PhD Student, University of Messina, Dept. of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and
Public Health (Supervisor Prof. Picerno I).
July 2007-June 2008: I level Master student, University of Messina, Faculty of Pharmacy.
February 2007-June 2008: Research volunteer, Dept. of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health
Messina, Italy.
Membership
September 2021 to today: Member of the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular
Biology (SIBioC)
March 2016 to today: National Order of Biologists
Languages
Italian Mother tongue
English Independent user (B2)
Technical Skills
Cell culture: maintaining eukaryotic cell cultures, separation of PBMCs from peripheral blood (through
Ficoll).
Biochemistry: analysis of protein expression (protein extraction, SDS-PAGE, western blotting,
immunofluorescence, flow cytometry). Detection and quantification of reactive oxygen species. ELISA.
Molecular Biology: principles and techniques used in analysis of nucleic acids: isolation and purification of
DNA and RNA, PCR; Real-Time PCR, cDNA synthesis, electrophoretic techniques; Sanger Sequencing,
Next Generation Sequencing; primers design.
HIV-1 genotyping for drug resistance discovery, analysis of HIV-1 coreceptor tropism by gp120 V3 region
sequencing
E6/E7 mRNA HPV test (Real-Time PCR)
Social and organizational skills
- Ability to work in group, flexibility and spirit of adaptation, ambition, accuracy, reliability, motivation to
learn
- Ability to communicate and coordinate
- Many personal interests, enthusiasm, imagination and spontaneity, ability to organize and to regulate
the working, capacity of identifying problems and searching for solutions
- Ability to organize own time
Publications
Papers published in international Journals:
1. Maria Paola Bertuccio, Monica Currò, Daniela Caccamo, Riccardo Ientile.
Dietary intake and genetic background influence vitamin needs during pregnancy.
Healthcare, 2022; 10(5):768. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10050768.
2. Janet Sultana, Salvatore Crisafulli, Mariana Almas, Ippazio Cosimo Antonazzo, Esme Baan, Claudia
Bartolini, Maria Paola Bertuccio, Fedele Bonifazi, Annalisa Capuano, Antonella Didio, Vera
Ehrenstein, Mariagrazia Felisi, Carmen Ferrajolo, Andrea Fontana, Remy Francisca, Annie Fourrier-
Reglat, Joan Fortuny, Rosa Gini, Giulia Hyeraci, Christel Hoeve, Christos Kontogiorgis, Valentina
Isgrò, Panagiotis-Nikolaos Lalagkas, Luca L'Abbate, Deborah Layton, Annalisa Landi, Silvia
Narduzzi, Leonardo Roque Pereira, Georgios Poulentzas, Concetta Rafaniello, Giuseppe
Roberto, Giulia Scondotto, Liberata Sportiello, Maddalena Toma, Massoud Toussi, Katia
Verhamme, Elisabetta Volpe, Gianluca Trifirò, On behalf the Working Group 3 of ENCePP (Inventory of
EU data sources and methodological approaches for multisource studies).
Overview of the European post-authorisation study register post-authorization studies performed in
Europe from September 2010 to December 2018.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2022; 1- 17. doi:10.1002/pds.5413
3. Maria Laura Ontario, Rosalba Siracusa, Sergio Modafferi, Maria Scuto, Sebastiano Sciuto, Valentina
Greco, Maria Paola Bertuccio, Angela Trovato Salinaro, Roberto Crea, Edward J. Calabrese, Rosanna
Di Paola, Vittorio Calabrese.
Potential Prevention and Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders by Olive Polyphenols and Hydrox.
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development. Volume 203, 2022,111637,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mad.2022.111637.
4. Currò M, Arena S, Montalto AS, Perrone P, Di Fabrizio D, Bertuccio MP, Mazzeo C, Caccamo D,
Ientile R, Romeo C, Impellizzeri P.
CO2 pneumoperitoneum effects on proliferation and apoptosis in two different neuroblastoma cell lines.
Pediatr Surg Int. 2022 Mar;38(3):457-464. doi: 10.1007/s00383-022-05063-9. Epub 2022 Jan 27. PMID:
35083505.
5. Nadia Ferlazzo, Monica Currò, Gaetano Isola, Silvia Maggio, Maria Paola Bertuccio, Angela Trovato-
Salinaro, Giovanni Matarese, Angela Alibrandi, Daniela Caccamo and Riccardo Ientile.
Changes in the Biomarkers of Oxidative/Nitrosative Stressand Endothelial Dysfunction Are Associated
with Cardiovascular Risk in Periodontitis Patients. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2021, 43, 704–715;
https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb43020051.
6. Valentina Rizzo, Nadia Ferlazzo, Monica Currò, Gaetano Isola, Marco Matarese, Maria Paola
Bertuccio, Daniela Caccamo, Giovanni Matarese, Riccardo Ientile.
Baicalin-Induced Autophagy Preserved LPS-Stimulated Intestinal Cells from Inflammation and
Alterations of Paracellular Permeability. Int J Mol Sci 2021 Feb 26;22(5):2315. doi:
10.3390/ijms22052315.
7. Ingrasciotta Ylenia, Bertuccio Maria Paola, Crisafulli Salvatore, Ientile Valentina,Muscianisi Marco,
L’Abbate Luca, Pastorello Maurizio, Provenzano Vincenzo, Scorsone Alessandro, Scondotto Salvatore,
Trifirò Gianluca.
Real world use of antidiabetic drugs in the years 2011-2017: a population-based study from Southern
Italy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 9514; doi:10.3390/ijerph17249514.
8. Marilia Rita Pinzone, Maria Paola Bertuccio, D. Jake VanBelzen, Dr. Ryan Zurakowski, Una
O'Doherty.
Next Generation Sequencing in a direct model of HIV infection reveals important parallels and
differences to in vivo reservoir dynamics. J Virol. 2020 Apr 16;94(9). pii: e01900-19. doi:
10.1128/JVI.01900-19.
9. Marilia Rita Pinzone, D. Jake VanBelzen, Sam Weissman, Maria Paola Bertuccio, LaMont Cannon,
Wei-Ting Hwang, Brad Sherman, Una O’Doherty.
Proviral sequencing suggests the majority of the HIV reservoir is expressed over time but significant
decay is obscured by clonal expansion. Nat Commun. 2019 Feb 13;10(1):728. doi: 10.1038/s41467-
019-08431-7.
10. Visalli G, Cosenza B, Mazzù F, Bertuccio MP, Spataro P, Pellicanò GF, DI Pietro A, Picerno I, Facciolà
A.
Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and risky behaviours: a survey among high school and
university students. J Prev Med Hyg 2019 June 28; 60(2): E84-E92
11. Alessio Facciolà, Annalisa Orlando, Maria Paola Bertuccio, Pasquale Spataro, Raffaele Squeri,
Angela Di Pietro, Isa Picerno, Giuseppa Visalli.
Vaccine hesitancy: an overview on parents' opinions about vaccination and possible causes of vaccine
refusal. J Public Health Res. 2019 Mar 11;8(1):1436. doi:10.4081/jphr.2019.1436.
12. Visalli G, Avventuroso E, Laganà P, Spataro P, Di Pietro A, Bertuccio MP, Picerno I.
Epidemiological HIV infection surveillance among subjects with risk behaviours in the city of Messina
(Sicily) from 1992 to 2015. J Prev Med Hyg, 2017 Sep;58(3):E211-E218.
13. Visalli G, Currò M, Iannazzo D, Pistone A, Pruiti Ciarello M, Acri G, Testagrossa B, Bertuccio MP,
Squeri R, Di Pietro A.
In vitro assessment of neurotoxicity and neuroinflammation of homemade MWCNTs. Environ Toxicol
Pharmacol, 2017 Dec;56:121-128. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2017.09.005. Epub 2017 Sep 7.
14. Giuseppa Visalli, Alessio Facciola, Maria Paola Bertuccio, Isa Picerno and Angela Di Pietro.
In vitro assessment of the indirect antioxidant activity of Sulforaphane in redox imbalance vanadiuminduced.
Natural Product Research, 2017 Nov;31(22):2612-2620.
15. Visalli G, Riso R, Facciolà A, Mondello P, Caruso C, Picerno I, Di Pietro A, Spataro P, Bertuccio MP.
Higher levels of oxidative DNA damage in cervical cells are correlated with the grade of dysplasia and
HPV infection. J Med Virol. 2016 Feb;88(2):336-44.
16. Visalli G, Baluce B, Bertuccio M, Picerno I, Di Pietro A.
Mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway in alveolar epithelial cells exposed to the metals in
combustion-generated particulate matter. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2015;78(11):697-709.
17. Giuseppa Visalli, Maria Paola Bertuccio, Daniela Iannazzo, Anna Piperno, Alessandro Pistone, Angela
Di Pietro. Toxicological assessment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on A549 human lung epithelial
cells. Toxicology in vitro 2015 Mar;29(2):352-62.
18. Giuseppa Visalli, Maria Paola Bertuccio, Isa Picerno, Pasquale Spataro, Angela Di Pietro.
Mitochondrial dysfunction by pro-oxidant vanadium: ex vivo assessment of individual susceptibility.
Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 2015 Jan;39(1):93-101.
19. Parenti R, Cardile V, Graziano AC, Parenti C, Venuti A, Bertuccio MP, Furno DL, Magro G. Wilms'
Tumor Gene 1 (WT1) Silencing Inhibits Proliferation of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor
sNF96.2 Cell Line. PLoS One. 2014 Dec 4;9(12):e114333. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114333.
eCollection 2014.
20. G. Visalli, I. Picerno, G. Vita, P. Spataro, M.P. Bertuccio. Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections
among younger subjects of the city of Messina (Sicily). Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene.
2014 March ISSN: 1121-2233.
21. Bertuccio MP, Picerno I, Celesia BM, Galvagna S, Sturniolo G, Spataro P, Visalli G. HIV Genomic
Mutations Causing Resistance to Antiretroviral Drugs in Seropositive Sicilians. Curr HIV Res. Number 1,
volume 12, 2014 ISSN (Online): 1873-4251.
22. M.P.Bertuccio, I.Picerno, M.E. Scoglio. Adherence of Aeromonas hydrophila strains to human
enterocyte-like cells pre-infected with Rotavirus. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene. 2012
September ISSN: 1121-2233.
23. Giuseppa Visalli, Maria Paola Bertuccio, Monica Currò, Giovanni Pellicanò, Giuseppe Sturniolo,
Andrea Carnevali, Pasquale Spataro, Riccardo Ientile, Isa Picerno, Vittorio Cavallari, Giuseppe
Piedimonte. Bioenergetics of T cell activation and death in HIV-1 infection. AIDS Research and Human
Retroviruses. 2011 Nov 4 ISSN: 0889-2229.
24. M.P.Bertuccio, P.Spataro, C.Caruso, I.Picerno. Detection of human papillomavirus E6/E7 mRNA in
women with high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33 e 45 which are associated with the development of
human cervical cancer. European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology. Number 1, 2011 ISSN: 0392-
2936.
25. Visalli G, Bertuccio MP, Chirico C, Pellicanò G, Spataro P, Ientile R, Picerno I, Piedimonte G. Nucleolin
relocalization with pre-lethal alterations of T cell morphology: redefining cell death in HIV infection.
Retrovirology 2010 ISSN: 1742-4690.
26. Visalli G, Paiardini M, Chirico C, Cervasi B, Curró M, Ferlazzo N, Bertuccio MP, Favaloro A, Pellicanó
G, Sturniolo G, Spataro P, Ientile R, Picerno I, Piedimonte G. Intracellular accumulation of cell cycle
regulatory proteins and nucleolin re-localization are associated with pre-lethal ultrastructural lesions in
circulating T lymphocytes: The HIV-induced cell cycle dysregulation revisited. Cell Cycle. 2010 Jun 10;
9(11) ISSN: 1538-4101.