Dept. of Biomedical Sciences (DSB) (10)

Alessandro Bertoli

EDUCATION & RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Dr. Alessandro Bertoli got a degree in Physics at the University of Genova (Italy) in 1994 and a PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Padova (Italy) in 2000. At the beginning, his scientific activity, was addressed to the electrophysiological characterization of mammalian CNS and mitochondrial ion channels ion channels. From 2000 to 2002 Dr. Bertoli had a post-doctoral at the Pharmacological Research Institute “Mario Negri” (Milano, Italy). During this period, he had the possibility to lead a research unit involved in the study of the molecular mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Aram Megighian

1988 MD degree (University of Padua)
1992 Residency in Neurology (University of Padua)
1996-1997 Research Scientist Dep of Biology (San Diego State University, USA)
1992-2010 Assistant Professor in Physiology
1997- Adjunct Professor Dep of Biology (San Diego State University, USA)
2010- Associate Professor in Physiology (DBS, University of Padua)

Research interest

Nervous system function is dedicated to translate, generate and process informations in a binary code based on neuronal electrical response: action potential.
These binary coded informations are exchanged from one neuron to the other connected by synapses in both simple and complex circuits. Eventually these informations are processed generating behavior, i.e.

Daniela Pietrobon

Education and training

1979, University of Padova, Laurea in Chemistry, Magna cum Laude.
1979-1982, Research Fellow, Institute of General Pathology, University of Padova: Energy transduction in mitochondria.
1984-1985, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept of Membrane Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel: Non-equilibrium thermodynamics of oxidative phosphorylation and kinetic modelling of mitochondrial H+ pumps.
1987-1990, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Harvard Medical School, U.S.A.: Biophysics of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels.

Employment and Research experience

1983-1991, CNR Researcher, Institute of General Pathology, University of Padova: Energy transduction in mitochondria.
1991-1993, CNR Director of Research, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Univ. of Padova: Biophysics and physiology of neuronal Ca2+ channels.

Elisa Greotti

I am currently a Research Scientist at the Neuroscience Institute of the National Research Council in Padova.

Over the last years, I have been involved in studying calcium (Ca2+) signaling in both health and disease. My research focused on the development of new tools to explore the mitochondrial functionality, generating both genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators and a new mitochondria-targeted channelrhodopsin. These methodologies are instrumental for addressing with novel approaches the role of second messenger heterogeneity in different pathophysiological conditions not only in cell cultures, but also ex vivo and in vivo.

Currently, I am interested in studying the role of organelle Ca2+ dynamics in pathophysiology, with a special focus on Alzheimer’s disease.

Gabriele Deidda

Gabriele Deidda is currently Researcher of Physiology at the Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padua.

Dr Deidda obtained his Bachelor degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Palermo (Italy) in 2007, and his Master degree in Neurobiology at the University of Pisa (Italy) in 2009 with a thesis on the role of insuline-like growth factor (IGF-1) in the development of the visual system, under the supervision of Prof. Nicoletta Berardi. He obtained his PhD in Neuroscience at the Italian Institute of Technology in 2014 (Genoa, Italy) working in Dr Laura Cancedda’s Lab. During his PhD studies, Dr Deidda studied the role of GABAergic transmission during neurodevelopment, maldevelopment and plasticity using in vitro electrophysiological techniques and anatomical techniques including in utero electroporation and immunohistochemistry.

Ivan Marchionni

January 2017 – Present Assistant Professor of Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Italy

May 2015 – December 2016 Senior Post-Doctorate, Synaptic Neuroscience Center, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy

October 2014 – March 2015 Assistant Project Scientists II, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine (UCI), USA.

 July 2011 – September 2014 Assistant Project Scientists I, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine (UCI), USA.

November 2007 – June 2011 Post-Doctorate, Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (USA)

May 2003 – October 2007 PhD in Molecular Neuroscience SISSA/ISAS (International School for Advanced Studies) Trieste, Italy

September 1995 – February 2002 Degree in Biological Sciences (specialization in Molecular Biology) University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ Italy

Marco Dal Maschio

Present position
Associate Professor of Physiology, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padua.

Bio sketch
Marco Dal Maschio obtained the degree in Physics at the University of Padova in 2002. After completing a PhD in Biotechnologies, he undertook postdoctoral research first at the Italian Institute of Technology, Dept. Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, (Genua, Italy), and then at the Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology, Dept. Genes-Circuits-Behavior (Martinsried, Germany).

Research Interests
Is it possible to link neuronal activity to functional architectures supporting behavior? A growing toolbox of experimental and analysis methods allows to start addressing these questions in awake or even freely behaving animal models.

Maria Pennuto

Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova

I got the Master in Science degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy, in 1996.

In 2000, I obtained the PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Milan, Italy. During the PhD program, I studied the molecular mechanisms that regulate the interaction and sorting of the synaptic vesicle proteins (Mentor: Prof. F. Valtorta).

In between 2001-2004, I carried out a post-doctorate in the Lab of Dr L. Wrabetz at the S. Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, where I worked on the characterization of the pathogenetic mechanisms of neurodegeneration of a mouse model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1B neuropathy.

Stefano Vassanelli

Present position

Associate professor of Physiology
Lecturer at the Medical, Bioengineering, Pharmacological Sciences and Galilean schools.

Biosketch

Stefano Vassanelli graduated cum Laude in Medicine at the University of Padova and his doctoral thesis was awarded with the “Casati” price from the “Accademia Nationale dei Lincei”.

After completing a PhD in molecular biology and pathology he undertook postdoctoral research first at the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Dpt. of Biochemistry, (Portland. Oregon, USA), and then at the Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Dpt. Membrane and Neurophysics (Martinsried, Germany) working on brain-chip interfaces for high-resolution recording of neuronal networks.

Since 2001 he is leading the Neurochip laboratory at the University of Padova with main focus on development of high-density neural interfaces and their use for investigation of information processing mechanisms in brain microcircuits.

Tito Calì

Today: Associate Professor, University of Padova.

2017: Assistant Professor, (RTDB) Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova.

2015-2016: Assistant Professor, (RTDA) Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova.

2013-2015: Senior Research Associate, University of Padova.

2009-2013: Junior Research Associate, University of Padova.

2008: PhD Degree “in signi cum laude”, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, Theodor Kocher institute, University of Bern (CH) and Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Bellinzona (CH).

2005: Doctor in Biological Sciences 110/110 “Cum Laude”, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, University of L’Aquila and Centre d’Immunologie Marseille Luminy (CIML).

Selected Publications

Calì T, et al. The ataxia related G1107D mutation of the plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase isoform 3 affects its interplay with calmodulin and the autoinhibition process.