Prof Francesca Cima is Associate Professor of "Comparative Anatomy, Cell Biology and Developmental Biology" at the Department of Biology (DiBio), University of Padova. In 1990, she had a degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Padova with full marks cum laude. In 1991, she was admitted as PhD student of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Padova and, in 1994, achieved the PhD qualification with her dissertation "Haemocytes and immunity in the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri". From 1996 to 1998, she obtained a two-year postdoctoral fellowship concerning the research field "Evolutionary Biology" in the Department of Biology. She was awarded the "Paolo Gatto's national prize" of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei regarding environmental problems of the Lagoon of Venice. From 1999 to 2001, she obtained a two-year research collaboration fellowship in the project entitled "Differentiation and cell interactions in Tunicates" with a further two-year renewal. In 2000, she was the Scientific Chief of the Research Project for Young Researchers entitled "Development of new bioindicators and biomarkers for the study of environmental impact by organotin compounds on coastal ecosystems". In 2001, she obtained a master in "Microscope analysis techniques in biological sciences" at the University of Pavia. From 2005 to 2018 she was Assistant Professor in "Comparative Anatomy and Citology" at the Department of Biology, University of Padova. Since 2019, she is Associate Professor and teaches the courses of "Cell Biology" and "Evolutionary History of Vertebrates" for the first degree in Biology, and "Principles of Animal Biology" for the first degree in Natural and Environmental Sciences. She is a member of Italian Zoological Union, Italian Embryological Group, Italian Association of Naturalists, Natural Sciences Society of Trentino, Italian Society of Comparative and Developmental Immunobiology, Society for Histochemistry, and Italian Society of Histochemistry, of which she was a member of the management board in 2018-2021. She has been advisory board member of international journals such as "Applied Organometallic Chemistry" (ISSN:1099-0739, Wiley & Sons Ltd, Prof PJ Craig General Editor), "European Journal of Histochemistry" (ISSN: 1121-760X, PAGEPress; Editor in Chief: C. Pellicciari), and "Journal of Marine Science and Engineering" (ISSN: 2077-1312; Editor in Chief: Prof. T. Clare). Her research activity is documented by more than 200 in extenso scientific publications, contributions to international congresses, contributions to national congresses, book chapters; she is also author of 1 monograph, 2 book editings, 1 English-to-Italian translated book chapter.

Curriculum PDF File

1. COMPARATIVE IMMUNOBIOLOGY OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES (TUNICATES, BIVALVES, SIPUNCULA) a) Haemocyte lines and immunesurveillance in marine invertebrates with a focus on tunicates (Ascidians and Thaliaceans) b) Immunotoxicity and bioaccumulation of anti-fouling compounds in coastal marine invertebrates used as bioindicators (ascidians, bivalves, sea urchins, sipuncula, soft corals) 2. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY a) Apoptosis and colonial cycle in the ascidian Botryllus schlosseri b) Embryotoxicity and alterations of larval development by antifouling compounds in marine invertebrates c) Spermatogenesis in Appendicularians d) Morpho-functional aspects of the alimentary canal of Ascidians, Thaliaceans and Appendicularians.