FRANCESCA CIMA
Title: Professore associato
SSD: BIO/06 - Comparative Anatomy and Citology
Address: VIA U. BASSI, 58/B - PADOVA
Phone: 0498276198
E-mail: francesca.cima@unipd.it
Curriculum
Prof Francesca Cima was born in Padova (March 29, 1966) where she lives. In July 16, 1990 she had a degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Padova with full marks cum laude. In January 21, 1991 she was admitted into Doctorate of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Padova and in June 22, 1994 achieved the PhD 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. In June 19, 1998 she was awarded the "Paolo Gatto's national prize" of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei regarding environmental problems of the lagoon of Venice. In February 1, 1999, 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 October 1, 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 of "Comparative Anatomy and Cytology" and teaches the courses of "Cell Biology" and "Evolutionary History of Vertebrates" for the first degree in Biology. Prof Francesca Cima is a member of Unione Zoologica Italiana, Gruppo Embriologico Italiano, Associazione Italiana Naturalisti, Società di Scienze Naturali del Trentino, Società Italiana di Immunobiologia Comparata e dello Sviluppo, Society for Histochemistry, and Società Italiana di Istochimica, of which she is a member of the management board since 2018. She was advisory board member of the international journal "Applied Organometallic Chemistry" (ISSN:1099-0739, Wiley & Sons Ltd, Prof PJ Craig General Editor), and today of the international journals "European Journal od 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, 1 book editing, 1 English-to-Italian translated book chapter.
Curriculum in PDF: English CV
Research area
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.