VANESSA CHECCHETTO
Title: Ricercatore a tempo determinato di tipo A
SSD: BIO/10 - Biochemistry
Address: VIA U. BASSI, 58/B - PADOVA
Phone: 0498276336
E-mail: vanessa.checchetto@unipd.it
Curriculum
EDUCATION 2020 – present: Non-tenured assistant professor (RTDa) Department of Biology/University of Padova/ Italy 2018 – present: Habilitation for Associate Professorship 05/E1 (BIO/10– General Biochemistry), Habilitation for Associate Professorship 05/A2 (BIO/04 – Plant Physiology) 2011: Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biotechnology - curriculum in Biotechnology, University of Padua, Italy. 2006: Master’s degree in Industrial Biotechnology (summa cum laude), University of Padua, Italy. 2004: First degree in Biotechnology - Biotechnology, University of Padua, Italy. INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES -Didactic responsibilities of the training activities of: - English Language B2 (Receptive Skills) of the bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences, - English Language B2 (Productive Skills) of the master’s degree in Natural Sciences. -Member of the Committee for editorial board and communication of the Department of Biology, University of Padova/Italy TEACHING ACTIVITIES 2020 – present: Teaching position as non-tenured assistant professor. Topic: Experimental Biochemistry, 3rd year of Degree Course in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, 1st year of Degree Course in Biotechnology. Total = 56 hours. Department of biology/ University of Padua/ Italy. 2017 – 2018: Teaching position as contract lecturer for the Course of Biochemistry 1, Degree Course in Biology, Degree Course in Biology (32 hours). Department of biology, University of Padova, Italy. 2016 – 2017: Teaching position as contract lecturer for the Course of advanced molecular plant biology, Master's Degree Course in Biomolecular science and evolution, (48 hours). Department of life science and biotechnologies, University of Ferrara, Italy. 2008 – 2020: Integrative/laboratory class teaching for several bachelor’s and master's degree courses at the University of Padua (total hours 238)
Curriculum in PDF: English CV
Research area
From 2010 to 2021 I published 34 peer-reviewed papers, several of them in high-impact journals, e.g., Nature, Science, PNAS, Molecular Cell, and main author and 3 in international books. Among these publications, in 14 articles I am first or co-first author, in 1 article I am co-last author and in 5 articles I am corresponding author. In 28 articles I am an author without my Ph.D. supervisor as co-author. Also, I am the author or co-author of 4 conference papers and 1 abstract in conference proceedings. My main contribution to the field of ion channels concerns the discovery/characterization of 3 mitochondrial ion channels with a proven high impact on cancer cell behavior (MCU, VDACs and PTP). I contributed to our understanding of the regulation of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) and gave a crucial contribution to the characterization of VDAC3 and the discovery that it acts as a redox sensor in the intermembrane space of mitochondria. I furthermore participated in the studies to identify the molecular components of the permeability transition pore (PTP). Finally, I identified the molecular components of the mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel, important for cardioprotection. I became exposed to research on cancer and now I am willing to comprehend how cancer-related ion channels can be regulated by interaction partners.