ACADEMIC POSITIONS 2018 to present: Associate Professor of Physiology at the Department of Biology, University of Padova 2008 – 2018: Assistant Professor of Physiology at the Department of Biology, University of Padova 2006 – 2008: Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Biology, University of Padova 2003 – 2006: Junior Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Chemistry, University of Padova EDUCATION AND TRAINING 2013: Academic visitor (6 months) at the Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, UK 2007: EMBO short-term fellowship (3 months), Cell Biology Laboratory at the National Institute on Aging (NIA/NIH), USA 2002: PhD in Structural Biology at the Polytechnical School of Paris/Palaiseau, France 1999: MSc in Chemistry at the University of Padua, Italy RESEARCH INTERESTS For over 20 years, I have been interested in the analysis of the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders with particular emphasis on Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and, more recently, neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). My main interest is focused on the interplay between protein aggregation, metal dyshomeostasis, autophagic impairment, mitochondrial dysfunction, and redox unbalance. A better understanding of the fine-tuning of physiological redox signaling and the cellular redox alterations associated with neurodegenerative disorders is crucial for developing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. RESEARCH OUTPUT (9/9/2025) N° of publications: 62 peer-reviewed papers, 1 book chapter N° of citations: 3117/4384 (Scopus/Google Scholar) h-index: 35/40 (Scopus/Google Scholar) ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3968-8418

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The research activity concerns the study of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and rare forms of neurodegeneration associated with iron accumulation using both cellular and Drosophila pathological models TECHNIQUES In our laboratory, we used the main biochemical (western blots, enzymatic assays, etc.) and imaging (epifluorescence, confocal microscopy, etc.) techniques. Behavioral tests are also carried out on flies

In the lab, we are interested in understanding the molecular determinants underlying the pathogenesis of different neurodegenerative disorders. By exploiting both cellular and Drosophila melanogaster models of the disorders, we investigate the contribution of neurons and glial cells to the pathologies. Currently, we have open positions on the following topics: 1) Analysis of the involvement of ferroptosis in a Drosophila melanogaster model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2) Assessment of the physiological role of the protein C19orf12 involved in a genetic form of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation

Last update: 08/10/2025