Our lab focuses on the study of the molecular mechanisms of brain diseases, including Parkinson's disease, neuronopathic Gaucher disease and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, using a wide range of biochemical, bioimaging and cell biology methods, in vitro, in cell and animal models. Our research has been funded by different national and international funding agencies, including MJFF, Telethon, SPF. PRESENT POSITIONS August 2025 – present: Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Padova (Italy) PAST POSITIONS: August 2022 – July 2025: Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Padova (Italy) March 2019 – July 2022: Senior postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biology, University of Padova (Italy) April 2018 – March 2019: Fondazione Veronesi Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biology, University of Padova (Italy) April 2015 – March 2018: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow and Research Associate, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UK) April 2014 – March 2015: Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biology, University of Padova (Italy) April 2013 – March 2014: Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia (Italy) March 2012 – September 2012: Visiting Scientist, Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University ofCalifornia, Irvine (USA) EDUCATION AND TRAINING January 2010 – March 2013: PhD in Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Padova, Italy. October 2007 – October 2009: Master of Science in Physics, University of Trento, Italy. September 2004 – October 2007: Bachelor of Science in Physics, University of Trento, Italy.

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Our research interests focus on the molecular mechanisms that govern neuronal homeostasis and on the pathways that are deregulated in brain diseases, especially in Parkinson’s disease and in rare hereditary neurodegenerative disorders, such as neuronopathic Gaucher disease and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. In particular, we are interested in the role of the glucocerebrosidases GBA1 and GBA2, which are key regulators of the metabolism of glucosylceramides and glucosylcholesterol, in healthy neurons and in the etiology of these diseases. The impact of mutated GBA1 and GBA2 on the function of lysosomes, mitochondria and other organelles, as well as the dyshomeostasis of the substrates and products of these enzymes are currently investigated, to understand how they can alter the overall neuronal function. To this aim we employ biochemistry, cell biology and fluorescence and TEM imaging methods, and a range of cellular and animal models, including patient-derived fibroblasts and iPSC-derived cells, and mice and zebrafish models carrying disease-associated mutations. The final goal of our research is to understand how neuronal homeostasis is maintained, to identify novel therapeutic approaches for these devastating and incurable disorders.

1) Evaluation of the molecular mechanisms at the basis of organelle dysfunction in neurodegenerative disorders associated to defective glucocerebrosidases. (Master Students in Molecular Biology, Biologia Sanitaria, Biotechnology and similar). 2) Machine-learning based models for the analysis of organelles and neurons in confocal and TEM images (in collaboration with Prof. Sales). (Master Students in Quantitative and Computational Biosciences) 3) Study on the importance of the homeostasis of glucosylsterols in healthy and disease neurons. (Master Students in Molecular Biology, Biologia Sanitaria, Biotechnology and similar).

Last update: 01/09/2025