Neuroscience

Analysis of brain organs and neuronal tissues to understand their physiological, pathological and toxicological homeostasis and devise pharmacological solutions to neuronal diseases

The research activities of this scope focus their efforts on the nervous system at several levels: organ, tissue, microenvironment and single cells, with molecular physiology approaches, as well as metabolomics, transcriptomics and biochemistry. This study develops and employs models to understand the functioning of neuronal systems in physiological conditions or in the presence of genetic disorders and pathological conditions, focusing on the development of new strategies to deal with neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.

The development of new drugs to slow down and stop such diseases implements several technologies from the fields of pharmaceutical chemistry and neuropharmacology, focusing also on increasing drug delivery efficiency to brain and neuronal targets.

Research groups

People

Monica Baiula

Associate Professor

keywords: Integrin, Drug discovery, Inflammation, Molecular Pharmacology

Federica Belluti

Associate Professor

keywords: natural products, multititarget drug discovery, design and synthesis of small molecules, antineurodegenetive small

Christian Bergamini

Associate Professor

keywords: Mitochondria, Mitochondrial electron transfer chain, Reactive Oxygen Species, Coenzyme Q10

Roberto Bernardoni

Assistant professor

keywords: Animal models of molecular mechanisms related to the onset and progression of childhood neuroblastoma, autism spectrum

Maria Laura Bolognesi

Full Professor

keywords: multitarget drug discovery, design and synthesis, neglected tropical diseases, prion diseases, Alzheimer's disease,

Renato Brandimarti

Assistant professor

Laura Calzà

Full Professor

keywords: animal models, neural stem cells, neurotrophins, embryonic stem cell, neurotransmitter

Gabriele Campana

Assistant professor

keywords: bile acid, neonatal stress, POMC, FXR, opioids

Marco Caprini

Associate Professor

Lucia Carboni

Associate Professor

keywords: peripheral biomarkers, Alzheimer's disease, drug discovery, mood disorders, nicotine dependence

Elisabetta Cuna

PhD Student

Teaching tutor

keywords: Chronic pain - opioid - combinational therapies - Quantitative Systems Pharmacology

Anna Maria Ghelli

Associate Professor

keywords: mitochondria, Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, apoptosis, complex I, OPA1, Dominant Optic Atrophy, cancer

Federico Manuel Giorgi

Associate Professor

keywords: Bioinformatics, Transcriptomics, Gene Networks, Plant Biology, Cancer Biology, Genomics, Biostatistics

Patrizia Hrelia

Full Professor

keywords: Toxicity, Neuroprotection, Chemoprevention, Pharmacogenetic, Preventive medicine, Cancer, Biomarkers

Luisa Iommarini

Associate Professor

keywords: mitochondria, cancer, tumor, metabolism, hypoxia, oxidative phosphorylation

Loredana Maria Losapio

PhD Student

Borsista di Ricerca

keywords: Neuroscience, Endocannabinoids, Gene expression, Opioid peptides, Drugs of abuse

Paolo Mangione

PhD Student

Francesca Massenzio

Fixed-term Researcher in Tenure Track L. 79/2022

keywords: neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, glia, neurons, drug screening, ALS, AGC1-deficiency

Laura Mercolini

Associate Professor

keywords: Drugs of abuse, Anti-doping analysis, Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), Analysis of natural compounds, Liquid

Barbara Monti

Full Professor

keywords: neurodevelopmental disorders, AGC1-deficiency, Angelman syndrome, neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease,

Fabiana Morroni

Associate Professor

keywords: Alzheimer's disease, Bioactive compounds, Neuroprotection, Parkinson's disease, Neurodegeneration

Moreno Paolini

Full Professor

keywords: Chemoprevention, Cocancerogenesis, Free radicals, Phytochemicals, Cytochrome P450

Eleonora Poeta

Research fellow

Cecilia Prata

Associate Professor

keywords: Nutraceuticals, Signal transduction, NAD(P)H oxidases, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), Aquaporins, Antioxidants

Michele Protti

Senior assistant professor (fixed-term)

keywords: Analytical methods, Microsampling, Sample pretreatment, doping agents, Drugs of abuse, SNC drugs, Biological and

Patrizia Romualdi

Full Professor

keywords: gene expression, neuropeptides, opioid peptides, neurodegeneration, addictive drugs

Giusy Tespio

PhD Student

keywords: liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, analytical method development, sample stability, microsampling, banned

Elisa Uliassi

Senior assistant professor (fixed-term)

keywords: polypharmacology, multi-target-directed-ligand, neurodegenerative diseases, neglected tropical diseases

Giampaolo Zuccheri

Assistant professor

Neuroscience

Research groups

People