research areas

Biology of Alzheimer's

Studying the molecular basis of Alzheimer’s disease, in particular the influence of cholesterol and other factors on the processing of the amyloid precursor protein, by means of single molecule tracking and flow cytometry.

Drug diffusion in CNS

Investigating the release from nanoparticles and diffusion of drugs by means of single molecule tracking within the context of nose to brain delivery of biopharmaceuticals to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

Lysosomal storage diseases

Translating basic research methods (e.g., specific fluorescent labeling, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry) to the clinical diagnosis of rare infantile metabolic neurodegenerative diseases, such as GM1 Gangliosidosis and Gaucher's disease.

Funding

Current

  • 2023 Participant to the project selected within the PRIN 2022 call funded by MUR “OPTO-19F-LUIDICS: fluorinated hybrid photopolymers for the fabrication of robust diagnostic optofluidic devices”  Total funding: 84.050,00 €
  • 2023 Participant to the project selected for the Universtity of Florence Progetti di ricerca a carattere problem driven, financed by EU–Next Generation, “Fluorinated pharmacological chaperones for Parkinson’s disease in drug-delivery studies” Total funding: 75.000,00 €
  • 2020 Research unit responsible within the project H2020 MSCA ITN 2020 “Nose-to-Brain Delivery of Biopharmaceuticals: A design-based approach for efficient drug delivery systems” (EU project 956977 – Home Bio2Brain) Unit funding: 261.499,68 €
  • 2020 Research unit responsible within the project BANDO RICERCA SALUTE REGIONE TOSCANA 2018 “Late onset Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) in the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases: development of new diagnostic procedures and focus on potential pharmacological chaperones (PCs)” Detail Project and Funding CNR–INO Unit funding: 100.000,00 €

Past

  • 2021 recipient of a donation from Gain Therapeutics biotech company: 22.000,00 €
  • 2017 Participant to the project selected for ENTE CASSA DI RISPARMIO 2016 “Una nuova microscopia di forza per svelare i meccanismi di differenziazione delle cellule staminali umane” Total funding: 55.000,00 €
  • 2016 Research unit responsible within the project H2020 NMBP-2016-2017 “Nose to Brain Delivery of NG-101 via the Olfactory Region for the Regenerative Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis Using Novel Multi-functional Biomaterials Combined with a Medical Device” (N2B-Patch GA No. 721098) Unit funding: 227.500,00 €
  • 2016 Participant to the project selected for ENTE CASSA DI RISPARMIO 2015 “Caratterizzazione delle cascate di segnalazione e di trascrizione indotte dall’interazione membrane-amiloide” Total funding: 50.000,00 €
  • 2014 Research unit responsible within the project from the Italian Ministry of Health selected for Giovani ricercatori 2012-2013 funding “Automated digital scanning and diagnosis of tissues using multimodal non-linear optical microscopy” (GR-2011-02349626) Unit funding: 96.500,00 €
  • 2011 Research unit responsible within the project selected for FIRB Futuro in Ricerca 2010 funding (RBFR109EOS_004) “Dalle conoscenze di base riguardanti la dinamica dell’autoaggregazione della Beta2 microglobulina alla scoperta di nuovi inibitori dell’amiloidogenesi” Unit funding: 221.500,00 €
  • 2011 Participant to the project selected for PRIN 2009 funding (2009KN2FBM_002) “Determinanti molecolari alla base delle alterazioni funzionali di cardomiociti nella cardiomiopatia amilotica familiare” Unit funding: 46.731,00 €
  • 2010 Marie Curie IEF fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF-254791) “Dissecting Alzheimer’s disease at a single molecule level” Total funding: 164.458,60 €