PhD in CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

email: ciriolo@bio.uniroma2.it
phone: 0672594369
building: SOGENE
room: 369

Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata"

Coordinator of the Ph.D. school in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata"

EDUCATION

1980 University of Rome “La Sapienza”: Doctor of Biology cum laude

1988 University of Yeshiva, New York, NY, USA: Specialization in Pharmacology with honors

CHRONOLOGY OF EMPLOYMENT

1980-1983: Research fellow, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy

1983-1994: Researcher, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy

1986-1988: Research Associate, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)

1994-2002: Full Professor, University of Chieti "G. D'Annunzio", Chieti, Italy

2002- to present: Full Professor, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy

2007- to present: Head of laboratory “Biochemistry of Ageing” IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy

2019- to present: Coordinator of the PhD school in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata"

TEACHINGS

Biochemistry - Bachelor's Degree Course in Biological Sciences

Biochemistry - Degree Course in Pharmacy

Biochemistry of Nutrition - Master's Degree Course in Nutrition Sciences

Biochemistry Laboratory - Bachelor’s Degree Course in Biological Sciences

AWARDS and ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Best Scientist in the world according to the Plos Biology Journal in 2020 (doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000918) and among the Top Italian Scientists in Biomedical Sciences (https://topitalianscientists.org).

1988: Performance of duties as Research Associate in Molecular Pharmacology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA

2011: Certificate of Appreciation for the contribution and dedicated service as a reviewer to ACS Journals.

2018-2022: Certificate of Appreciation as an Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports

2014: Member (Validation Team) of the Halifax Project “Getting to Know Cancer”.

2014-2020: President of the “Commissione Paritetica Studenti Docenti” of the Department of Biology of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.

2021-to today: Member of the Presidium of Quality of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.

EDITORIAL ACTIVITY

Editor: Scientific Reports; Genes & Nutrition; Frontiers in Cancer: Molecular Targets and Therapeutics; MAP Kinase; Trends in Cell & Molecular Biology; Reactive Oxygen Species; Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity; Nutrients.

Guest Editor: Antioxidants and Redox Signaling – Forum Issue on “Redox Control of Apoptosis”; Nutrients – Special issue on “Glutathione Metabolism”; Scientific Reports – Cancer Cell Metabolism; Cells – Forum Issue on “The Role of Adipose Tissue in Metabolic Diseases and Beyond”; Frontiers in Oncology - "Hallmark of Cancer: Sustained Proliferative Signalling".

SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTIVITY AND IMPACT

Author of more than 210 papers in high-ranking journals; 20 book chapters and 140 abstracts of International and National Congresses. (H-index 66, Total citations > 21000, from Scopus).

GRANTS (most recent)

- AIRC (Italian Association for Cancer Research) - IG - 2023 ID 29207 - Unveiling the oncogenic functions of MSTO1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (2024-2029).

- MUR-(Italian Ministry of University and Research) – PRIN 2022 - 2022C4X4W4_002 - The biochemical and clinical significance of lactate metabolism in patients with myelofibrosis: a new target to improve the clinical outcome (2023-2025)

- HEAL ITALIA: PNRR – Missione 4 Componente 2, “Dalla ricerca all’impresa” Investimento 1.3, “Partenariati estesi alle Università, ai Centri di Ricerca, alle aziende per il finanziamento di progetti di ricerca di base” codice identificativo MUR PE00000019 (2022-2025).

- MNESYS: PNRR – Missione 4 Componente 2, “Dalla ricerca all’impresa” Investimento 1.3, “Partenariati estesi alle università, ai centri di ricerca, alle aziende per il finanziamento di progetti di ricerca di base” codice identificativo MUR PE00000006 (2022-2025).

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Ciriolo’s main research deals with oxygen and nitrogen free radicals (ROS/RNS) and redox signaling and their involvement in the pathophysiology of cancer, inflammatory diseases, metabolic disorders, and neurological defects. She deeply dissects the sources of ROS and RNS in the biological system and the downstream oxidative stress. The oxidative stress-mediated cell death through different signaling mechanisms such as mitochondrial impairment, cell-cycle arrest, DNA damage response, inflammation, regulation of transcription factors and protein, and lipid peroxidation is also studied together with various signaling pathways such as apoptosis, ferroptosis and autophagy.