EDUCATION
1997: PhD in Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Toxicology, La Sapienza University, Rome
1992: M.Sc.in Biology magna cum laude, La Sapienza University, Rome
POSIZIONE ATTUALE
Since 2010: Research Director, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome
ESPERIENZE PROFESSIONALI
2005-2009: Researcher, Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Plasticity, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS
2002-2004: Post-doc, Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Plasticity, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS
1999-2001: Post-doc, Dept. Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata
1997-1998: Post-doc, Dept. Pharmacology and Toxicology, Italian National Institute of Health
1994-1996: student of the PhD course in Pharmacology, della scuola di dottorato in Farmacologia, Pharmacognosy and Toxicology
1993: Fellowship project funded by Sigma-Tau, Dept. Biology and Biotechnology, La Sapienza University
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Since 2000: Characterization of striatal cholinergic interneuron physiology and of the role of acetylcholine in the modulation of corticostriatal synaptic transmission, long-term synaptic plasticity, and overall basal ganglia function.
Since 2006: Analysis of the role of a striatal acetylcholine-dopamine imbalance in the alterations of corticostriatal synaptic plasticity in experimental models of movement disorders (dystonia and Parkinson's disease).
Since 2008: Postnatal developmental investigation of striatal synaptic function in models of early-onset neurological conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders.
EDITORIAL ACTIVITY
2020- Associate Editor: Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience
2020- Editorial Board member: Neurobiology of Disease
2020- Editorial Board member: International Journal of Molecular Sciences, section "Molecular Neurobiology"
Reviewer for international journals: British Journal of Pharmacology; European Journal of Neuroscience; Experimental Neurology; Frontiers in Neurology; Journal of Neurochemistry; Neurobiology of Disease; Neurochemistry International; Neuroscience; Progress in Neurobiology; Science Translational Medicine; Synapse; The Cerebellum; The Journal of Neuroscience.
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
- 2023-2026: Member of Scientific Commission, Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS, Belgio).
- Expert evaluator: Czech Science Foundation; Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO); Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR, France).
- Invited speaker at national and international meetings (among others: Amino Acids & Proteins 2005, WCBR 2007, IBRO 2011, Dystonia and Parkinson’s Disease Biennial Workshop 2013, Dystonia Europe 2015, Dystonia and Parkinson’s Disease Biennial Workshop 2019, Italian Society for Neuroscience 2019).
COMPLETE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
Orcid: 0000-0001-5940-9028; Scopus author ID: 6701832586; ResearcherID: K-4688-2012