Faculty members

Research topics

Development and validation of combined methodologies to characterize ‘multi-target directed ligands’ for decreasing the risk of neurodegeneration:

1) development of combined analytical methodologies (mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, circular dichroism and surface plasmon resonance) for the in vitro target characterization and elucidation of the mechanism of ligand-target interaction.

2) Isolation and structural characterization of new compounds of natural origin (plants, foods extracts) and in vitro evaluation of their neuroprotective effect such as conformational changes of Aß peptide, tau protein hyper-phosphorylation and inhibition of enzymes involved in amyloid plaque and neuroifibrillary tangles formation.

Research topics

The main fields of research are nutritional biochemistry and cellular biochemistry.

The main research interests are:

-      identification of preventive strategies to counteract chronic-degenerative diseases by dietetic compounds

-      study of the modulation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in neurodegeneration by natural and synthetic compounds

study of the role of nutraceuticals in increasing lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster.

Research topics

1. Study of medicinal and food plants, analysis of different classes of specialized metabolites in plants and derived products and evaluation of in vitro bioassays. This research field involves the preparation of raw extracts and fractions enriched in particular classes of specialized metabolites, their analysis through spectrophotometric and chromatographic techniques, and the evaluation of in vitro antioxidant power and other enzyme activities.

2. Study of the response of plants to abiotic stress and of the role of plant extracts as biostimulants in modulating stress responses. In particular, extracts prepared from waste products from the processing of different plant matrices are studied for their potential use as biostimulants, i.e. agents that are able to improve the growth and development performance of plants, and to modulate the response of the plant itself abiotic stress

Research topics

The research activities are mainly focused on strength and conditioning and on resistance exercise. Training periodization (planning of the training workloads and contents within a training program) represents one of the main field of interest. The research activity includes several training studies comparing the different periodization models, taking into account the historical aspects and the specific terminology, giving a contribution to the adoption of a common language worldwide. The research activity also investigates the acute and chronic responses to the different training paradigms, studying the effects on performance, recovery, hormones and muscle architecture. Recently, sex differences on strength and muscle quality have been investigated and new training strategies and devices have been developed.

Research topics

The research activities are carried on in a multidisciplinary environment aimed at evaluating human movement in different application contexts, such as kinesiology, joint biomechanics, sports medicine, promotion of lifestyles. In particular, the research activity refers to areas such as:

• Promotion of physical activity to improve the quality of life
• Evaluation of movement kinematics using non-invasive technologies
• New methods for the treatment of limb amputations by osseointegration
• Innovative technologies for the evaluation of stability and articular kinematics through static and dynamic Roentgen Stereophotogrammetric Analysis (RSA)

Research Topics

• Role of cannabinoid, vanilloid, and kappa-opioid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract, under both physiological (e.g., intestinal motility) and pathological conditions (e.g., inflammation and cancer);
• Ethnopharmacological studies on medicinal plants and their active principles used in traditional medicine;
• Clinical pharmacology of medicinal plants;
• Nutritional pharmacology

Research topics

My studies are oriented towards the developmental age both in school and extra-school education. In particular, he studies didactic strategies and methodologies, in the field of Physical Activities and Physical Education, referring to health and well-being in the different ages of development, with particular attention to preschool and school age. I am interested in the educational strategies of Outdoor Education, Embodied Education and Cooperative Learning as inclusive frame for the education and prevention of the youth generation.

Research topics

My research activity focuses on the biomechanics and the energetics of human locomotion in the water environment. I am particularly interested in analyzing the swimmer’s drag and how the hydrodynamic resistance influences the mechanical and physiological responses, also in based exercises like gait in water. Swimming performance optimization, swimming training and human energy cost are other keywords of my research topics. More recent interest regards human movement analysis through modern wearable technologies to understand the main determinants of human aquatic movement for motor learning and performance.

Research topics

The main research interests include sports performance analysis and training methodology in competitive athletes, with particular focus on the biomechanics and bioenergetics of running, aerobic fitness testing, the implementation and assessment of post-training and post-competition recovery strategies, and match analysis in team sports

Research topics

1) Antitumor Pharmacology

- Identification of plant-derived compounds with potential cancer chemopreventive activity and definition of their mechanism of action at cellular and molecular levels.

- Preclinical development of phytochemicals and their synthetic derivatives as antitumor drugs.

2) Cellular and Genetic Toxicology

- Investigation of critical cellular and molecular events related to carcinogenesis induced by exposure to xenobiotics (drugs, phytochemicals, pesticides, sport supplements, etc.).

- Cytoprotective effects and safety of sport supplements.

Research topics

- identification of circulating biomarkers (microRNAs and proteins) of treatment response in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients in order to (1) stratify patients towards the best therapeutic strategy and (2) identify early onset of resistance during treatment.

- in vitro (2D, 3D and organoid cell cultures) and in vivo (xenograft and rat hepatocellular carcinoma model) characterization of molecular pathways involved in the process of tumor progression, metabolic reprogramming and resistance. In particular, the involvement of hepatocarcinoma-specific microRNAs in the phenomenon of multi-drug resistance is investigated in order to identify innovative therapeutic strategies based on the combination of microRNAs and molecularly targeted drugs or immunotherapy.

Research topics

My research interests are in the areas of philosophy of medicine and healthcare, and in the philosophy of psychiatry. In the past I published on the philosophy of psychology, specifically on concepts and categorization, and on linguistic relativity. My broad view is that philosophical analysis and scientific research can profitably collaborate on the same problems, with different methods. Philosophy can clarify scientists' problems and claims, and propose new ethical or conceptual questions

My current research topics include:

The definition and operationalization of the cobcepts of health, wellness and quality of life

Epistemological and conceptual issues in advanced medical imaging

Definition of mental disorder, adequacy of current psychiatric nosologies and alternatives

Philosophical issues in Medical and Healthcare Communication

Please see my publication list for details, and for less recent research topics

Research topics

We studied the effects of the compensatory response to physical effort in sedentary subjects and in subjects practicing sports, of different sex and age. In particular, the components of neuromuscular and transportation and consumption of O2, in order to determine loads and intensive work aimed to appropriate educational objectives, estimates, fitness, recovery and allenanti related to motor activity have been studied issues concerning the effects hypokinetic syndrome in the elderly and considered, on the one hand the central role of physical inactivity in determining the alterations and disorders morphofunctional that, in this age, amount to situations of impairment and, on the other hand the benefits of a correct program of movement . ave been designed, developed and tested non-invasive methods of evaluation aimed at examining the morphofunctional parameters that are at the base of skilled human performance.An examination of systems of motor action with increasingly sophisticated technologies has enabled us to develop a submaximal test, then administered a large population, which outlines reliably form the outline of the state of the individual (TOP: Test Of Performance ).We have designed a system that can simultaneously acquire information of a morphological-structural and physical parameters related to them: an integrated system for real-time acquisition of the angular positions of the levers, the forces exerted by the arts and motion pictures (System FAR - Simultaneous Acquisition of Analog Signals and Images).

Research topics

he main research fields are nutritional biochemistry and cellular biochemistry.

The main research interests are:

- the study of strategies to reduce the risk of chronic / degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative ones, through the identification of nutraceutical compounds in the prevention and counteraction of cell damage following different type of stresses;

- the study of the signal transduction pathways involved in the adaptive response to physical exercise;

- the study of bioactive and nutraceutical compounds as modulators of signal transduction pathways at the cellular level.

Research topics

Development, validation and application of novel sampling, pre-treatment and analysis of biologically active compounds in complex matrices. Development and implementation of low-invasivity microsampling techniques.

Extraction and separation, green analytical chemistry (GAC) of specialised metabolites from plants (medicinal plants, food, food supplements).

Original analytical methods for the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of Central Nervous System agents, for substance of abuse analysis and for anti-doping testing.

Research topics

Investigation of human performance, fatigue and physical activity behaviour using an interdisciplinary approach that combines exercise physiology with motivation psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Specific areas of research include but are not limited to:

●The psychobiology of endurance performance;

●Mental fatigue and human performance;

●Development of novel interventions to facilitate physical activity behaviour in the general population;

●Fatigue in clinical populations (e.g. cancer-related fatigue and fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis).

Research topics

The research aims to define a set of significant indicators for the evaluation of sustainable tourism projects in the cultural field, underlining the role of culture in limiting the seasonality effects.

The main research fields of the last four years have been culture and cultural projects for local development, with a deep focus on promotion and cultural tourism related strategies. The role of World Heritage Sites and their management plans for the development of the local economy has been also studied, using a typical economic geography approach. Current research is voted to the definition of significant indicators for the monitoring phase of cultural tourism projects and the evaluation of their sustainability.

The field research will focus on the definition of monitoring tools concerning the management strategies of WHS and of cultural routes, considered as resources for local development. The analysis will take into consideration best practices and pathologies in divverent local systems (weak and strong ones) comparing the implementation of different policies and/or partnership in order to acheive better results in terms of economic and social benefits.

After having analized the most common methodologies used in WHS management and in cultural routes development in Italy, the research will be extended also in other Mediterranean Countries. These sites and destinations attract consistent tourism flows and are therefore the favourite choice for pilot projects related to tourism management.

Research topics

Cardiovascular prevention through correct lifestyles (nutrition, physical activity, quality/duration of sleep, sedentary lifestyle, and more) in subjects of different age groups. The publications produced are the subject of research that covers different age groups, young people, adults, elderly and very old people.
Adapted physical activity: specific protocols for cancer patients, patients at high cardiovascular risk, elderly patients and analysis of gender differences. Cardiovascular risk monitoring during adapted physical exercise.
Gender cardiovascular medicine: prevention, specific risk factors, CV risk in pregnancy, CV risk in post-menopausal women and elderly women

Research topics

The main research interests include 1) the development of algorithms that combine clinical, biochemical, and serological parameters, together with histologic data, to allow an early diagnosis and the institution of appropriate therapy in patients with autoimmune hepatitis; 2) the search for genetic, molecular, and serologic elements that support the identification of the specific phenotype of primary biliary cholangitis with the aim of modulating therapy and follow-up in a personalized manner.

Research topics

Positive Psychology (Psychological well-being, quality of life, resilience) and main applications in clinical domains (positive psychotherapy, well-being therapy, strenght-based interventions, mindfullness)

Health psychology and psychosomatics: the role of psychological factors involved in positive adaptation to chronic illnesses (post-traumatic growth, gratitude, meaning in life)

Positive Aging and its interventions

Psychological well-being in children and adolescents

Research topics

Neuroprotective strategies for Parkinson’s disease and other disorders of the basal ganglia

Experimental approaches to prevent cardio and cerebrovascular diseases

Physical actvity and therapeutic adherence in subjects with chronic diseases

Research topics

My research activity mainly focuses on:

-Identification of natural or synthetic compounds as new therapeutic agents against chronic degenerative diseases and characterization of their mechanisms of action at cellular and molecular level.

-Study of non-thermal plasma or photodynamic therapy as innovative anticancer pharmacological strategies.