Biography and Current scientific interests:

Following my education in muscle cell biology and differentiation, I have been working on cachexia and muscle homeostasis since my postdoctoral training in the US. I contributed to highlight the molecular mechanisms underlying impaired muscle regeneration and stem cell function in cachexia, shifting the attention from events intrinsic to the myofiber to potential contributory factors outside the fiber within the muscle microenvironment (stem cell niche) affecting muscle wasting.

The molecular and cellular bases of the pathophysiology and aging of striated muscle tissues, as well as the effects of physical activity on cachexia, are my current major interests. Stem cell biology and tissue engineering aimed to regenerative medicine of the musculo-skeletal system (in particular volumetric muscle loss and the exploitation of biomaterials from decellularized muscles) represent additional research interests.

Awards and grants:

2021 Sorbonne Curamus

2019 Sapienza University of Rome

2017 French Association against Myopathies (AFM)

2016 European Federation for Experimental Morphology (EFEM) – travel award

2014 IBPS, Institut Biologie Paris Seine

2014 NIH, National Institute of Health, co-PI at 5%

2013 ANR, National Agency for the Research research grant

2012 AFM, French Association against Myopathies research grant

2012 UFI, Italian French University VINCI postdoctoral fellowship, host lab

2011 UPMC EMERGENCE 2011 fellowship and research grant# EME1115

2008 Prometeo Network Travel award for the EMBO conference on myogenesis

2007 Grant Ville de Paris – Guest Researchers Office

2006 International Society for Analytical Cytology-ISAC Scholarship

2004 MIUR Rientro Cervelli 2003 fellowship and research grant # 1081, 28/7/’04 (€ 106,000)

2003 NATO Advanced fellowship – no.215.34 (16/1/’02)

1999 Fulbright Commission scholarship

1994 Department of Animal and Human Biology scholarship, Sapienza University of Rome