PHD MOLECULAR MEDICINE AND MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY - UNINA
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PhD
program in:
Molecular Medicine and
Medical Biotechnology
PhD
Manual
2020
Contacts
PhD Office: Dott.ssa Claudia Gentile, tel.0817463304 - claudia.gentile@unina.it
PhD Coordinator: Prof. Massimo Santoro, tel. 0817463037 - masantor@unina.it
http://dmmbm.dip.unina.it/it/didattica/dottorato/
PhD program in Molecular Medicine and
Medical Biotechnology
The PhD program is specifically designed to create professional scientists
wishing to develop their career in basic and translational research in
biomedicine. This is achieved by extensive laboratory training in
biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, microbiology, molecular
diagnostics, targeted therapy, modelling human diseases and
computational biology. In this frame, the program is interdisciplinary.
Understanding human diseases at the molecular level is the main focus of
the training and experimental work that will be undertaken by the students.
The Faculty is composed of 24 professors of the University Federico II,
from the Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology,
appointed on the bases of their scientific and curricular track record.
Faculty
AVVEDIMENTO Vittorio Enrico
BALDINI Antonio
BIFULCO Maurizio
CARLOMAGNO Francesca
CASTALDO Giuseppe
CHIARIOTTI Lorenzo
COCOZZA Sergio
CONDORELLI Gerolama
DE LORENZO Claudia
ESPOSITO Franca
2
FORTUNATO Giuliana
FUSCO Alfredo
IOLASCON Achille
LEONARDI Antonio
MATARESE Giuseppe
MELILLO Rosa Marina
NICOSIA Alfredo
PALADINO Simona
PASTORE Lucio
RUOPPOLO Margherita
RUSSO Tommaso
SALVATORE Paola
SANTORO Massimo
ZAMBRANO Nicola
Supervision
The supervisor will be responsible for training and research activities. Once
a year, the student is expected to give a seminar to peers and supervisors
on the results obtained, to allow faculty to decide on admission to the
following year. The student can spend up to 18 months in a foreign
laboratory.
3
Training and Monitoring
Students will attend residential courses on the thematic areas of the
program organized by members of the faculty and renowned external
scientists. The courses include formal lectures and seminars. A special
focus of the training is dedicated to the development of skills, such as the
ability of presenting results in journal clubs, writing a manuscript and a
research proposal, reviewing a research paper, experimental planning, and
problem solving. To achieve the Doctorate title, students will submit a
Dissertation in English and publicly present their data (PhD viva) to an
external Committee.
Fellowships
A number of 3 years fellowships is available as published in the Application
call each year.
Student selection
Candidates are young graduates with an excellent education track willing to
develop an independent career in biomedical research.
Admission to the program is a three-tier process including:
CV evaluation, a written essay on the specific areas indicated above and
an oral interview to assess basic knowledge, predisposition to biomedical
research and motivation.
English fluency is also assessed. Once selected, students are assigned by
the faculty to a specific supervisor, staff member of the Department, to
develop one of the research projects available in the specific year.
4
Suggested readings for the assay:
Molecular Biology of the Cell
Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, David Morgan, Martin
Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter Walter
Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry
David L. Nelson, Michael M. Cox
Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease
Abbas & Aster Kumar
Admission to the XXXVI cycle
See the PhD website
5Research lines
36° cycle research lines:
Felice Amato
Development of advanced approaches based on primary nasal epithelial
cells for the functional study of genomic variations. The importance of
personalized medicine in cystic fibrosis and beyond.
• Castaldo A, Cernera G, Iacotucci P, Cimbalo C, Gelzo M,
Comegna M, Di Lullo AM, Tosco A, Carnovale V, Raia V, Amato F.
TAS2R38 is a novelmodifier gene in patients with cysticfibrosis. Sci
Rep. 2020 Apr 2;10(1):5806.
• Amato F, Scudieri P, Musante I, Tomati V, Caci E, Comegna M,
Maietta S, Manzoni F, Di Lullo AM, De Wachter E, Vanderhelst E,
Terlizzi V, Braggion C, Castaldo G, Galietta LJV. Two CFTR
mutations within codon 970 differently impact on the chloride
channel functionality. 2019 Jun;40(6):742-748
• Terlizzi V, Castaldo G, Salvatore D, Lucarelli M, Raia V, Angioni A,
Carnovale V, Cirilli N, Casciaro R, Colombo C, Di Lullo AM, Elce A,
Iacotucci P, Comegna M, Cimino R, Quattrucci S, Seia M, Sofia
VM, Zarrilli F, Amato F. Genotype-phenotype correlation and
functional studies in patients with cystic fibrosis bearing CFTR
complex alleles. J Med Genet. 2017 Apr;54(4):224
Stefano Amente
Functional characterization of the intertwined roles between Transcription
and DNA Damage/Repair.
• Gorini F, Scala G, Di Palo G, Dellino GI, Cocozza S, Pelicci PG,
Lania L, Majello B, Amente S. The genomic landscape of 8-oxodG
reveals enrichment at specific inherently fragile promoters.Nucleic
Acids Res. 2020 May 7;48(8):4309-4324.
• Amente S, Di Palo G, Scala G, Castrignanò T, Gorini F, Cocozza
S, Moresano A, Pucci P, Ma B, Stepanov I, Lania L, Pelicci PG,
Dellino GI, Majello B. Genome-wide mapping of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-
2′-deoxyguanosine reveals accumulation of oxidatively-generated
damage at DNA replication origins within transcribed long genes of
mammalian cells. Nucleic Acids Res. 2019 Jan 10;47(1):221-236.
• Majello B, Gorini F, Saccà CD, Amente S. Expanding the Role of
the Histone Lysine-Specific Demethylase LSD1 in Cancer.
Cancers (Basel). 2019 Mar 7;11(3). pii: E324.
6Rosario Ammendola
Formyl Peptide Receptor signaling and Tyrosine Kinase Receptors
transactivation: identification of novel strategies and new pharmacological
targets for cancer therapies.
• Castaldo M, Zollo C, Esposito G, Ammendola R, Cattaneo F.
NOX2-Dependent Reactive Oxygen Species Regulate Formyl-
Peptide Receptor 1-Mediated TrkA Transactivation in SH-SY5Y
Cells. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019:2051235. doi:
10.1155/2019/2051235.
• Cattaneo F, Russo R, Castaldo M, Chambery A, Zollo C, Esposito
G, Pedone PV, Ammendola R. Phosphoproteomic analysis sheds
light on intracellular signaling cascades triggered by Formyl-
Peptide Receptor 2. Sci Rep. 2019:17894. doi: 10.1038/s41598-
019-54502-6.
• Cattaneo F, Castaldo M, Parisi M, Faraonio R, Esposito G,
Ammendola R. Formyl Peptide Receptor 1 Modulates Endothelial
Cell Functions by NADPH Oxidase-Dependent VEGFR2
Transactivation. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018:2609847. doi:
10.1155/2018/2609847.
Irene Cantone
Understanding epigenetic reprogramming by using X chromosome
inactivation and its reversal in autoimmune diseases
• Cantone I, Bagci H, Dormann D, Dharmalingam G, Nesterova T,
Brockdorff N, Rougeulle C, Vallot C, Heard E, Chaligne R,
Merkenschlager M, Fisher AG. Ordered chromatin changes and
human X chromosome reactivation by cell fusion-mediated
pluripotent reprogramming.NatCommun. 2016 Aug10;7:12354. doi:
10.1038/ncomms12354.
• Cantone I, Dharmalingam G, Chan YW, Kohler AC, Lenhard B,
Merkenschlager M, Fisher AG. Allele-specific analysis of cell
fusion-mediated pluripotent reprograming reveals distinct and
predictive susceptibilities of human X-linked genes to reactivation.
2017 Jan 25;18(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s13059-016-1136-4.
• Cantone I, Fisher AG. Human X chromosomeinactivation and
reactivation: implications for cellreprogramming and disease.
Philos Trans R SocLond B Biol Sci. 2017 Nov
5;372(1733):20160358. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0358.
Francesca Carlomagno
Regulation of iron homeostasis and DNA replication origin activation by
the transcriptional regulator NCOA4.
• Nai A, Lidonnici MR, Federico G, Pettinato M, Olivari V, Carrillo F,
GeninattiCrich S, Ferrari G, Camaschella C, Silvestri
7L, Carlomagno F.NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy in
macrophagesiscrucial to sustainerythropoiesis in mice
Haematologica. 2020; haematol.2019.241232.
• Bellelli R, Federico G, Matte’ A, Colecchia D, Iolascon A, Chiariello
M, Santoro M, De Franceschi L, Carlomagno F. NCOA4
DeficiencyImpairsSystemicIronHomeostasis. Cell Rep. 2016 Jan
26;14(3):411-21.
• Bellelli R, Castellone MD, Guida T, Limongello R, Dathan NA,
Merolla F, Cirafici AM, Affuso A, Masai H, Costanzo V, Grieco D,
Fusco A, Santoro M, Carlomagno F. NCOA4
transcriptionalcoactivatorinhibitsactivation of DNA
replicationorigins. Mol Cell 2014, 55: 123-37
Mariarosaria Catania
New antimicrobial strategies to fight infections caused by multidrug-
resistant and biofilm producing pathogens.
• Vollaro A, Catania MR, Iesce MR, Sferruzza R, D’Abrosca B,
Donnarumma G, De Filippis A, Cermola F, DellaGreca M,
Buommino E. Antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties of novel
synthetic lignan-like compounds. New Microbiol. 2019
Jan;42(1):21-28.
• Pane K, Cafaro V, Avitabile A, Torres MT, Vollaro A, De Gregorio
E, Catania MR, Di Maro A, Bosso A, Gallo G, Zanfardino A,
Varcamonti M, Pizzo E, Di Donato A, Lu TK, de la Fuente-Nunez
C, Notomista E. Identification of
NovelCrypticMultifunctionalAntimicrobialPeptides from the Human
StomachEnabled by a Computational-Experimental Platform. ACS
SynthBiol. 2018 Sep 21;7(9):2105-2115.
• Roscetto E, Contursi P, Vollaro A, Fusco S, Notomista E, Catania
MR. Antifungal and anti-biofilm activity of the first cryptic
antimicrobial peptide from an archaeal protein against Candida
spp. clinical isolates. Sci Rep. 2018 Dec 4;8(1):17570.
Lorenzo Chiariotti
DNA methylation dynamics during neural differentiation and in brain
tumors
• Cuomo M, Keller S, Punzo D, Nuzzo T, Affinito O, Coretti L,
Carella M, de Rosa V, Florio E, Boscia F, Avvedimento VE,
Cocozza S, Errico F, Usiello A, and Chiariotti L. Selective
demethylation of two CpG sites causes postnatal activation of the
Dao gene and consequent removal of D-serine within the mouse
cerebellum. 2019 Oct 28;11(1):149.
• Keller S, Punzo D, Cuomo M, Affinito O, Coretti L, Sacchi S, Florio
E, Lembo F, Carella M, Copetti M, Cocozza S, Balu DT, Errico F,
8Usiello A, and Chiariotti L. DNA methylation landscape of the
genes regulating D-serine and D-aspartate metabolism in post-
mortem brain from controls and subjects with schizophrenia. Sci
Rep. 2018 Jul 5;8(1):10163.
• Florio E, Keller S, Coretti L, Affinito O, Scala G, Errico F, Fico A,
Boscia F, Sisalli MJ, Reccia MG, Miele G, Monticelli A, Scorziello
A, Lembo F, Colucci-D’Amato L, Minchiotti G, Avvedimento VE,
Usiello A, Cocozza S, and Chiariotti L. Tracking the evolution of
epialleles during neural differentiation and brain development: D-
Aspartate oxidase as a model gene. 2017 Jan 2;12(1):41-54.
Marina De Rosa
Study of molecular basis of colorectal cancer onset, progression, and drug
response, using ex-vivo and in vitro model of primary colon cancer cells
• Cammarota F, Conte A, Aversano A, Muto P, Ametrano G, Riccio
P, Turano M, Valente V, Delrio P, Izzo P, Pierantoni GM, De Rosa
M. Lithiumchlorideincreasessensitivity to photonirradiation
treatment in primarymesenchymal colon cancercells. MolMed Rep.
2020 Mar;21(3):1501-1508.
• Turano M, Delrio P, Rega D, Cammarota F, Polverino A, Duraturo
F, Izzo P, De Rosa M. PromisingColorectalCancerBiomarkers for
Precision Prevention and Therapy. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Dec
4;11(12):1932.
• Turano M, Costabile V, Cerasuolo A, Duraturo F, Liccardo R,
Delrio P, Pace U, Rega D, Dodaro CA, Milone M, Izzo P, De Rosa
M. Characterisation of mesenchymal colon tumour-derivedcells in
tumourspheresas a model for colorectalcancerprogression. Int J
Oncol. 2018 Dec;53(6):2379-2396.
Raffaella Faraonio
microRNAs and stress responses: from mechanisms to pathological
implications (Nrf2 signaling and microRNAs, redox homeostasis, redox-
related disorders)
• Aquilano K, Ceci V, Gismondi A, De Stefano S, Iacovelli F,
Faraonio R, Di Marco G, Poerio N, Minutolo A, Minopoli G,
Marcone A, Fraziano M, Tortolici F, Sennato S, Casciardi S,
Potestà M, Bernardini R, Mattei M, Falconi M, Montesano C, Rufini
S, Canini A, Lettieri-Barbato D. Adipocytemetabolismisimproved by
TNF receptor-targeting small RNAsidentified from driednuts.
CommunBiol. 2019 Aug21;2:317. doi: 10.1038/s42003-019-0563-
7. eCollection 2019.
• Stella di Stadio C, Faraonio R, Federico A, Altieri F, Rippa E,
Arcari P. GKN1 expression in
gastriccancercellsisnegativelyregulated by miR-544a. Biochimie.
92019 Dec;167:42-48. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.09.005. Epub
2019 Sep 8.
• Paladino S, Conte A, Caggiano R Pierantoni GM, Faraonio R. Nrf2
Pathway in Age-RelatedNeurologicalDisorders:
InsightsintoMicroRNAs. Cell PhysiolBiochem (2018);47:47:1951-
1976
Antonio Feliciello
Novel mechanisms and molecular targets in cell signaling and cancer.
• Lignitto, L., Arcella, A.,, Rinaldi, L., Delle Donne, R., Gallo, A.,
Stefan, E., Bachmann, V.A., Oliva, M.A., Storlazzi,T., L’Abbate,
A.,Brunetti, A., Gargiulo, S., Gramanzini, M., Insabato, L., Garbi,
C., Gottesman, M. E., Feliciello, A. (2013) Proteolysis of MOB1
by the ubiquitinligase praja2 attenuates the Hippopathway and
supports glioblastoma growth. Nature Communications 4:1822.
• Porpora M., Sauchella S., Rinaldi L., Sepe M., Delle Donne R.,
Torres-Quesada O., Intartaglia D., Garbi C., Insabato L.,
Santoriello M., Bachmann V.A., Synofzik M., Ivan C., Stefan
E., Feliciello A.(2018) Counterregulation of cAMP-
directedkinaseactivitiescontrolsciliogenesis. Nature
Communications 9: 1224.
• Rinaldi L., Delle Donne R.,Catalanotti B., Torres-Quesada O.,
Enzler F., Moraca F., Nistico R., Chiuso F., Piccinin S., Bachmann
V., Lindner H.H., Garbi C., Scorziello A., Russo N.A., Synofzik M.,
Stelzl U., Annunziato L., Taylor S.S., Stefan E., Feliciello A. (2019)
Feedback inhibition of cAMPeffectorsignaling by a chaperone-
assistedubiquitinsystem. Nature Communications 10:2572.
Giuliana Fortunato
Genetic basis of familial dyslipidemias: from the identification of new
molecular causes and mechanisms to the association with different
phenotypes and impacts on cardiovascular diseases
• Sánchez-Hernández RM, Di Taranto MD, Benito-Vicente A, Uribe
KB, Lamiquiz-Moneo I, Larrea-Sebal A, Jebari S, Galicia-Garcia U,
Nóvoa FJ, Boronat M, Wägner AM, Civeira F, Martín C, Fortunato
G. The Arg499His gain-of-function mutation in the C-terminal
domain of PCSK9. Atherosclerosis. 2019 Oct;289:162-172.
• Di Taranto MD, de Falco R, Guardamagna O, Massini G,
Giacobbe C, Auricchio R, Malamisura B, Proto M, Palma D, Greco
L, Fortunato G. Lipidprofile and genetic status in a
familialhypercholesterolemiapediatricpopulation: exploring the
LDL/HDL ratio. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2019 Jun 26;57(7):1102-1110
• Péterfy M, Bedoya C, Giacobbe C, Pagano C, Gentile M, Rubba P,
Fortunato G, Di Taranto MD. Characterization of two novel
10pathogenic variants at compound heterozygous status in lipase
maturation factor 1 gene causing severe hypertriglyceridemia. J
ClinLipidol. 2018 Sep – Oct;12(5):1253-1259.
Mario Galgani
Functional and molecular properties of novel regulatory T cells in
inflammatory and autoimmune disease.
• Terrazzano G, Bruzzaniti S, Rubino V, Santopaolo M, Palatucci
AT, Giovazzino A, La Rocca C, de Candia P, Puca A, Perna F,
Procaccini C, De Rosa V, Porcellini C, De Simone S, Fattorusso V,
Porcellini A, Mozzillo E, Troncone R, Franzese A, Ludvigsson J,
Matarese G, Ruggiero G, Galgani M. Type 1 diabetes progression
is associated with loss of CD3+CD56+ regulatory T cells that
control CD8+ T-cell effector functions. Nature Metabolism 2:142-
152 (2020).
• Garavelli S, Bruzzaniti S, Tagliabue E, Prattichizzo F, Di Silvestre
D, Perna F, La Sala L, Ceriello A, Mozzillo E, Fattorusso V, Mauri
P, Puca AA, Franzese A, Matarese G, Galgani M, de Candia P.
Blood Co-CirculatingExtracellularmicroRNAs and Immune Cell
Subsets Associate with Type 1 DiabetesSeverity. Int J Mol Sci.
21(2). pii: E477 (2020).
• Bruzzaniti S, Bocchino M, Santopaolo M, Calì G, Stanziola AA,
D’Amato M, Esposito A, Barra E, Garziano F, Micillo T, Zuchegna
C, Romano A, De Simone S, Zuccarelli B, Mottola M, De Rosa V,
Porcellini A, Perna F, Matarese G, Galgani M. An
immunometabolicpathomechanism for
chronicobstructivepulmonarydisease. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.
116:15625-15634 (2019).
Massimo Mallardo
Uncovering the roles of up- or down-regulated Lnc-RNAs identified in
prostate cancer stem cells expressing high ALDH activity.
• Sun B, Yang R and Mallardo M. Roles of microRNAs in HIV-1
Replication and Latency. 2016 Microrna;5(2):120-123.
• Caiazza C and Mallardo M. The Roles of miR-25 and its Targeted
Genes in Development of Human Cancer. 2016 Microrna;5(2):113-
119.
• Caiazza C., D’Agostino M, Passaro F., Faicchia D., Mallardo M.,
Paladino S., Pierantoni GM and Tramontano D. Effects of Long-
TermCitrate Treatment in the PC3 Prostate Cancer Cell Line. Int.
J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(11), 2613;
Giuseppe Matarese
Role of immunometabolism in the control of immunological-self tolerance
11• Stampanoni Bassi M, Iezzi E, Buttari F, Gilio L, Simonelli I,
Carbone F, Micillo T, De Rosa V, Sica F, Furlan R, Finardi A,
Fantozzi R, Storto M, Bellantonio P, Pirollo P, Di Lemme S,
Musella A, Mandolesi G, Centonze D, Matarese G.
Obesityworsenscentralinflammation and disability in multiple
sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis.2019 Jun 4:1352458519853473. doi:
10.1177/1352458519853473.
• Bruzzaniti S, Bocchino M, Santopaolo M, Calì G, Stanziola AA,
D’Amato M, Esposito A, Barra E, Garziano F, Micillo T, Zuchegna
C, Romano A, De Simone S, Zuccarelli B, Mottola M, De Rosa V,
Porcellini A, Perna F, Matarese G, Galgani M. An
immunometabolicpathomechanism for
chronicobstructivepulmonarydisease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S
A.2019 Jul 15. pii: 201906303. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1906303116.
• Terrazzano G, Bruzzaniti S, Rubino V, Santopaolo M, Palatucci
AT, Giovazzino A, La Rocca C, de Candia P, Puca A, Perna F,
Procaccini C, De Rosa V, Porcellini C, De Simone S, Fattorusso V,
Porcellini A, Mozzillo E, Troncone R, Franzese A, Ludvigsson J,
Matarese G, Ruggiero G, Galgani M. Type 1 diabetes progression
is associated with loss of CD3+CD56+ regulatory T cells that
control CD8+ T-cell effector functions. Nature Metabolism 2:142-
152 (2020).
Alfredo Nicosia
Evolution of non human primate adenoviral vectors via dna family shuffling
of capsid proteins to select novel variants with high immunological potency
and low seroprevalence
• D’Alise AM, Leoni G, Cotugno G, Troise F, Langone F, Fichera I,
De Lucia M, Avalle L, Vitale R, Leuzzi A, Bignone V, Di Matteo E,
Tucci FG, Poli V, Lahm A, Catanese MT, Folgori A, Colloca S,
Nicosia A, Scarselli E. Adenoviral vaccine targeting multiple
neoantigensasstrategy to eradicate large tumorscombined with
checkpoint blockade.NatCommun. 2019 Jun 19;10(1):2688. doi:
10.1038/s41467-019-10594-2.
• Green CA, Scarselli E, Sande CJ, Thompson AJ, de Lara CM,
Taylor KS, Haworth K, Del Sorbo M, Angus B, Siani L, Di Marco S,
Traboni C, Folgori A, Colloca S, Capone S, Vitelli A, Cortese R,
Klenerman P, Nicosia A, Pollard AJ. (2015). Chimpanzee
adenovirus- and MVA-vectored respiratory syncytial virus vaccine
is safe and immunogenic in adults. Sci TranslMed
Aug.12;7(300):300ra126 ; DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aac5745
• Taylor G, Thom M, Capone S, Pierantoni A, Guzman E, Herbert R,
Scarselli E, Napolitano F, Giuliani A, Folgori A, Colloca S, Cortese
R, Nicosia A, Vitelli A. (2015). Efficacy of a virus-vectored vaccine
12against human and bovine respiratory syncytial virus infections. Sci
TranslMedAug 12;7(300):300ra127; doi:
10.1126/scitranslmed.aac5757
Simona Paladino
Membrane trafficking in neurodegeneration: molecular bases of hereditary
forms of Parkinson disease and Charcot Marie Tooth 4J
• PERK-mediated Unfolded Protein Response activation and
oxidative stress in PARK20 fibroblasts. Amodio G, Moltedo O,
Fasano D, Zerillo L, Oliveti M, Di Pietro P, Faraonio R, Barone P,
Pellecchia MT, De Rosa A, De Michele G, Polishchuk E,
Polishchuk R, Bonifati V, Nitsch L, Pierantoni GM, Renna M,
Criscuolo C, Paladino S* and Remondelli P. Front. Neurosci.
13:673. (2019) *co-correpsonding
· Alteration of endosomal trafficking is associated with early-onset
parkinsonism caused by SYNJ1 mutations.Fasano D, Parisi S, Pierantoni
GM, De Rosa A, Picillo M, Amodio G, Pellecchia MT, Barone P, Moltedo
O, Bonifati V, De Michele G, Nitsch L, Remondelli P, Criscuolo C,
Paladino S. Cell Death Dis. 7;9(3):385. (2018)
• Nrf2 Pathway in Age-Related Neurological Disorders: Insights into
MicroRNAs. Paladino S*, Conte A, Caggiano R, Pierantoni GM,
Faraonio R. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry 47(5):1951-1976
(2018) *co-correpsonding
Silvia Parisi
Investigating the role of Hmga2-Lin28 axis in the exit from naïve
pluripotency
• Musto A, Navarra A, Vocca A, Gargiulo A, Minopoli G, Romano S,
Romano MF, Russo T and Parisi S. miR-23a, miR-24 and miR-27a
protect differentiating ESCs from BMP4 induced apoptosis. Cell
Death and Differentiation 2015, 22(6):1047-57.
• Navarra A, Musto A, Gargiulo A, Petrosino G, Pierantoni GM,
Fusco A, Russo T, Parisi S. Hmga2 is necessary for Otx2-
dependent exit of embryonic stem cells from the pluripotent ground
state. BMC Biol. 2016 Mar 31;14:24.
• Parisi S*, Passaro F, Russo L, Musto A, Navarra A, Romano S,
Petrosino G, Russo T. Lin28 is induced in primed embryonic stem
cells and regulates let-7-independent events. FASEB J. 2017
Mar;31(3):1046-1058. * Correspondingauthor.
Fabiana Passaro
Direct reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes: role of
gene suppression.
13• Bmi1 inhibitor PTC-209 promotes Chemically-induced Direct
Cardiac Reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts into
cardiomyocytes. Testa G, Russo M, Di Benedetto G, Barbato M,
Parisi S, Pirozzi F, Tocchetti CG, Abete P, Bonaduce D, Russo T
and PassaroF. Sci Rep. 2020 Apr 28;10(1):7129. doi:
10.1038/s41598-020-63992-8.
Luigi Michele Pavone
Molecularmechanismsdriven by heparansulfateproteoglycans in
mucopolysaccaridoses and development of new therapeuticapproaches
(Mucopolysaccharidoses, Lysosomalstoragediseases, Heparansulfate,
Therapy)
• De Pasquale V, Pavone LM. Heparansulfateproteoglycans: The
sweet side of developmentturnssour in mucopolysaccharidoses.
BiochimBiophys Acta MolBasisDis. 2019 Nov 1;1865(11):165539.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.165539.
• De Pasquale V, Sarogni P, Pistorio V, Cerulo G, Paladino S,
Pavone LM. TargetingHeparanSulfateProteoglycansas a
NovelTherapeuticStrategy for Mucopolysaccharidoses.
MolTherMethodsClinDev. 2018 Jun18;10:8-16. doi:
10.1016/j.omtm.2018.05.002.
• De Pasquale V, Pezone A, Sarogni P, Tramontano A, Schiattarella
GG, Avvedimento VE, Paladino S, Pavone LM. EGFR
activationtriggerscellularhypertrophy and lysosomaldisease in
NAGLU-depletedcardiomyoblasts, mimicking the hallmarks of
mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB. Cell Death Dis. 2018 Jan 18;9(2):40.
doi: 10.1038/s41419-017-0187-0.
Simona Romano
Insights into the mechanisms of alternative macrophage polarization to
circumvent cancer immunotherapy resistance
• Troiani T., Giunta E.F., Tufano M., Vigorito V., Arrigo P.,
Argenziano G., Ciardiello F., Romano M.F., Romano S. Alternative
macrophage polarisation associated with resistance to anti-PD1
blockade is possibly supported by the splicing of FKBP51
immunophilin in melanoma patients. Br J Cancer. 2020 Apr 22.
DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-0840-8.
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Maria Rosaria Ruocco
Biochemical characterization of molecules endowed with inhibitory
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bi-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures of stromal
and tumor cells.
• Ruocco MR, Avagliano A, Granato G, Vigliar E, Masone S,
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Montagnani S, Arcucci A. Development of a Stromal
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design a profile of tools to avoid invasive procedures
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• Rossi A, Ruoppolo M, Formisano P, Villani G, Albano L, Gallo G,
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Evaluation
18Training activities
The educational offer of the doctorate is wide and diversified. PhD
students have the opportunity to select the training events in order to
reach the required number of credits as follows (I year> 170 hours; II year
>150 hours; III year >120 hours). All the training events are held in
English.
Required Hours/ Hours/
Activities Day Hour For
attendance week year
All PhD >80% 1 30
Data club Friday 9:30
students
Discovery of All PhD >50% 1 11
Friday 9:30
the month students
Manuscript First year >80% 1,5 30
Friday 12:00
writing only
1,5 + 20 +
Language Friday & 10:30 e All PhD >50%
fluency Tuesday 8:30 students 1,5 20
Scientific All PhD >50% 1,5 20
Friday 10:30
presentation students
Tuesday
All PhD >50% 2 60
Seminars & 13:00
students
Thursday
Visiting Selected 16:00 to All PhD >80% 6 24
professors days 18:00 students
Statistics and Selected I & II year >50% 6 12
Afternoon
Bioinformatics days students
Machine Selected I & II year >50% 6 12
Afternoon
Learning days students
How to write a Selected I & II year >50% 6 12
Afternoon
Research Grant days students
Selected I & II year >50% 6 24
Elective courses Afternoon
days students
19Data club
Data club are held every Friday, from 9:30 am to 10:30 am, in the Serafino
Zappacosta Seminar Room.
PhD students, according to a predetermined schedule, briefly present
(max 20 min) results of their research and address the questions asked by
their colleagues. Data club are held in English.
All the PhD students are required to attend them.
Data Club Jan-Nov 2020
Discovery of the month
On the last Friday of each month, PhD students meet to briefly present a
scientific work, selected from those recently published, of such relevance
that it can be considered the most important biomedical scientific
discovery of the month. At the end of the presentation, the work deemed
most significant is selected and a student prepares an image to be
featured on the Department website. PhD students of all cycles are
required to attend this activity.
English language courses
Manuscript writing (30 h)
This is a course dedicated to students enrolled in the first year of the
doctorate. It aims at training in scientific writing.
Language fluency (90 minutes each week)
This is a course open to PhD students of all cycles. It aims at improving
verbal linguistic ability, with particular reference to biomedical terminology.
How to design a scientific presentation (20 h)
This is a course open to PhD students of all cycles. It aims at improving
the ability to present the results of scientific research by addressing both
the way in which a multimedia file is created and the preparation of an oral
presentation.
20Seminars
PhD students participate in seminars organized every week by the
Department and possibly in other seminars organized in the metropolitan
area relevant to their educational path.
Visiting Professor courses
They consist of a series of seminars/lectures delivered by top scientists,
invited from all over the world, in the frame of the program called
“Department of excellence”. Seminars are delivered with a monthly
schedule, lasting usually six hours in a month. For the academic year
2019/20 the dates are: November 26, 27, 28 - December 2, 3, 4 - April 15,
16, 17 - May 19, 20, 21. For the academic year 2020/21 the dates will be
posted as soon as defined.
Thematic classes
These are courses organized specifically for I and II year PhD students,
but open to all students, as well. Each student selects 50% of these
courses. The courses selected by a too limited number of students will not
be activated. The list and schedule will be posted on the Department
website.
21FIRST YEAR
• Research plan definition & activity
• Courses 170 hours
• Annual report
SECOND YEAR
• Research activity
• Courses 150 hours
• Annual report
THIRD YEAR
• Research activity
• Courses 120 hours
• Thesis completion and submission
22Federico II Medical School
The School of Medicine and Surgery has been established and
activated on February 15, 2013, with the following Departments:
-Clinical Medicine and Surgery
-Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology
-Neuroscience, reproductive and odontostomatological sciences
-Advanced Biomolecular Sciences
-Translational Medical Sciences
-Public health
-The Pharmacy Department is a member of the School since
December 1, 2016.
Its organs:
Ø The President, elected among the professors present in
the Council
Ø The Council, which includes representatives of the 7
Departments
Administrative offices:
• School of Medicine and Surgery Office - Dr. Daniela
Oriente
• Office of Didactic Area of Medicine and Surgery - Dr.
Daniela Oriente, ad interim
• Office of the Teaching Area of the Pharmacy and
Biotechnology for Health Departments - Dr. Michela
Russo
• Accounting Office - Dr. Claudia Pone
• Vice President of the School - Prof. Nicola Caporaso
• The Offices of the School of Medicine and of the Teaching
Area are located in Via Sergio Pansini n. 5, Building 21
The coordination of educational activities is guaranteed by three
Colleges:
23Ø College of Medicine and Surgery
Ø College of Pharmacy Studies
Ø College of Health Biotechnology Studies
24A.O.U. Federico II
The University Hospital "Federico II" is integrated with the Regional
Health Service and is characterized by the activity of patient care and
high specialization of national importance.
It carries out, in unitary and inseparable way, functions of patient care,
teaching and research, constituting at the same time:
Ø structural element of the National Health Service, and in
particular of the Health Service of the Campania Region, within
which it contributes to the achievement of global health
protection;
Ø structural element of the University, within which it contributes
to the achievement of its teaching and research purposes.
The A.O.U. directs its work towards the central role of the patient /
user, as recipient of the service offered, of the professionals who work
within it and of the students.
With regard to the patient / user, the A.O.U. offers services that not
only satisfy its healthcare needs, but also welcome it considering the
entirety of its needs (emotional, socio-cultural, psychological, etc.).
The large campus was built
between 1960 and 1972 and
consists of more than 20
buildings - each one with
wards, classrooms, offices,
libraries - but also a bar,
canteen, bank office, shops.
and green areas.
The A.O.U. mission is characterized by the following macro-functions:
Patient care - the A.O.U. is oriented towards the management of
highly complex pathologies according to a multidisciplinary model, to
the definition and application of processes and guidelines that support
the diagnostic-therapeutic-patient care pathways, guaranteeing
25continuity in the emergency-urgency of diagnostic-therapeutic services
and support services in the field of excellence;
Teaching - the A.O.U. contributes to health training in the Campania
Region, providing the necessary support to all tipologies of university
courses as well as contributing to the continuous training of health
workers, also with a view to Continuing Medical Education;
Basic and clinical research - The A.O.U. provides the necessary
support for the biomedical research which is carried on by professors,
researchers and staff in training (research fellows, doctoral candidates,
fellows and interns) of the University Departments belonging to the
school of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Naples Federico II,
both as regards basic and translational research, aimed at developing
innovative diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
26The Biological Tower
The biological tower of the Secondo Policlinico is a skyscraper located
in Naples on the hill of Camaldoli. It is commonly called Biological
Tower, because of the presence, inside it, of departments engaged in
activities in different fields of biology: cellular and molecular biology,
chemistry and biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, hygiene.
Designed between 1963 and 1971 by a team led by the Neapolitan
architect Carlo Cocchia, the building looks like a tall black
parallelepiped made up of continuous walls in whose façade the
windows are inserted; the red stripes on the façade are ornamental
motifs.
The structure, entirely in reinforced concrete, is 74 metres high and has
21 floors. Inside are mainly the laboratories of the Departments of
Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Neuroscience and
Public Health.
27Support services
PhD Office
The PhD office rovides procedures, administrative information regarding enrolment,
registrations, careers, reimbursement, and certificates and supports the PhD students
during the three years.
Press Office
The Press Office aims to increase awareness about the research in the School of Medicine
and Surgery of the Federico II University, and to promote the interaction between citizens
and basic and clinical researchers. The press office regulates the flow of information that
our organization addresses to newspapers. It is the interpreter who stands between the
researchers and clinicians and the mass media, who translates information intended for the
press in a "shrewd" way, who responds diplomatically to journalists' questions, who writes
articles and editorials for publication, who handles the sending of press releases, and
organizes material for presentations, events and press conferences.
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