Education: 1987 – Degree in Biological Sciences.
1988-1991: Ph.D program in Medical Biochemistry and Biology, University of Bari and University of Catania (Italy).
1993-1994: Postdoc in Medical Biochemistry and Biology, University of Bari. 1995: Research felloship from National Research Council Institute for Bioimaging and CNS Phisyopathology (IBFSNC) - Catania.
March 1996- April 1997: NATO CNR fellowship ADVANCED FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAMME, at the Mental Retardation Research Center - Center for Health Sciences, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
On her return in Italy, she carried out research at the Institute of Biological Chemistry of the University of Catania.
August 1999 – October 1999: Post-doctoral Reseacher, sector E05A, University of Catania.
October 1999 – December 2001: Researcher at the Institute for Bioimaging and CNS Phisyopathology (IBFSNC) Catania of National Research Council, (III professional livel - 1° comma dell’art. 23 del D.P.R. 171/91).
December 2001: Researcher at the Institute of Neurological Sciences (ISN) Catania of National Research Council today Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB).
Research Activity:
- Study of excitatory amino acid receptors for glutamate in neuronal and primary glial cultures.
- Regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene expression, in vivo and in vitro.
- Signal transduction systems activated in the regulation of gene expression in normal and neoplastic glial cells.
- Mechanisms of cellular neurobiology of the fragile X Syndrome (FRAX).
- Identification of molecular markers of stem cells and signal transduction pathways potentially involved in the pathogenesis of brain tumors, with the aim of the identification of possible targets for new therapeutic strategies.
-Child abuse and maltreatment: clinical aspects and genetic and epigenetic linkages.DSB.AD005.011
-Clinical, genetic and metabolic linkages of childhood neurological disorders.DSB.AD005.011.003
