Phd in INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

email: francesca.apollonio@uniroma1.it
phone: 0039 06 44585374
building: RM032
room: 471

GENERAL INFORMATION

Associate Professor at the Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunication, University Sapienza of Rome
PUBLONS: https://publons.com/researcher/1337430/francesca-apollonio/
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6937-9731

POSITIONS
2019: Associate Professor, settore 09/F1 – Campi Elettromagnetici (ING-INF/02)
2018: ASN (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) for Full Professor, settore 09/F1 – Campi Elettromagnetici (ING-INF/02)
2000: Assistant Professor at the University Sapienza of Rome 1994: Laurea in Electronic Engineering (Vecchio Ordinamento), University Sapienza of Rome

WORK EXPERIENCE
2000-2019: Assistant Professor, DIET, University Sapienza of Rome 1998-2000: Technical Support, Telecom Italia, Marketing Department
1995-1996: Research Fellowship from AIRP

BIBLIOMETRICS (according to scopus database, December 2022)
Total Citations=2237
Hirsch (H) index=28
Journals & Books=97
Proceedings [international]=104

AWARDS AND ROLES IN INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES
• 2022-today: MEMBER of the IEEE TC-28 Biological Effects and Medical Applications Committee
• 2021-today: Elected VICE-CHAIR of the International Commission CNR-URSI, Commission K “Electromagnetics in Biology and Medicine”
• 2020-today: MEMBER of the ICNIRP Scientific Expert Group (SEG), Project Group on LF Guidelines
• 2019-today: MEMBER of the LOC URSI GASS2021 • 2019-today: CHAIR of the National Commission CNR-URSI, Commission K “Electromagnetics in Biology and Medicine&rdquo
• 2016-2021: NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE, MIUR Action COST CA15211: “Atmospheric Electricity Network: coupling with the Earth System, climate and biological systems” (Electronet) • 2011-2019: VICE-CHAIR National Commission CNR-URSI, Commission K “Electromagnetics in Biology and Medicine&rdquo
• 2016-2017: MEMBER of the TPC for the BioEM2017 June 2017 Hangzou, China
• 2015-2016: CHAIR of the TPC for the BioEM2016, June 2016 Ghent, Belgium
• 2014-2018: MEMBER of the WG3 “EMF dosimetry: in silico tools & measurements” in the Action COST BM1309, EMF-MED
• 2014-2015: MEMBER of the TPC for the BioEM2015, June 2015 Asilomar, USA
• 2012-2016: ELECTED MEMBER of the Board of Directors of the Bioelectromagnetics Society
• 2011: MEMBER of the LOC of the 10th EBEA Conference Rome 2011
• 2008-2012: EXPERT MEMBER in the Action COST BM0704
• 2004-2008: EXPERT MEMBER of the Technical Working Groups in EMF-NET, EU 6th Framework Program
• 2001-2004: EXPERT MEMBER in the Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee (QAAC) of RAMP2001, Key Action 4, Environment and Health, EU 5th Framework Program

ACADEMIC ACTIVITY
• 2012-today: Supervisor of 4 PhD students and 4 Post-Doc Fellowship at DIET
• 2008-today: Supervisor of more than 90 students for master’s degree Theses (Biomedical Engineering and Nanotechnology Engineering) and Bachelor (Clinical Engineering)
• 2013-2013: UIF (Università Italo-Francese), Member of Commission for the Evaluation of the Galileo Projects
• 2010-2014: Member of the Scientific Commission for the Framework Agreement Sapienza– ENEA (Cluster Biotechnology)
• 2008-2009: UIF (Università Italo-Francese), Member of Commission for the Evaluation of the Galileo Projects
• 2008-2008: MIUR, Member of the Commission for the Evaluation of the Integrated Actions Italy-Spain

TEACHING ACTIVITY
• 2022-today: Bioelectromagnetic Interaction II – Clinical and Biomedical Engineering
• 2021-today: Bioelectromagnetic Interaction I – Clinical and Biomedical Engineering
• 2019-today: Therapeutic Applications of Low frequency Electromagnetic Fields– Clinical and Biomedical Engineering
• 2003-today: Electromagnetic Fields – Clinical and Biomedical Engineering
• 2009-today: Electromagnetic Fields and Nanosystems for biomedical applications – Nanotechnology Engineering

INVITED SPEAKER
2022: INVITED KEYNOTE at the EUMW2022, Milan, September 2022
2022: INVITED lecturer at the Doctoral School of EUMW2022, Milan, September 2022
2021: INVITED lecturer at the Directed Energy Research Centre, Technology Innovation Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2021: INVITED lecturer at Czech National Radio Science Workshop for the Tutorial Commission K
2019: INVITED KEYNOTE at the BioEM2019 Montpellier France, June, 2019
2019: INVITED lecturer at the European Microwave Week 2019, Paris France, September 2019
2018: INVITED lecturer at the BioEM2018, June, 2018
2017: INVITED lecturer at the 11th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EUCAP), Paris (FR), March, 2017
2017: INVITED lecturer at the COST BM1309 EMF-MED WG2, held in Prague (CZ), April, 2017
2011: INVITED lecturer at the 41st European Microwave Conference (EuMC), Manchester in October 2011
2011: INVITED lecturer at the XXXth URSI General Assembly and Scientific Symposium Istanbul in August 2011
2010: INVITED lecturer at the 5th COURSE on “Medical Applications of Electromagnetic Fields: Research and Therapy” at the E. Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture
2006: INVITED lecturer at the International school of Bioelectromagnetics “Alessandro Chiabrera” at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for scientific culture
2005: INVITED lecturer at XXVIII General Assembly International Union of Radio Science, New Delhi, in the session "K01 -Interaction between EMF and Biosystems”

SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS, AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS
2022: Session Chair at EuMW2022, Milan, 26th – 30th September 2022
2022: Session Chair at AT-AP-RASC2022, Gran Canaria, 29th May – 3rd June 2022
2021: Session Chair at URSI GASS2022, Rome, 28th August – 4th September, 2021
2019: Chair of the Focus Session at the European Microwave Week 2019, Paris France, 20 September – 4 October 2019
2019: Session Chair at PIERS2019, Rome, June, 2019
2015: Session Chair at BioEM2015 Asilomar, USA 2014: Session Chair at the BioEM2014 Cape Town, South Africa
2013: Session Chair at the BioEM2013 Thessaloniki, Greece
2012: Session Chair at the EuCAP2012 Prague, Czech Republic
2011: Session Chair at the 10th International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association (EBEA2011)
2011: Session Chair at EuCAP2011 held in Rome in April 2011
2009: Session Chair at BioEm 2009, Davos, Switzerland
2008: Session Chair at the IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and propagation and USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, San Diego, CA

Member of the following Societies:
o European Bioelectromagnetics Association (EBEA) o Bioelectromagnetic Society (BEMS)
o IEEE Microwave Theory and Techinque Society – IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
o Società Italiana di Elettromagnetismo (SIEM)
o ICEmB - Centro Interuniversitario di ricerca sulle Interazioni fra Campi Elettromagnetici e Biosistemi

EDITORIAL SERVICES
2015- today: Review Editor of Journal Frontiers in Public Health - Radiation and Health
2019-today: Editorial Board of Journal of Healthcare Engineering
2020-today: Editorial Board of Chemosensors
2005-today Reviewer of several International Journals
(PUBLONS: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/1679535)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
2022 INVENTOR Italian PATENT 102021000030557: Detection of viruses via microwave dielectric spectroscopy (Pending) 2017 INVENTOR in the European Patent: WO2017IB50236 20170117 FLEXIBLE ELECTRODE FOR APPLYING AN ELECTRIC FIELD TO THE HUMAN BODY

FUNDING FROM PROJECTS
• 2022 – European Project: 5G expOsure, causaL effects, and rIsk perception through citizen engagement (GOLIAT); call: HORIZON-HLTH-2021-ENVHLTH-02
• 2021 – European Project: Regeneration of Injured Spinal cord by Electro pUlsed bio-hybrid implant (RISEUP); call: H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01
• 2021 – Sapienza University Project “Magnetoliposomes and their combination with hydrogels for controlled drug delivery mediated by pulsed electromagnetic fields”
• 2020 – ANSES, Programme national de recherche «Environnement Santé Travail»: Numerical Modelling of RF interaction with Thermal Receptors – Mechanisms and vivo/vitro experiments
• 2020 – Sapienza University Project “Optimization of magnetic field remote controlled lipid vesicle nanocarriers”
• 2019 – Sapienza University Project “Liposome vesicles loading magnetic nanoparticles as optimal drug delivery nanosystems controlled by magnetic fields”
• 2018 – Sapienza University Project “Non-invasive stimuli-responsive nanocarriers activated by nanosecond pulsed electric field”
• 2016 – Sapienza University Project “Control of drug release from liposome vesicles using electromagnetic fields”
• 2015 – Sapienza University Project “The electromagnetic field as actuator of biocompatible nanosystems for drug delivery applications”
• 2014 – Contratto di Ricerca EMS (Electro Medical Systems) “Sviluppo di un software per la stima del campo elettrico indotto da bobine di TMS in modelli sferici cerebrali”
• 2011 – Joint Project “Life Nanoscience” Istituto Italiano Tecnologie (IIT) – Sapienza Università di Roma: A2-WP2-Task3: “Molecular Imaging of brain tumors”
• 2009 – Progetto di Ricerca e Innovazione (FARI) Sapienza • 2009 – Progetto di Ricerca di Ateneo Federato di Scienza e della Tecnologia (AST)
• 2001 – MURST "Progetto Giovani Ricercatori”, Interazione tra campi elettromagnetici e tessuto nervoso: dalla modellistica alla verifica sperimentale

RESEARCH ACTIVITY
1) Electroporation, nanopulses, poration mechanisms: this research line deals with intense electric field pulses (kV/m and MV/m) and extremely short (microsecond and nanosecond) which are able to generate transient pores in the biological cell membranes allowing the entry into the cell of substances (e.g. chemotherapists). The contribution given to this scientific thread is the design of in vitro and in vivo applicators and the molecular modeling of the formation dynamics and morphology of the pore in order to predict the passage of molecules.
2) Smart Drug Delivery, Electric and Magnetic fields: this activity is centered on the design of biocompatible nanosystems able to transport specific molecules in situ to the target cell and which can be activated remotely by intense electric fields or by low intensity magnetic fields.
3) Molecular simulations of complex systems: this line is an evolution of the activity related to the interaction mechanisms between electromagnetic fields and biological systems. The aim is the investigation of complex biomolecules in the presence of external electric fields. This has led, first of all, to the definition of an electric field threshold, capable of modifying the conformational structure of protein molecules.
4) Exposure Systems, biological experiments: since the beginning she has worked in the design, realization and characterization of electromagnetic systems that are suitable for the RF and MW exposure of in vitro, in vivo and human experiments. In this field, she has gained considerable expertise, also evidenced by the supervisory roles entrusted to the candidate in European projects. The review papers presented have been made possible by the skills acquired over the years in this specific activity.
5) Mechanisms and models of bioelectromagnetic interaction: historically, this line of research together with that of exposure systems is the one that Francesca Apollonio has been pursuing since the beginning of its career. The main findings are reported in the review work that analyzes and evaluates the real hypotheses valid for a non-thermal MW mechanism.