Dottorato in NEUROSCIENZE DEL COMPORTAMENTO

email: mariateresa.fiorenza@uniroma1.it
telefono: +39 06 49917869
edificio: via dei Marsi 78
stanza: 108

Curriculum vitae
Education
- October 1989: Laurea degree in Biological Sciences (summa cum laude), University "La Sapienza" of Rome.
- October 1995: PhD in Biotechnology, University of "La Sapienza"- University of L'Aquila.

Positions and Honors
-1992 - 1994: pre-doctoral fellow Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Copenhagen University, DK
-1995 - 1997: post-doctoral fellow, Dept. of Histology and Medical Embryology, “La Sapienza” University
-1998 - 1999: post-doctoral fellow, Mammalian Genes and Development Unit, National Institute of Child Health and Development, NIH, Bethesda, USA
- 1999 - 2004: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Division of Neuroscience, “La Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy
- 2005 – 2023: Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy;
- December 2023 – present: Full Professor, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy;

Honors
- 1992 Marie Curie EU, two-years fellowship.
- 1995 Pasteur Institute - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, two-years fellowship.
- 1998 Italian National Research Council (CNR), Mammalian Genes and Development Unit, National Institute of Child Health and Development, NIH, Bethesda, USA, one-year fellowship.
- 1999 Fogarty International, Laboratory of Mammalian Genes and Development, National Institute of Child Health and Development, NIH, Bethesda, USA, one-year fellowship.

Personal Statement
During my scientific career I have acquired a solid expertise in molecular and cellular biology, gene expression analysis, basic and advanced biochemistry, working as pre- and post-doctoral fellow in various laboratories, both in Europe and US.
My extensive training made it easy for me to develop independent thinking skills and led me to establish novel research activities in my own laboratory. Studies in the field of molecular mechanisms controlling neural development became predominant in my research activity roughly ten years ago. To address these issues, I developed several methodological tools, including primary cultures of neural cells and ex vivo brain slices. Main issues addressed in my laboratory took a great advantage of genetic mouse models of Alzheimer and Niemann Pick C (NPC) diseases. Regarding the latter, my expertise with mouse cerebellum steered my attention to the peculiar cerebellar anomalies of this disease. Major findings of this activity are reported in recently peer-review publications, showing that cholesterol dyshomeostasis is responsible for subtle anomalies in developing neurons and glial cells that impact fine motor behavior and largely anticipate the overt manifestation of symptoms and neurodegeneration.

Other Experience and Professional Membership
- Member of: Society for Neuroscience; European Cell Death Organization; Federation of European Neurosciences; Italian Society for Biology and Genetics; Italian Society for Neuroscience.
- Review Editor, Frontiers in Neuroscience since November 2012.
- Academic Editor, PLOS ONE since October 2019.
- Associate Editor, Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, since October 2019.
- Ad-hoc reviewer for: Developmental Biology, Journal of Cellular Physiology, Molecular and
Cellular Neuroscience, Journal of Cell Science, Neuroscience, PLOS ONE, Journal of Alzheimer Disease, Neurochemical Research, Scientific Reports, BMC Medicine, Cell Cycle, HumanReproduction, Gene, Neuroscience Research, International Journal of Molecular Science.
- Grant application reviewer for the following Institutions/Fundations: 1) “Vaincre les Maladies Lysosomales”, a French non-profit organization for lysosomal diseases; 2) “LifeArc Philanthropic”, a British medical research charity; 3) European Science Foundation (ESF); 4) NWO Talent program - Vidi 2022 SA; 5) Italian MUR (FIRB and SIR proposals)
- Reviewer for H2020-MSCA-IF-2020.