Masserini Massimo
Full professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Univ. Milano Bicocca , from y. 2000. Director, Center for Nanomedicine of Milan Bicocca (NANOMIB) from y. 2009 Director, International School of Nanomedicine, E.Majorana Center, Erice from y. 2015 The research of MM has always been focused to neurochemical issues, and to biochemical mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases and nanomedicine. He investigated the role of membrane lipid rafts studying their role in the nervous system and their connections with neurological diseases. Taking advantage of his experience in the use of liposomes, largely utilized as models membranes, successively he moved his interest to the use of nanoparticles for therapy and diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease. Relatively to this topic, he has coordinated the EU Project “Nanoparticles for therapy and diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease (NAD)”, that has been awarded among the best completed FP7 projects, and is current involved in different research networks, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie “Design and development of advanced Nanomedicines to overcome Biological BArriers and to treat severe diseases” (NABBA), and the CEN Foundation “Smart Nanoparticles For Boosted Drug Brain Targeting”. , and “mApoE-Functionalized Lipidic -and Polymeric-Nanocomposite for Human Glioblastoma Imaging and Treatment”. He Autorshiped more than 150 articles, published in the main international and national journals. He is Referee for several scientific journals and Research Agencies (eg NIH, INSERM, MIUR, FCT).
He is inventor of two families of Patents and founder (2015) of a Spin-off Company (AmypoPharma) of the University of Milano-Bicocca, whose mission is to bring nanoparticles for therapy of Amyloidosis to the clinical phase.
Francesca Re
Francesca Re graduated in Medical Biotechnology from the University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB) in 2005 and in 2008 completed a PhD degree in Neuroscience at UNIMIB with research conducted at the Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Medicine and Surgery (Monza) under the supervision of Prof. Massimo Masserini (UNIMIB). Starting 2015, she is creating her independent line of research at UNIMIB. During her scientific career, F.R. has published 40 articles in top international peer-reviewed journals (including high IF journals, i.e. ACSNano, IF 12.88; Biomaterials, IF 8.55; NanoResearch, IF 7.01 and J. Neurosci., IF 6.34; J Cont. Rel., IF 7.63) and she has currently 3 papers in revision process. Her hindex is 20 and she has 1149 citations (Scopus). F.R. made important advances in the field of the search for ligands to target and overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in order to design nanoparticles carrying drugs for CNS disorders, i.e. Alzheimer’s disease, during her post-doctoral stay at the UNIMIB, as part of a research project funded by the European Community (NAD “Nanoparticles for therapy and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease” from 2008 to 2013 FP7-NMP-2007-LARGE-1). Throughout her career, F.R. mainly focused in understanding the mechanisms to cross the BBB by macromolecules and nanoparticles and, most recently, to study new strategies to boost the amyloid-beta peptide clearance from the brain across the BBB, as potential therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. She has also acquired skills is the study of nanoparticles protein corona composition and its implication in the BBB crossing. In 2013, she was awarded of “63rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting – Chemistry” and in 2018 she won Jorge Heller Outstanding Paper Award. During her trajectory, F.R. has been able to establish close collaborations with outstanding researchers from very diverse scientific backgrounds. She has been invited to give Ad Hoc seminars; her research work was presented in major conferences and contributed for attracting competitive funding from international agencies. In addition, F.R. has knowledge in drug discovery as she is co-inventor in 2 families of international patents and is Chief Operating Officer (COO)/Head of R&D of AmypoPharma S.r.l. (spin-off of UNIMIB).
Claudia Corbo
Dr. Corbo received her M.Sc. degree in Chemistry in 2006 and her Ph.D. in Molecular Oncology in 2012 (European School of Molecular Medicine www.semm.it, a joint programme of the University of Naples “Federico II” and the University of Milan). Dr. Corbo did her post-doctoral training in the research organization CEINGE, Advanced Biotechnologies (Italy). Her background is mainly devoted to proteomics, mass spectrometry, and cancer stem cells biology. In 2013, she started working as a post-doc fellow at the Centre for Biomimetic Medicine of the Houston Methodist Research Institute where she was in charge of the proteomic characterization of the biomimetic platforms developed in the lab. She worked at the laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School (2016-2018); her research interests focused on understanding events at the nano-bio interface (protein corona formation) to explore possible novel nano-therapeutic applications. Currently Dr. Corbo is an Assistant Professor of biochemistry at the University of Milan-Bicocca Dr. Corbo is an author of over 30 peer-reviewed papers in international journals and three book chapters. She took part to more than 40 international congresses and she was awarded multiple times with travel awards by American and European societies (EMBO, FEBS, HUPO, Protein Society, SIB, SIBBM).
Silvia Sesana
Silvia Sesana graduated in Biological Sciences in 1993 at University of Milano and in 1998 she specialized in Science and Cosmetics Technology c/o Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Milano. She works as Research technicians at University of Milano Bicocca, School of Medicine and Surgery, since 2001. She works in the CNLab supporting the research activity focused on different pathologies of SNC, such as Alzheimer Disease; nanoparticles formulation and functionalization and nanoparticles cellular uptake. She also takes care of the management of the laboratory in terms of general organization, supplies, security. She is author of several articles published in the main international and national journals. She is inventor of one family of Patents and partner of a Spin-off Company (AmypoPharma, founded in 2015) of the University of Milano-Bicocca, whose mission is to bring nanoparticles for therapy of Amyloidosis to the clinical phase.