Personale docente

Ovidio Bussolati was born in 1956.

EDUCATION AND POSITION
1982 – MD cum laude, University of Parma
1988 – PhD in Molecular Biology and Pathology
1990-2000 – Assistant Professor of Pathology, Institute of General Pathology, University of Parma
2000-2019 – Associate Professor of Pathology, Dept. of Experimental Medicine (now Dept. of Medicine and Surgery), University of Parma
2019-present - Full Professor of General Pathology, Dept. of Medicne and Surgery, University of Parma

HONOURS AND AWARDS
1988 Prize “Francesco Cedrangolo”, A.R.F.A.C.I.D. (Associazione per la Ricerca Fondamentale ed Applicata sul Cancro, l’Invecchiamento e le malattie Degenerative) for the results obtained in the study of aging in vitro
1989 Fondazione Anna Villa Rusconi Fellowship for the research program “Alterations in anionic amino acid transport in ras-transfected cells”.

ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES at the University of Parma
1990-2000 : Member of the board, Institute of General Pathology
1990-1992 : Representative of the Assistant Professors, Council of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
2002-2012 : Representative of the Associate Professors, Board (Giunta) of the Dept. of Experimental Medicine
2006-2012 : Elected Member, the Presidency Council, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
2009-2011 : Member, Board of the Central Medical Library, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
2011-2013 : Elected Member, Committee for the Scientific Research, Biomedical Area
2011-2016 : Director, the Central Medical Library, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
2012-2015 : Representative of the Bio-Medical Area, the Audit Committee (Presidio della Qualità)
2012-2016 : Member, Internal Audit Committee, Dept. SbiBit
2012-2016 : Representative of the Associate Professors, Board (Giunta) of the Dept. SBiBiT
2012-2016 : Elected Member, the Board of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
2015-2017 : Delegate of the Rector for the Relationships with the Labor Unions
2015-2017 : Deputy-Rector for Human Resources and Organization
2018-2019 : Deputy-Coordinator, Doctorate in Molecular Medicine
2020-present: Head, Dept. of Medicine and Surgery, Member of the Academic Senate

TEACHING (current year, 2020/2021)
Medical School: 3rd-year, Course of General Pathology (Coordinator) (21 h).
Medical School: 6th-year, Course of Pediatrics (7h)
Medical School: 2nd-4th-year Course of History of Medicine (14 h)
MA Course in Human Nutrition: 1st year, Course of Nutritional Pathology (21 h)
MA Course in Exercise Medicine: Course in Laboratory Medicine in Exercise (14 h)
Bachelor Degree in Biotechnology: Course of General Pathology (48 h)
Qualification Schools in Geriatrics, Infectious Diseases, Physiatrics, Clinical Pathology and Biochemistry: Courses of General Pathology
Ph.D. Course in Molecular Medicine: Member of the Board, Tutor

MENTORING
Advisor or co-advisor of more than 80 theses of Bachelor Degree in Biotechnology, Bachelor Degree in Biology, M.A. Degree in Biology and Biomedical Applications, Medical Biotechnologies
Mentorship of PhD candidates in Molecular Biology and Pathology: Massimiliano Bianchi, Laura Ottaviani, Manfredi Allegri
Internal tutor of PhD candidates in Molecular Biology and Pathology: Francesco Milano, Marina Bolzoni
Mentorship of the PhD candidate in Molecular Medicine: Giuseppe Taurino
Co-Mentorship of PhD candidate in Molecular Medicine (University of Milan): Martina Chiu
Co-Mentorship of PhD candidate in Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (University of Parma): Luisana Di Cristo
Co-Mentorship of PhD candidates in Molecular Biology and Pathology: Francesca Gaccioli, Elena Bevilacqua, Saverio Tardito
Post-Doc Mentorship: Saverio Tardito, Massimiliano Bianchi, Martina Chiu, Giuseppe Taurino

RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Co-Author of 126 indexed original articles and reviews (h-index 36, Scopus 31/08/2021).
Dr. Bussolati's scientific interests have mainly concerned the pathophysiology of membrane functions, such as the regulation and the energization of amino acid transport in various normal and pathological models, and the regulation of cell volume under isotonic and hypertonic conditions. In these fields dr. Bussolati has obtained significant results, such as the demonstration of the dependence on membrane potential of arginine transport through system y+, the demonstration that system ASC for neutral amino acids is a electroneutral exchange and the identification of neutral amino acids as compatible osmolytes used for short term regulation of cell volume upon hypertonic stress and isotonic conditions in several models of human cells.
His present research projects concern the biological effects of nanomaterials (with particular reference to pro-inflammatory activation of innate immunity cells and alterations of the epithelial barriers) and the involvement of alterations in the metabolism and transport of glutamine and aspargine associated with neoplastic transformation in several human tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, myeloma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

EXTERNAL APPOINTMENTS
External Expert, Working Group on Nanomaterials, SANTE’- SCCS, European Commission (2012-2016)
Associate Researcher, ISTEC CNR, Faenza (RA), Italy (2018-)

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIONS
Dr. Bussolati has co-operated with several research groups in EU, US and Japan: Philip C. Laris (UCSB, CA, USA), H. Moo Kwon (The Johns Hopkins University, MD, USA), Else K. Hoffmann (University of Copenhagen, DK), Jeffrey Erickson (LSU, LA, USA), Marcal Pastor-Anglada (University of Barcelona, ES), Ellen I. Closs (Johannes Gutenberg Universitat of Mainz, FRG), Hiroyuki Kagechika (Tokyo Medical and Dental University), Carlos Matute (Universidad del País Vasco, Spain), Maria Hatzoglou (CWRU, OH, USA), Adriele Prina-Mello (Trinity College, Ireland), Craig Poland (IOM, Edinburgh), Costantinos Charitidis (National Technical University of Athens, Greece).

REVIEWER FOR SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS
ACS Chemical Biology, ACS Chemical Neuroscience, ACS Chemical Research and Toxicology, Acta Physiologica (già Acta Physiologica Scandinavica), Amino Acids, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Molecular Basis of Disease, Cancer Letters, Cell Physiology and Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Food and Chemical Toxicology, Glia, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Journal of Neuroscience Research, Journal of Physiology, Molecular Cancer, Neurochemistry International, Neuroscience, Neuroscience Letters, Oncotarget, Particle and Fibre Toxicology, PLOS One, RSC Advance, Scientific Reports, The American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology, The American Journal of Physiology – Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, The American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, The Arabian Journal of Chemistry, The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, The International Journal of Cancer, The International Journal of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, The Journal of Neurochemistry, Toxicology Letters, World Journal of Gastroenterology

EDITORIAL BOARDS
Nanmaterials
The American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology

REVIEWER OF Ph.D. THESES
University of Turin
University of Florence
Universidad del Pays Vasco, Bilbao, Spain

GRANT REVIEWER
European Commission
COST Association
Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research
University of Milan
University of Florence
United States – Israel Binational Science Foundation
FWF – Der Wissenschaftsfonds (Austria)
Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (Hungarian abbreviation: OTKA) (Ungheria)
MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Research Australia (Australia)
Rustaveli Foundation (Georgia)

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES MEMBERSHIP:
Italian Society of Pathology and Translational Medicine
American Physiological Society

FUNDED PROJECTS:
1994-1996 Amino acid transport in human endothelial cells
MURST ex-60%
Role: PI
1995-1996 Effects of L-asparaginase in normal and cancer cells
Coordinated CNR Project “Modulation of cell death in oncology and immunopathology”.
Role: Head of Local Research Unit
1997-2000 ATP secretion and cell volume alteration in human exocrine cells: the role of CFTR.
MURST ex-60%
Role: PI
2001-2003 Paracellular permeability in human pancreatic duct cells
FIL University of Parma
Role: PI
2004-2005 Adducin polymorphisms in the regulation of amino acid transport and cell volume
MURST PRIN “The role of adducin polymorphisms in essential hypertension pathogenesis”
Role: Head of Local Research Unit
2004-2006 Cytoskeleton, amino acid transport and cell volume
FIL University of Parma
Role: PI
2007-2008 Effects of nanosilica on the cells of hemato-airway barrier
MIUR PRIN “Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of nanosilica and silica nanofibers”
Role: Head of Local Research Unit
2010-2012 Retinoic acid modulates glutamate transport in oligodendrocytes: a potential mechanism of cell protection
MIUR Integrated research action Italy-Spain
Role: PI
2010-2012 Retinoid-dependent induction of EAAT glutamate transporters: an approach for the prevention of excitotoxicity in oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells
FISM
Role: PI
2011-2015 – FP7 Project MARINA - Managing Risks of Nanoparticles
European Commission
Role: Participant of a local Research Unit
2012-2015 FP7 Project SANOWORK - Safe Nano Worker Exposure Scenarios
European Commission
Role: Participant of a local Research Unit
2018-2022 Glutamine metabolism for targeting and imaging in myeloma bone microenvironment
AIRC
Role: Internal collaborator

TECHNICAL EXPERTISES
Cell Biology: monoculture and co-culture systems of human cell lines and primary cells, scratch test, apoptosis, necrosis, proliferation assays, CFE, protein synthesis, solute fluxes in adherent cells and in cells in suspension, cell volume, trans-epithelial electrical resistance and permeability, confocal microscopy of fixed and live cells, metabolite analysis in extracellular and intracellular compartments, metabolic flux
Molecular Biology: RT-PCR, western blot analysis, immunofluorescence, immuno- and co-immunoprecipitation