Personale docente

Roberto Tirindelli

Born: April 03, 1960; Cremona, Italy
Nationality: Italian

ROLE IN THE PROJECT: Associated investigator responsible for UNIPR Research Unit.

PRESENT ADDRESS
Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, (Italy)
e-mail: robertin@unipr.it
phone: +390521903890

EDUCATION
1985: Doctor in Veterinary Medicine and qualification.

POSITIONS
1986: Research Fellow at the Istituto di Industrie Agrarie, University of Pisa, Italy
1997-1990: Research Fellow (EC fellowship) at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, UK
1990-2001: Assistant Professor at the Institute of Human Physiology, University of Parma, Italy
2001-present: Associate professor at the Department of Neuroscience, Section of Physiology, University of Parma, Italy
1992-2002: Visiting Professor at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

MAIN SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS and INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
In my laboratory, the behavioural, physiological, and molecular aspects of pheromone detection in mammals are evaluated. In particular, questions are addressed to unravel the complex organization of the transduction molecules that underlie pheromone detection and signal transmission from vomeronasal neurons to the higher centres of the brain.
The research activity is documented by more than 53 peer-reviewed publications.

Relevant discoveries:
1) Identification, purification, sequencing and biochemical characterization of the first mammalian odorant binding protein (OBP) in the olfactory mucosa.
Bignetti et al (1985). Purification and characterization of an odorant binding Eur. J. Biochem. 149: 227-233.

1) Identification of Major Urinary Proteins as pheromonal molecules in the mouse. Cavaggioni et al (1990) Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 96A: 513-520)

2) Identification and cloning of molecules mediating the pheromone signalling in vomeronasal neurons.
Wu Y et al(1996) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 220:900-904; Ryba NJP, Tirindelli R (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270: 6757-6767; J Physiol 591(Pt 16): 3949-3962.

3) Discovery and characterization of the second class of pheromone receptors, V2Rs, in the vomeronasal organ
Ryba NJP and Tirindelli R (1997) Neuron, 19, 371-379; Martini et al (2001) J. Neurosci. 21, 843-848; Silvotti et al (2011) PLoS ONE, 6(9):e24462; Francia et al
Genome Biology and Evolution 7 (1), 272-285.

4) Identification and functional characterization of a new class of sensory cells (microvillous cells) in the olfactory epithelium.
Elsaesser et al .(2005) European Journal of Neuroscience, 21, 2692-700
Montani et al (2006), European Journal of Neuroscience, 24, 20-24

Technical competences: in vivo analysis of behaviour in mice. In vitro techniques of molecular analysis including DNA cloning, protein expression and purification, immunohistochemistry, in-situ hybridization, confocal microscopy, computational biology.

Current composition of the Group:
Researcher: Roberto Tirindelli
PhD students: Rosa Maria Cavaliere
Technician: Lucia Silvotti

Collaborations:
1) Prof. A. Bigiani, University of Modena and A. Menini, SISSA, Trieste on: Electrophysiological and immunohistochemical characterization of voltage dependent and Ca activated chloride channels in vomeronasal and olfactory neurons.
2) Umberto Castiello, University of Padova on: Effects of odorants on motor action and sexual choice in humans.
3) Nicholas Ryba, National Institute of Health on: Characterization of vomeronasal receptors
4) Francois Catzeflis, University of Montpellier on: Evolutionary studies on vomeronasal receptors.
5) Riccardo Percudani, University of Parma on: Evolutionary studies on vomeronasal receptors.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL GRANTS

-PRIN 1999: Trasduzione Del Segnale Durante Lo Sviluppo E Rigenerazione Dei Sistemi Olfattivi.
Research Unit Head

-PRIN 2001: Trasduzione Del Segnale Ferormonale Nell'organo Vomeronasale.
Principal Investigator

-PRIN 2003: Informazione Mediata Dai Ferormoni: Dai Neuroni Vomeronasali Agli Effetti Comportamentali.
Principal Investigator

-PRIN 2006: Meccanismi Cellulari Che Controllano La Neurorigenerazione Nell'epitelio Olfattivo Dei Mammiferi
Principal Investigator

-PRIN 2008: Aspetti Molecolari E Risposte Comportamentali Mediati Dai Canali Al Cloro Calcio-Dipendenti Nei Sistemi Olfattivi Periferici.
Research Unit Head

-PRIN 2011: Analisi Integrata Dei Processi Molecolari E Cellulari Responsabili Dell’elaborazione Di Segnali Sensoriali In Condizioni Normali E Patologiche.
Research Unit Head

GUEST REFEREE FOR INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND GRANT PROJECTS
-Reviewer for several international journals including J. Neurosci., Eur.J. Neurosci., Eur. J. Biochem., Prooceeding of the Royal Society, Chemical Senses, J.Neurochemistry, PlosOne, BMC biology.
-Reviewer for several international funding agencies including National Science Foundation, Swiss National Science Foundation, Israel Science foundation, National Institutes of Health.

Scientific Societies:
ECRO, European Chemoreception Research Organization

INVITED SPEAKER AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS AND COURSES:

-International Symposium: Brain, Nose and Pituitary, Metropolitan Institute of Neuroscience. Tokyo, Japan Dec. 6-8, 2000.
-Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, New York, USA. Banbury Center. "Molecular Biology of Chemosensory Receptors: the First Decade", March11-14, 2001.
-National Institutes of Health (Bethesda) June, 11, 2001
-Venice, International School for Chemosensory Research, February 18-20, 2002.
-Roma, Meeting of Medical Sexuology, novembre,8-9, 2002
-University of Hoenheim (Stuttgart), June 28th, 2002
-Reisensburg (Germany) April 1-4, 2003. Symposium on Chemosensory Transduction
-University of Darmstadt (Germany) June,2, 2005
-University of Zurich, November, 22, 2007
- European Chemosensory Research Organization. ECRO 2008, Portorose, Slovenia, 2008
-Master Ferrero, Alba, CN, 24 aprile 2009
- European Chemosensory Research Organization XXI ECRO Congress Manchester, UK, Sept. 7-10, 2011.

TEACHING AND ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
He teaches Human Physiology at the Medical School and in three undergraduate courses

BIBLIOMETRIC INDICATORS
h index: 23 ; total citation: 2058 (source GOOGLE SCHOLAR)