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Giorgio Grasselli

Assistant Professor at the University of Genoa
Affiliated Researcher
Neuroscience and Smart Materials
Telefono
+39 010 8610 206
Research center
NSYN@UniGe
Interests
Cerebellum
Neuronal plasticity
Synaptic plasticity
Neuronal excitability
Intrinsic plasticity
Structural plasticity
Learning and memory
Multiple sclerosis
Ataxia
Autism
Neuropsychiatry
Biografia

!!! APPLICATIONS for THESIS projects or as PRE-​DOC or POSTDOC FELLOWS are welcome !!!

I am an Assistant Professor of Physiology (Tenure-track) at the University of Genoa (Dept. of Pharmacy) and Visiting Scientist at the Italian Institute of Technology and San Martino Hospital in Genoa.

My team is studying neuronal plasticity at different levels (structural and functional, at the synaptic level as well as looking at intrinsic excitability) using the cerebellum as a model area, to understand better the mechanisms used in this circuit to encode information and memory. We also investigate pathological alterations of the structure and function of this circuit in brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cerebellar ataxia, autism and other neuropathologies. 

TEAM MEMBERS

CURRENT FUNDING

    • 11/2023-11/2025 National Relevant Interest Projects (PRIN-PNRR) (co-PI), Italian Min. of University and Research
    • 10/2023-10/2025 National Relevant Interest Projects (PRIN-2022) (PI & Coordinator), Italian Min. of University and Research
    • 01/2022-10/2025 Extended Partnership for Neuroscience “MNESYS” (Member, Spoke 3), Italian Min. of University and Research
    • 01/2022-12/2024 Ricerca Corrente (PI & Coordinator), San Martino Hospital, Italian Ministry of Health
    • 11/2021-11/2024 Ricerca Finalizzata - Young Researchers (PI & Coordinator), Italian Ministry of Health 

PAST FUNDING

    • 07/2021-06/2023 5x1000 (PI & Coordinator), San Martino Hospital, Italian Ministry of Health
    • 07/2019-06/2021 EU-H2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship (MSCA-IF-2018) (EU)
    • 01/2017-12/2017 Investigator-initiated Research (PI), Biohaven Pharma (US)
    • 01/2016-12/2016 Young Investigator SCA Research Award (PI), National Ataxia Foundation (US)

MAIN METHODS

  • patch-clamp electrophysiology in acute brain slices and primary neuronal cultures
  • in vivo microinjections
  • viral vectors for gene expression/silencing
  • immunohistochemistry
  • fluorescent/confocal microscopy and morphometric analysis


------CALL FOR NEW LAB MEMBERS------

Self-applications are welcome for undergrad (BSc / Laurea Triennale, MSc / Laurea Magistrale), graduate and postdoctoral positions. 

Postdoctoral candidates interested in applying to external funding (such as MSCA or EMBO Fellowship) with our lab as a host institution are especially welcome (see here for details: https://www.fens.org/careers/job-market/job/100231).

ALUMNI

    • Mattia Musto (Postdoc, 2019-2022), Senior Research Scientist, Evotec  
    • Giacomo Marenco (Medical Intern, 2021), MD Resident in Psychiatry, University of Genoa
    • Edgar Ricardo Javier Mendoza Seclen (Visiting student, 2021-2022 from Univ. Milan Bicocca)
    • Federica Palmerio (Graduate Fellow, 2022-2023), PhD student, University of Rome Tor Vergata


PERSONAL & TEAM MEMBERS' AWARDS

06/2022 Poster Award (Matilde Bergamini) at the National PhD Meeting, Italian Society for Neuroscience (SINS)
10/2021 Poster Award (Mattia Musto) at FEPS European Physiology Day Virtual Meeting, Federation of European Physiology Societies (FEPS)
09/2021 Poster Award (GG) at SINS conference, Italian Society for Neuroscience (SINS)
01/2021 Travel award (Mattia Musto) for JNS Meeting, Japan Neuroscience Society (JNS)
04/2019 IBRO World Congress Travel Grant (GG), International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)
01/2019 Travel award (GG) for JNS Meeting, Japan Neuroscience Society (JNS)
06/2018 Young Investigator Award (Premio SIF, GG), Physiological Society of Italy (SIF)

CONTACTS & REFERENCES
Email: giorgio.grasselli [at] iit.it ||  giorgio.grasselli [at] unige.it || giorgio.grasselli [at] hsanmartino.it

UniGE profile: https://rubrica.unige.it/personale/UkJCX1No

ORCID (0000-0002-2942-9615): https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2942-9615

Scopus (35573436500): https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=35573436500

WoS (ResearcherID G-5094-2012): https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/G-5094-2012

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DhuYSj8AAAAJ&hl=en

Pubmed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/giorgio.grasselli.1/bibliography/public/

Mastodon

Education

Title: PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology
Institute: University of Rome Tor Vergata
Location: Rome
Country: Italy
From: 2006 To: 2010

Title: MSc in Cellular and Molecular Biology
Institute: University of Rome Tor Vergata
Location: Rome
Country: Italy
From: 2004 To: 2006

Title: BSc in Cellular and Molecular Biology
Institute: University of Rome Tor Vergata
Location: Rome
Country: Italy
From: 2001 To: 2004

Certificate

Title: Italian Scientific Habilitation to Associate Professor (ASN II fascia), Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR)
Description: Molecular Biology (05/E2, 05/2019), Physiology (05/D1, 03/2018), General pathology (06/A2, 03/2018), Histology (05/H2, 03/2018), Applied Biology (05/F1, 07/2017)
Date: 01-07-2017

Title: French Qualification to Associate Professor (HDR, Maître de conférences), French Ministry of Education (MENJS)
Description: Section: Neuroscience (69)
Date: 10-03-2021

Experience External

Title: Assistant Professor (Tenure-track, Ricercatore "B")
Institute: University of Genoa
Location: Genoa
Country: Italy
From: 2021 To: null

Title: Adjunct Professor (Professore a Contratto)
Institute: University of Genoa
Location: Genoa
Country: Italy
From: 2019 To: 2021

Title: Adjunct Professor (Professore a Contratto)
Institute: Humanitas University
Location: Milan
Country: Italy
From: 2019 To: 2020

Title: Staff Scientist
Institute: University of Chicago
Location: Chicago
Country: USA
From: 2017 To: 2018

Title: Postdoctoral Scholar
Institute: University of Chicago
Location: Chicago
Country: USA
From: 2011 To: 2017

Title: Post-doc
Institute: Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS
Location: Rome
Country: Italy
From: 2010 To: 2011

Title: Visiting Student
Institute: RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI)
Location: Wako-shi
Country: Japan
From: 2008 To: 2008

Title: PhD Student
Institute: Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS
Location: Rome
Country: Italy
From: 2006 To: 2009

Title: Visiting student
Institute: Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology
Location: Magdeburg
Country: Germany
From: 2005 To: 2005

Skills

Electrophysiology and functional imaging
- whole-cell somatic patch-clamp in acute brain slices
- quantitative live confocal calcium imaging in spines and dendrites combined with patch-clamp

Histology and microscopy
- immunohistochemistry
- Golgi staining
- confocal microscopy
- morphometry

Animal surgery and treatments
- Stereotaxic micro-injections
- Drugs administrations (intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, intravenous injections, gavage)

Cultures
- primary cell cultures
- organotipic cultures

Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
- production of viral vector particles
- PCR
- qPCR
- Western-blot
- cloning
- mutant mouse generation and genotyping (design)

Behavior
- gait analysis (DigiGait)
- Rotarod
- clinical motor score assessment of EAE (experimental autoimmune enchephalomyelitis)

Top Publications
2020
Grasselli G., Boele H.-J., Titley H.K., Bradford N., van Beers L., Jay L., Beekhof G.C., Busch S.E., De Zeeuw C.I., Schonewille M., Hansel C.
SK2 channels in cerebellar Purkinje cells contribute to excitability modulation in motor-learning-specific memory traces
PLoS Biology, vol. 18, (no. 1)
DOI 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000596
2016
Grasselli G., He Q., Wan V., Adelman J.P., Ohtsuki G., Hansel C.
Activity-Dependent Plasticity of Spike Pauses in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells
Cell Reports, vol. 14, (no. 11), pp. 2546-2553
DOI 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.054
2013
Grasselli G., Rossi S., Musella A., Gentile A., Loizzo S., Muzio L., Di Sanza C., Errico F., Musumeci G., Haji N., Fresegna D., Sepman H., De Chiara V., Furlan R., Martino G., Usiello A., Mandolesi G., Centonze D.
Abnormal NMDA receptor function exacerbates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
British Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 168, (no. 2), pp. 502-517
DOI 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02178.x
2013
Allegra Mascaro A.L., Cesare P., Sacconi L., Grasselli G., Mandolesi G., MacO B., Knott G.W., Huang L., De Paola V., Strata P., Pavone F.S.
In vivo single branch axotomy induces GAP-43-dependent sprouting and synaptic remodeling in cerebellar cortex
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 110, (no. 26), pp. 10824-10829
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1219256110
2011
Grasselli G., Mandolesi G., Strata P., Cesare P.
Impaired sprouting and Axonal Atrophy in cerebellar climbing fibres following in vivo silencing of the growth-associated protein GAP-43
PLoS ONE, vol. 6, (no. 6)
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0020791
All Publications
2022
Musto M., Bergamini M., La Terra A., Marenco G., Marte A., Benfenati F., Grasselli G.
Activity-dependent structural plasticity reshapes cerebellar climbing fiber morphology and connectivity
Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience 2022
Poster Conference
2022
Bergamini M., Musto M., La Terra A., Marte A., Benfenati F., Grasselli G.
Cerebellar climbing fiber activity can reshape the structure of the olivocerebellar circuit
FENS Forum 2022
Poster Conference
2022
Bergamini M., Musto M., La Terra A., Marte A., Benfenati F., Grasselli G.
Cerebellar climbing fiber activity can reshape the structure of the olivocerebellar circuit
SINS PhD students meeting
Poster Conference
2022
Bergamini M., Natali G., Musto M., Carlini F., Kerlero deRosbo N., Palmerio F., Michetti C., La Terra A., Cesca F., Uccelli A., Benfenati F., Grasselli G.
Neuronal excitability as a potential therapeutical target for Multiple Sclerosis
2nd Scientific Retreat of San Martino Hospital IRCCS
Poster Conference
2022
Simmons D.H., Busch S., Titley H.K., Grasselli G., Shih J., Du X., Wei C., Gomez C.M., Piochon C., Hansel C.
Sensory Over-responsivity and Aberrant Plasticity in Cerebellar Cortex in a Mouse Model of Syndromic Autism
Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, vol. 2, (no. 4), pp. 450-459
DOI 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.09.004
Vedi tutto
Awards and Achievements
2023
Grasselli G., Mascaro Allegra A.L., Gentile A.
National Relevant Interest Projects (PRIN-2022) (PI/Coordinator)
2023
Grasselli G., Busnelli M.
National Relevant Interest Projects (PRIN-PNRR) (co-PI)
2022
Bergamini M., Musto M., La Terra A., Marte A., Benfenati F., Grasselli G.
Best Poster Award (SINS PhD Meeting 2022)
2021
Capello E., Grasselli G.
5x1000, San Martino Hospital Funding
2021
Musto M., Bergamini M., La Terra A., Benfenati F., Grasselli G.
Best Poster Award (SINS 2021, Brescia For Science)
Vedi tutto
Organized Events
2022
Canepa M., Grasselli G., Lambertini M., Pardini M., Roccatagliata L., Vitale C., Zoppoli G.
2nd Scientific Retreat of San Martino Hospital IRCCS
2021
Canepa M., Grasselli G., Lambertini M., Pardini M., Roccatagliata L., Vitale C.
1st Scientific Retreat of San Martino Hospital IRCCS
Vedi tutto
Colleagues of Neuroscience and Smart Materials
Marlene Pfeffer PhD Student Neuroscience and Smart Materials
Lisastella Morinelli Guest Student Neuroscience and Smart Materials
Martina Trevisani PhD Student Neuroscience and Smart Materials
Tomaso Gianiorio PhD Student Neuroscience and Smart Materials
Diego Moruzzo Senior Technician Neuroscience and Smart Materials
Vedi tutto