EDUCATION
2011-2014 Ph.D in Pharmacology and Toxicology Sapienza, University of Rome. Supervised by Dr. Gemma Calamandrei, Section of Neurotoxicology And Neuroendocrinology, Italian Institute of Health, Rome; Prof. Silvana Gaetani, Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer”, Sapienza, University of Rome. Thesis title: “Understanding the role of environmental contaminants in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders: Neurobehavioral and neuroendocrine effects of the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos in mouse models”
2009-2011 Master Degree in Neurobiology, 110/110 summa cum laude, Sapienza, University of Rome. Supervised by Dr. Gemma Calamandrei, Sectionf of Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology, Italian Institute of Health, Rome; Prof. Andrea Mele, Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome. Thesis title: “Ultrasonic vocalizations emitted by mouse pups in response to social isolation: spectrographic differences and effects on mother in two different strains on mice.”
2005-2009 Bachelor Degree in Biology, 100/110 Sapienza, University of Rome. Supervised by Prof. Giancarlo Poiana, Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome. Thesis tytle: “The role of the receptor for Agrin, LRP4 in the formation of neuromuscular junction”.
Jan 2015/ Aug 2015 VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, KULeuven- Center for Human Genetics, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Fellowship granted by Sapienza University of Rome, to work in the field of intellectual disability and Fragile X syndrome.
Jun 2014-Sept 2014 Department of Neurosciences and Brain Technologies, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genoa, Italy.Fellowship granted by IIT, to perform the project “Assessment of social communication deficits in Integrin alphaVbeta3 mutant mice”.
Nov 2011-Dec 2014 Section of Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology, Dept. of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Italian Institute of Health, Rome, Italy. Worked as Ph.D student in the field of behavioral characterization of animal model of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Jan 2010-Oct 2011 Section of Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology, Dept. of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Italian Institute of Health, Rome, Italy. Worked as Master student in the context of characterization of the communicative role of ultrasonic vocalizations emitted by rodents.
Galbusera A, De Felice A, Girardi S, Bassetto G, Maschietto M, Nishimori K, Chini B, Papaleo F, Vassanelli S, Gozzi A. Intranasal Oxytocin and Vasopressin Modulate Divergent Brainwide Functional Substrates. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017 Jan 18. doi: 10.1038/npp.2016.283. [Epub ahead of print]
De Felice A, Greco A, Calamandrei G, Minghetti L. Prenatal exposure to the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos enhances brain oxidative stress and prostaglandin E2 synthesis in a mouse model of idiopathic autism. J Neuroinflammation. 2016 Jun 14;13(1):149. doi: 10.1186/s12974-016-0617-4.
Venerosi A, Tait S, Stecca L, Chiarotti F, De Felice A, Cometa MF, Volpe MT, Calamandrei G, Ricceri L. Effects of maternal chlorpyrifos diet on social investigation and brain neuroendocrine markers. Environmental Health, 2015 Apr 2;14(1):32.
De Felice A, Ricceri L, Venerosi A, Chiarotti F, Calamandrei G. Multifactorial origin of Neurodevelopmental disorders: Approaches to understanding Complex Etiologies. Toxics 2015, 3(1), 89-129; doi:10.3390/toxics3010089.
De Felice A, Scattoni ML, Ricceri L, Calamandrei G. Prenatal exposure to a common organophosphate insecticide delays motor development in a mouse model of idiopathic autism. PLoS One. 2015 Mar 24;10 (3):e0121663. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121663. eCollection 2015.
De Felice A, Venerosi A, Ricceri L, Sabbioni M, Scattoni ML, Calamandrei G. Gestational exposure to the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos alters social investigation in adult female mice Neurotoxicology and Teratology 2014 Nov-Dec;46:32-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.09.002.
Cutuli D, Giorgi MC, De Felice A, Calamandrei G. Maternal care alteration in the BTBR T +tf/J mouse, a murine model of autism. Comparative Medicine, 2013 63(6).
Non-peer reviewed journal
Scattoni ML, Michetti C, De Felice A, Ricceri L. “Modelli animali di autismo: un approccio traslazionale”. 2011. (Rapporti ISTISAN 11/33).
De Felice A. (2014). Il cervello gioca in difesa. Storie di cellule che pensano. (G. Martino). Sapere, Febbraio 2014:54.
Book chapter
De Felice A, Confaloni A, Crestini A, De Simone R, Malchiodi-Albedi F, Martire A, Matteucci A, Minghetti L, Popoli P, Venerosi A, Calamandrei G. Branched chain amino-acids in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In Branched chain amino acids in health and disease, Vol. 1, Part III, pp. 229-243; Eds. Rajendram R., Preedy V.R., Patel V.B. 2015, Springer, London (UK).
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS
2010: Scholarship to work for one year (from 20/01/2010 to 15/01/2011) at the library of the Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome.
2011: Three years fellowship as Ph.D student for the School in Pharmacology and Toxicology, curriculum Toxicology, Sapienza University of Rome.
2013: Selected as speaker for the “Young Investigator Symposium” at the 7° international Meeting of Steroids and Nervous System, 16-20 February, Turin Italy.
2013: Best Poster Award at International Neurotoxicology Association (INA-14), Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands. 2013: Passed the government exam at Sapienza University of Rome and licensed as a professional biologist of the Italian Biology Society.
2014: Fellowship granted by asSAGGI s.r.l. to realize a project of neuroscience for children named "Che ti passa per la testa? Neuroscienze per i più piccoli", winner of the Experimental School of Scientific Communication (1000€).
2014: Scientific Journalist for European Space Agency (ESA) during the exhibition “My Planet from the Space: Fragility and Beauty”, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, Italy.
2014: Fellowship granted by Sapienza University of Rome, for an exchange project of eight months at VIB Center for the Biology of Disease KULeuven- Center for Human Genetics, 3000 Leuven.
TRAVEL GRANTS
2012: Travel Grant to attend the Meeting organized by Italian society of Neuroscience (SINS) Catania, Italy.
2013: Travel Grant to participate at the Training Summer School in Neuroendocrinology FENS/IBRO, Prato, Italy. 2014: Travel Grant to attend at the 9th FENS Forum of Neuroscience, Milan Italy.
2015: Travel Grant to attend at the XVI Meeting of Italian Society of Neuroscience, Cagliari Italy.
L’Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) è una fondazione di diritto privato - cfr. determinazione Corte dei Conti 23/2015 “IIT è una fondazione da inquadrare fra gli organismi di diritto pubblico con la scelta di un modello di organizzazione di diritto privato per rispondere all’esigenza di assicurare procedure più snelle nella selezione non solo nell’ambito nazionale dei collaboratori, scienziati e ricercatori ”.
IIT è sotto la vigilanza del Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca e del Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze ed è stato istituito con la Legge 326/2003. La Fondazione ha l'obiettivo di promuovere l'eccellenza nella ricerca di base e in quella applicata e di favorire lo sviluppo del sistema economico nazionale. La costruzione dei laboratori iniziata nel 2006 si è conclusa nel 2009.
Lo staff complessivo di IIT conta circa 1440 persone. L’area scientifica è rappresentata da circa l’85% del personale. Il 45% dei ricercatori proviene dall’estero: di questi, il 29% è costituito da stranieri provenienti da oltre 50 Paesi e il 16% da italiani rientrati. Oggi il personale scientifico è composto da circa 60 principal investigators, circa 110 ricercatori e tecnologi di staff, circa 350 post doc, circa 500 studenti di dottorato e borsisti, circa 130 tecnici. Oltre 330 posti su 1400 creati su fondi esterni. Età media 34 anni. 41% donne / 59 % uomini.
Nel 2015 IIT ha ricevuto finanziamenti pubblici per circa 96 milioni di euro (80% del budget), conseguendo fondi esterni per 22 milioni di euro (20% budget) provenienti da 18 progetti europei, 17 finanziamenti da istituzioni nazionali e internazionali, circa 60 progetti industriali
La produzione di IIT ad oggi vanta circa 6990 pubblicazioni, oltre 130 finanziamenti Europei e 11 ERC, più di 350 domande di brevetto attive, oltre 12 start up costituite e altrettante in fase di lancio. Dal 2009 l’attività scientifica è stata ulteriormente rafforzata con la creazione di dieci centri di ricerca nel territorio nazionale (a Torino, Milano, Trento, Parma, Roma, Pisa, Napoli, Lecce, Ferrara) e internazionale (MIT ed Harvard negli USA) che, unitamente al Laboratorio Centrale di Genova, sviluppano i programmi di ricerca del piano scientifico 2015-2017.
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) is a public research institute that adopts the organizational model of a private law foundation. IIT is overseen by Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca and Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze (the Italian Ministries of Education, Economy and Finance). The Institute was set up according to Italian law 326/2003 with the objective of promoting excellence in basic and applied research andfostering Italy’s economic development. Construction of the Laboratories started in 2006 and finished in 2009.
IIT has an overall staff of about 1,440 people. The scientific staff covers about 85% of the total. Out of 45% of researchers coming from abroad 29% are foreigners coming from more than 50 countries and 16% are returned Italians. The scientific staff currently consists of approximately 60 Principal Investigators, 110 researchers and technologists, 350 post-docs and 500 PhD students and grant holders and 130 technicians. External funding has allowed the creation of more than 330 positions . The average age is 34 and the gender balance proportion is 41% female against 59% male.
In 2015 IIT received 96 million euros in public funding (accounting for 80% of its budget) and obtained 22 million euros in external funding (accounting for 20% of its budget). External funding comes from 18 European Projects, other 17 national and international competitive projects and approximately 60 industrial projects.
So far IIT accounts for: about 6990 publications, more than 130 European grants and 11 ERC grants, more than 350 patents or patent applications, 12 up start-ups and as many which are about to be launched. The Institute’s scientific activity has been further strengthened since 2009 with the establishment of 11 research nodes throughout Italy (Torino, Milano, Trento, Parma, Roma, Pisa, Napoli, Lecce, Ferrara) and abroad (MIT and Harvard University, USA), which, along with the Genoa-based Central Lab, implement the research programs included in the 2015-2017 Strategic Plan.
