Dr. Alessandro Lavoro is a post-doc researcher at the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences of the University of Catania. He graduated in Sanitary and Cellular–Molecular Biology in 2019 from the University of Catania, and he also earned a Ph.D. in Basic and Applied Biomedical Sciences at the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences of the University of Catania. His research interests include Cancer Biomarkers, Bioinformatics, Epigenetics, DNA methylation, and Cancer treatment response.
Luca Falzone is Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine at the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania. He is collaborating with the “G. Pascale” National Cancer Institute of Naples (Naples, Italy) in the management of a clinical trial on the effects of the Mediterranean Diet and exercise in the reduction of breast cancer recurrence. He is also responsible for the management of a bio-bank of biological samples from cancer patients and non-cancer individuals located at the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences of the University of Catania (Catania, Italy). He received his Bachelor's Degree in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques at the University of Catania in 2014. The following year, he obtained a Master's Degree in Biomolecular Techniques in Bio-Medicine and Forensics Sciences at the University of Catania. In 2018, he received a Master of Sciences in Medical Biotechnologies at the University of Catania. In 2021, he also earned a Ph.D. in Basic and Applied Biomedical Sciences at the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences of the University of Catania (Catania, Italy). His research is focused on the molecular mechanisms of tumor development and progression with particular reference to the study of cancer cells and tumor microenvironment interactions, the study of the activation of NGA/MMP-9, and the functional role of the hyper-activation of the RAF-MAPK-ERK and PI3K-AKT signal transduction pathways.
Dr. Saverio
Candido is an Assistant Professor of Experimental Medicine and Pathophysiology at the
Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania.
He graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Catania in 2010 and
obtained his PhD in Oncological Sciences with a specialist in Clinical Pathology.
In 2019, he worked as a research fellow of an RTD-A researcher of the SSD of
General Pathology (MED/04) at the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological
Sciences of the University of Catania. He is responsible for the
"Biomarkers" section of the “Translational Oncology and Functional
Genomics” laboratory at the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological
Sciences of the University of Catania. His studies focus on the pathogenesis of
tumors with particular emphasis on the identification and characterization of
gene alterations and transcriptional signaling involved in the development and
progression of tumors, as well as on the validation of their diagnostic,
prognostic, and predictive significance. He is PI or Co-investigator of
numerous research projects, funded by public and private agencies. He is the
author of over 50 scientific works published in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Massimo Libra is a professor of general pathology at the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catania (Catania, Italy). He is the director of the Translational Oncology and Functional Genomics Laboratory in the same department. He received his M.D. degree from the University of Catania in 1995. He was a post-fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Aviano (Italy) with a Specialization in Oncology. In 2002, he received his Ph.D. degree in Oncology from the University of Catania. He was a visiting scientist at UCLA and East Carolina University. His research is focused on defining the molecular mechanisms involved in the genesis and progression of tumors and the identification of new elements for a more effective diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of cancer. In detail, he studies the activation of Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK-MAPK and PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathways and their pharmacological targeting, the cross-talk between the p53 pathway and other pathways (Yin Yang 1, Stathmin), associated with the development of cancer, and the study of the tumor microenvironment (NGAL, OPN, MMPs, cytokines).
Dr. Mario Salmeri is an Associate Professor of Microbiology and Clinical
Microbiology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences,
University of Catania. In 1989, he was
rewarded in the competition for Technical Officer VIII Q. F. at the Institute
of Microbiology, University of Catania. His research interests include the
effect of bacterial infections on the blood–brain/retinal barrier, the effect
of bacterial infections on pancreatic cells, sexually transmitted infections,
clinical microbiology, applied microbiology and antibiotic therapy.
