National and international grants, research allocations and collaborations in experimental and computational methods.
The portfolio includes 60 research projects and allocations and 9 industrial collaborations, plus 1 evaluated proposal. Entries include project summaries, participating institutions and links to public records.
Competitive grants, research programmes, computing and equipment support, and evaluated proposals.
Awarded · upcoming01/01/2027–31/12/2030research grant
European Commission
ERYSO / Engineered erythrocytes and erythrocyte extracellular vesicles for advanced Photodynamic and Sonodynamic therapy
ERYSO aims to develop innovative therapeutic solutions based on photodynamic (PDT), and sonodynamic (SDT) therapies using engineered red blood cells (RBCs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from RBCs in combination with magnetothermal (MHT) therapy. Both RBCs and RBC-derived EVs are characterized by their ability to transport hemoglobin, the body's natural oxygen carrier, and exhibit long circulation times, providing a unique advantage for therapeutic delivery. Encapsulating photosensitizers (PSs) and engineering these carriers for tumor targeting addresses a major limitation of existing PDT and SDT solutions, hypoxic tumor regions, by delivering oxygen directly to these areas, enhancing therapy efficacy. Combining PDT and SDT with MHT further amplifies therapeutic outcomes, providing a multimodal approach to tumor eradication. Magnetic nanoparticles for MHT or titanium oxide nanoparticles for SDT will be encapsulated in the carriers to enable combination of therapies. Tumor targeting will be achieved by functionalizing RBC glycocalyx with targeting peptides or incorporating functionalized lipids into EVs. Enhanced tumor uptake of EVs and RBCs will be facilitated through the Focus Ultrasound (FUS) technique, which temporarily permeabilizes the blood-tumor barrier. Tumor targeting and oxygen delivery will be monitored using advanced molecular imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). Therapeutic efficacy will be evaluated in relevant tumor models, combining molecular imaging and histopathological analysis. The project envisions developing personalized therapies based on autologous patient components, ensuring localized treatment with reduced side effects. By leveraging the natural compatibility of RBCs and EVs and integrating cutting-edge targeting and delivery technologies, ERYSO advances the potential of personalized and multimodal cancer therapies.
Selected · signature pending01/11/2026–31/10/2030research grant
European Commission
NEUROMAGIC / Active nanoMaterials for closed-looP minimaLly-Invasive magneTic sensing and stimUlation of DEep brain structures
NEUROMAGIC is set to pioneer a groundbreaking approach in the realm of bidirectional brain-machine interfaces (BBMIs) by creating Smart Anisotropic Magnetic Nanomaterials (SAMNs) for wireless, precise, and cell-specific neuromodulation in deep brain regions. This innovative technology circumvents the need for invasive electrode implants, by establishing a minimally-invasive and highly effective communication channel with neurons. By exploiting the unique properties of SAMNs, engineered through the doping of anisotropic magnetite nanoparticles with divalent transition metals, NEUROMAGIC will to significantly enhance vortex magnetization, facilitating the conversion of magnetic fields into mechanical torques that can trigger neuronal excitation via calcium influx, thereby enabling precise monitoring and modulation of neural activity. We will employ advanced polymer and biomolecule functionalization techniques to endow SAMNs with dual capabilities: target specific neuronal populations and read out neural activity through calcium signaling. This will be achieved by integrating a calcium-specific protein for direct MRI-based detection of neural activity and by functionalizing SAMNs with genetic material and antibodies to achieve cell-type specificity. NEUROMAGIC will leverage an Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) framework, incorporating text-mining, NLP, and predictive modeling, to optimize the magnetic properties of SAMNs, ensuring their effective passage through the blood-brain barrier and proximity to neuron membranes. A novel controller system based on reinforcement learning will enable real-time, adaptive neuromodulation tailored to individual physiological responses. This approach promises to revolutionize the field of BBMIs, offering a versatile platform for both research and therapeutic applications, with the potential to transform the treatment landscape for a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
INTRABRAIN / Nanoplatforms and Oncolytic viruses for novel cancer immunotherapy strategies
Immunotherapy is a potential key weapon in the fight against cancer, in general, and Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), in particular. Still, a better understanding of how immunotherapy can be leveraged in GBM patients is direly needed. Disease complexity and blood-brain barrier impermeability mean that a standard vaccinology approach will not work. As part of a novel cancer management strategy, this project aims to create more efficacious vaccines using polymeric nanoparticles and self-assembled nanoplatforms in combination with modified oncolytic viruses. We will use biodegradable nanomaterials to protect the OV from body clearance and exploit the intranasal route for efficient delivery to the brain. We will incorporate the IL12 gene into a recombinant adenovirus vector backbone, which will stay under the nanoparticle protection until the drug reaches the tumour microenvironment and is released to reverse tumour-induced immunosuppression. This new strategy offers an efficient alternative to the current standard-of care - i.e. labour-intensive immunotherapy and possibly chemoradiation. The development of an off-the-shelf product, which provides additional anti-tumoral effects at different levels, would significantly prolong the life expectancy of GBM patients. This bioprocess would be scalable for production and compatible with Good Manufacturing Practices. The administration strategies, safety and efficacy of the anti-cancer agent will be validated in animal GBM models. The main training objective is to educate a strongly needed generation of interdisciplinary specialists in tight collaboration with large pharmacological industries, academia, and clinical centres. This will not only educate 14 outstanding early-stage researchers, but also greatly enhance their career perspectives through the unique opportunity to conduct transdisciplinary research and embark on a high-quality training in both academic and entrepreneurial industrial environments.
University of Helsinki · University of Rome Tor Vergata · CIC biomaGUNE · University of Naples Federico II · Technion Research and Development Foundation
Programme
Horizon Europe · Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks · HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01
SUSNAMU / Sustainable Nanocellulose and Amyloid-Based Materials for Biodegradable Packaging and Smart Agricultural Applications
Nanocellulose and beta-amyloids proteins derived from waste byproducts, such as banana pseudostems, palm oil empty fruit bunches, discarded milk, and tofu production residues, will be used to fabricate films as alternatives to conventional plastics. These films will be produced using casting and electrospinning techniques, combined with other natural biopolymers, including lignin, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and bioadditives. Films will be surface engineered with the spray layer by layer technique for the precise control of their surface properties.The films will serve applications in both food packaging and agriculture. For agricultural use, mulch and greenhouse cover films will be designed to exhibit selective gas transport, controlled sunlight transparency, and limited water permeability. Additionally, they will be engineered to release carbon dots infused with nutrients and pesticides into the soil, aiming to improve crop yields and reduce weed colonization. In food packaging, advanced bioelectronics will be integrated to detect pH changes indicative of food spoilage. The inclusion of anthocyanins and photosensitizers will impart antibacterial properties to the films. Smart strategies will be employed to extend the shelf life of packaged food. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) will be utilized to optimize material properties for enhanced performance.The films will be scaled up in a pilot plant and tested in agricultural fields and packaging applications. To achieve the ambitious goals of SUSNAMU—replacing fossil-based plastics in packaging and agriculture while mitigating global microplastic contamination—a diverse global consortium has been assembled. This consortium spans Europe (Germany, Croatia, Spain, Italy, UK), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia), and Africa (Senegal), bringing together complementary expertise from academic, industrial institutions, necessary for the successful development and implementation of the project's goals.
Selected · signature pendingStart pending / 48 monthsresearch grant
European Commission
ARMOR / Next-generation biomimetic vesicles for combating antimicrobial resistance in chronic biofilm infections
An MSCA Staff Exchanges project developing biomimetic vesicle methods to study antimicrobial resistance in chronic biofilms. International collaboration supports the investigation of vesicle-based approaches and their biological effects.
Selected · signature pendingStart pending / 60 monthsresearch grant
European Commission
APPRAISE / Advanced Pharmacovigilance using Predictive Reasoning and AI for Safety Enhancement of medicines
A collaborative pharmacovigilance project applying predictive reasoning and artificial intelligence to medicine safety. It focuses on identifying potential adverse drug reactions and improving the speed, accuracy and usefulness of safety-signal detection across the medicines lifecycle.
Horizon Europe · HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-two-stage · HORIZON-JU-IHI-2025-11-03
Grant / award ID
101300110
Total project award (provisional)€8,906,000
Tor Vergata award (provisional)€345,000
Selected for funding; dates and budgets remain provisional until the grant agreement is finalised.
Active18/07/2025–30/06/2030research grant
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Non-invasive imaging of pathological fibrin deposition and its effect on progressive neurodegeneration in the human brain: an in vivo longitudinal study
A growing body of evidence indicates that fibrinogen and the pathways that control the formation and degradation of fibrin could represent early triggers that contribute to the initiation of neuroinflammation and the promotion of neurodegeneration in a variety of neurological disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS), a neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorder of the CNS and the most common cause of neurological disability (after trauma) in young adults in Western countries. In MS, accumulating evidence indicates that fibrin deposition is prominent and diffuse throughout the course of the disease, both in the white matter (WM) and in the cortex, where it is thought to trigger demyelination, axonal and neuronal loss. Using a novel fibrin-specific molecular imaging approach based on 64Cu-FBP8 brain positron emission tomography (PET), developed at Massachusetts General Hospital for detecting fibrin deposition in the human brain, we have obtained preliminary in vivo data that demonstrate abnormal fibrin deposition in the brain and cortex of progressive MS cases. The significance of such findings is still unknown. Our overall hypothesis is that in vivo quantification of fibrin deposition by 64Cu-FBP8 uptake could be used to track the evolution of areas of cortical and WM pathology related to MS disease progression by investigating whether, and to which extent, the amount of fibrin deposition relates or can even predict different components of tissue damage including demyelination and/or neurodegeneration, as suggested by postmortem examinations. To test our hypothesis, we propose an innovative, longitudinal, imaging approach that will combine 64Cu-FBP8 imaging on an integrated 3 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance-PET system with the Rapid Estimation of Myelin for Diagnostic Imaging (REMyDI) a novel MRI-based myelin quantification technique and with 7T MRI to assess cortical lesion load and chronic active WM lesions, harboring a peripheral rim of iron-laden microglia, visible as a paramagnetic rim on susceptibility-sensitive MRI, which are associated with, remyelination failure. 7T imaging has been crucial for in vivo visualization of cortical demyelinating lesions in MS and following its evolution. Our study will help establishing the existence of an in vivo link between fibrin deposition and detrimental brain structural pathology in progressive MS and for assessing 64Cu-FBP8 molecular imaging as a non- invasive imaging biomarker for fibrin related pathology in the CNS.
BRAINFEDERATION / Orchestrated cell-selective neuromodulation through advanced nanomaterials, nanoelectronics and neuromorphic learning
A FISA research project developing cell-selective neuromodulation through advanced nanomaterials, nanoelectronics and neuromorphic learning. It brings these technologies together to support precise control of neural activity and new approaches to interacting with brain circuits.
DIADEMA / Novel neuroradiological workflow for the assisted DIAgnosis and management of DEMentia with Artificial intelligence
DIADEMA develops and validates an artificial intelligence workflow to assist radiologists in diagnosing neurodegenerative disease from routine brain imaging. The project addresses the need for consistent interpretation of structural MRI biomarkers and for methods that can also work with more accessible CT scans. Its research seeks disease-specific markers and automated procedures that classify images consistently and answer defined clinical questions. Imaging researchers contribute expertise in designing and validating analysis protocols, while neuroinformatics researchers implement the diagnostic models. The aim is to turn advanced image-analysis methods into reliable tools that support everyday clinical assessment of dementia.
myREPAIR / A new method to induce myelin repair in multiple sclerosis
A PRIN PNRR project investigating focused-ultrasound methods and imaging-based quantification of myelin repair. Virtual X-ray histology measures remyelination in experimental models relevant to multiple sclerosis.
BRAINSTORM / Wireless deep BRAIN STimulation thrOugh engineeRed Multifunctinal nanomaterials
BRAINSTORM will introduce an innovative, scalable, wireless, multimodal nanoinvasive neuromodulation technology suitable for independent and switchable excitation and inhibition of deep brain neurons. BRAINSTORM breakthrough relies on novel smart anisotropic magnetic nanomaterials (SMNs) acting both as nanoscale ‘heaters’ and as ‘torquers’ by leveraging either hysteretic losses under kHz frequencies or transitions from vortex to in-plane magnetization under Hz frequencies. Intrinsic bimodal functionality that permits direct control of thermosensitive or mechanosenitive neurons, will be boosted by advanced polymer functionalization to transfer torques to electrical signals trough piezoelectric coating, and to enable transport and delivery of viral vectors to targeted neurons for genetic targeting with sensory channels. SMNs will also be steered to endogenous sensory channels relying on antibody targeting. Selected actuation of ion channels that respond to thermal or mechanical stimulus will permit selective activation or inhibition of targeted neuronal populations identifiable by magnetic resonance imaging. Advanced driving electronics will include to metamaterial solenoid coils for rapid frequency switch for control of ‘mechanical’ or ‘thermal’ functionality while focused ultrasound will facilitate non invasive delivery of SMNs in the targeted brain area. The ability of the BRAINSTORM platform to shape behaviour and demonstrate therapeutic potential by modulating the excitation/inhibition balance through thermal/mechanical/electrical modalities will be demonstrated in mouse models of Fragile X syndrome.
AEGEUS / AEGEUS - A Novel EEG Ultrasound Device for Functional Brain Imaging and Neurostimulation
The overall goal of this project is to develop a radically new diagnostic and therapeutic device for neurological applications which combines a highly innovative ultrasound component for brain imaging and focused stimulation of brain regions with advanced electrophysiological measurements of neural activity. First goal of the project is the development of a novel ultrasound (US)-based functional imaging method that, in conjunction with electroencephalography (EEG), allows for high spatiotemporal resolution examination of brain activity. While EEG itself yields best data from neural tissue close to the skull, the US component is designed to deliver images from deeper brain regions. The second pillar of the device’s function is focused US brain stimulation. Based on the possibility to localize abnormal activity, the neuromodulation component of the novel device can be guided to focal stimulation of selected brain regions, which can be further developed into a closed-loop design. The full envisioned system is a versatile tool that combines EEG-sensors and US transceivers in a wearable headset. The project foresees the development of hard- and software as well as algorithms to integrate the information from both modalities into functional neuroimaging with unpreceded spatiotemporal resolution. Beyond the technical realization, this project includes a proof of concept study to evaluate and demonstrate practical applicability in healthy participants and in patients with epilepsy, during clinical routine examination, cognitive, and sensory stimulation, including test-retest validation. The new device will reduce the time to examine and treat neurological patients and the cost thereof. The ability to perform better diagnosis via accurate imaging, targeted neurostimulation, and neuromodulation with a cost-effective, non-invasive device will have transformative effects on treatment options for neurological diseases and stimulate new lines of research in cognitive neuroscience
Neuro-Psycho-Physiological Profile of Pain Fluctuations in Fibromyalgia
A binational research project investigating why fibromyalgia pain fluctuates over time. It brings together neural, psychological and physiological perspectives to characterise changing pain experiences and understand the factors associated with variation in symptoms.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
Brainstem-based toolkit and biomarkers of prodromal Parkinson’s disease
The project develops a publicly available Brainstem Navigator toolkit to locate small brainstem nuclei automatically in conventional patient MRI scans. The toolkit will be applied to data from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative to derive markers of prodromal Parkinson’s disease. Analyses will examine both differences between participants and changes over time, supporting the search for brainstem measures that can characterise disease before its established clinical presentation.
Provisional details2023–2026 (provisional)research grant
Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR)
myFUS / Novel ultrasound neuromodulation technologies for inducing myelin repair in multiple sclerosis
A national research project investigating controlled ultrasound stimulation and its effects on myelin repair in multiple sclerosis research. The work examines acoustic neuromodulation methods and changes in the insulating tissue that supports communication between neurons.
Exploring brain molecular imaging and blood biomarkers in subjects with glucocerebrosidase mutations: toward a precision medicine approach to characterize parkinson’s disease clinical trajectories
Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations are the most common risk factor for Parkinson's Disease (PD). GBA-related PD(GBA-PD) exhibits a more malignant phenotype as compared to no-carriers. Still, the mechanisms behind the increased malignancy in GBA-PD are not well understood. The definition of biomarkers able to stratify PD clinical trajectories in PD is therefore crucial to identify effective treatments and support diagnosis.The investigators will examine the role of GBA-mutations in accelerating a-synuclein (a-syn) and synaptic pathologies in PD by combining neuroimaging (positron emission tomography-PET), biochemical and clinical features. This will illuminate the pathophysiology underlying GBA-mutations in PD and identify biomarkers for the malignant PD phenotype. Also, the investigators will combine longitudinal clinical and imaging/biochemical features to define a prognostic algorithm for predicting disease faster progression in GBA-PD and monitoring disease trajectories in unaffected GBA carriers.
Class-tAIs / Artificial Intelligence and multi-brain connectivity as a buddy to Enhancing Competencies in students
A PRIN research project exploring artificial intelligence and connectivity across multiple brains as tools for supporting student competencies. It connects computational methods with the study of learning and interaction to investigate new forms of educational assistance.
CROSSBRAIN / Distributed and federated cross-modality actuation through advanced nanomaterials and neuromorphic learning
A vast number of pathological brain conditions directly involve aberrant electrical activity of the brain. CROSSBRAIN centres its technological revolution on the convergence of novel nanoactuation modalities, bleeding-edge nano-electronics, and miniaturized wireless energy harvesting and communication. Combining extreme edge computing with advanced nanomaterials featuring tailored physical properties, biocompatible coatings, and material modifications to prevent glial scarring, CROSSBRAIN will enable individualized, adaptive and highly spatiotemporally localized actuation of brain tissue. It will leverage sensing electric local field potentials, multiunit neuronal activity, and cross-modal nanomaterial-based modulation (electrical, mechanical, thermal, ionic concentration, optogenetics) of neuronal excitability with on-board intelligence. The CROSSBRAIN platform comprises a swarm of wireless, implantable, MRI-compatible microbots for in vivo electrophysiology and cross-modal neuromodulation at the cell- and microcircuit levels, in freely moving rodents. CROSSBRAIN delivers a multiplicity of stimulation modalities, involving electro-mechano-magneto-thermo-optical principles for modulation of nerve cell excitability. The microbots will feature both sensing and actuation electrodes, engineered with nanomaterials and viral vectors coatings. They will be implanted endovascularly, deliver genetic material upon command, and operate in federation under the networked control and wireless power supply by a tiny central unit, which can be worn like an internet of things device. CROSSBRAIN will deliver autonomous or manual, closed-loop sensing, prediction, and actuation through combining multiple neuromodulation mechanisms, which will act in a synergistic and dynamic manner to optimally shape stimulation according to individual neuronal firing patterns or clinician’s needs. As case studies, we will explore CROSSBRAIN action in animal models of Parkinson’s Disease and Epilepsy.
Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) · European Union – NextGenerationEU
MNESYS / A Multiscale integrated approach to the study of the Nervous system in health and disease
MNESYS connects molecular, clinical and computational neuroscience to develop predictive and personalised approaches to disorders of the nervous system and behaviour. Its research programme brings together complementary expertise to investigate how the nervous system functions and which biological mechanisms contribute to disease. The work includes identifying biomarkers that can detect disease before symptoms or at an early stage, discovering cellular and molecular targets for new treatments, and building computational representations of biological systems from several kinds of data. Researchers also examine neural networks involved in vision, movement and communication between brain and body, accounting for differences between individuals. These activities support earlier patient stratification, more individualised treatment strategies and the translation of basic neuroscience into clinical research.
PGTI / Prompt Gamma Time Imaging: a new medical-imaging modality for adaptive Particle Therapy
Particle Therapy (PT) is potentially the most conformal and selective form of radiotherapy, but its clinical outcome is still limited, mainly because of the numerous sources of uncertainties affecting both treatment planning and delivery. The objective technical complexity of predicting and verifying the ion path in the patient has led to conservative treatments that, in order to increase safety, sacrifice efficacy. Having the full control of the dose gradient within the patient in real time would allow to fully exploit the ballistic advantage of PT. The healthy-tissue sparing effect can be enormous, further encouraging the use of PT for paediatric malignancies. Alternatively, the target dose could be increased to achieve better tumour control, and dose escalation procedures could be envisaged to treat radio-resistant tumours. With the aim of increasing both safety and efficacy, I propose a new medical-imaging modality to monitor PT treatments in real-time. It exploits the signal of secondary prompt gamma-rays emitted from nuclear interactions in the patients to recover information on ion range, tissue density and dose. I refer to this technique as Prompt Gamma Time Imaging (PGTI). An original reconstruction algorithm and a dedicated detector will be developed to prove the clinical advantages of PGTI, and bring this technique at the doorsteps of its clinical application. I will develop models to correlate the images provided by PGTI to real-time dose distributions, in order to enable the use of this technique for adaptive dosimetry. PGTI will be also explored as a potential approach to proton tomography. For the first time, it would be possible to control the uncertainties affecting both treatment planning and treatment delivery with a unique device. PGTI may be the missing step towards the birth of image-guided particle therapy.
U.S. Department of Defense · Defense Health Agency
Non-Invasive Microstructural Assessment of Neuroinflammation in Chronic Pain
This project develops non-invasive MRI measures of neuroinflammation to investigate the biological mechanisms of chronic pain. It builds on a diffusion MRI model designed to distinguish microscopic changes associated with glial activation and to relate imaging findings to underlying tissue processes. The linked research programme combines diffusion imaging, PET and clinical or behavioural assessments to study pain and variability in treatment response. Its objectives include testing imaging markers as indicators of pain, evaluating whether baseline markers help predict longer-term response, and developing predictors that combine imaging with psychological and sensory measurements. The work aims to make the study of neuroinflammation more accessible through MRI methods suitable for use in living patients.
South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Sør-Øst)
Resolving the comorbidity between chronic pain and depression – A multimodal study into brain-genetic-behavioral mechanisms
A multimodal neuroscience study examining why chronic pain and depression frequently occur together. The research combines brain, genetic and behavioural information to investigate mechanisms shared by the two conditions.
Non-invasive in vivo imaging of pathological fibrin deposition in the human brain
A pilot imaging project investigating noninvasive measurement of pathological fibrin deposition in the living human brain. The work examines an imaging route to characterise fibrin-related pathology and support further study of inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes.
Massachusetts General Hospital · Harvard Medical School
Programme
Internal/pilot award
Grant / award ID
2021A007144
Completed2022–2026research grant
Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) · European Union – NextGenerationEU
HEAL-ITALIA / Health Extended ALliance for Innovative Therapies, Advanced Lab-research, and Integrated Approaches of Precision Medicine
HEAL ITALIA brings universities, research hospitals and companies together to advance precision medicine for cancer and cardiovascular, metabolic and rare diseases. Its programme links clinical data, experimental research and technology development to improve individualised diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Research activities include methods for integrating large health datasets, prediction of disease progression and treatment response, and diagnostic approaches that combine clinical and imaging biomarkers. Computational models support the development and validation of personalised therapies, alongside devices for diagnosis and treatment. The programme also investigates prevention using information about environment, lifestyle and clinical characteristics. Clinical validation and the integration of molecular and patient phenotyping with AI-supported decisions are intended to help translate these methods into healthcare practice.
A research programme within Italy’s national centre for high-performance computing, big data and quantum computing. Spoke 6 develops multiscale modelling and computational methods for scientific and engineering applications, using supercomputing and data analysis to connect phenomena across scales.
Next Generation EU · Centro Nazionale 1: National Center for HPC, Big Data and Quantum Computing
Completed15/07/2021–31/12/2024research grant
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
In vivo imaging of cortical glial activation using advanced diffusion magnetic resonance imaging
Project Summary Neuroinflammation by means of glial (microglia and astrocytes) activation is thought to play a key role in the pathogenesis of several psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders of different etiology including depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS). Still, current noninvasive methods to detect and characterize neuroinflammation in vivo are limited. Positron emission tomography (PET)- based targeting of the 18kDa translocator protein (TSPO), which is overexpressed in activated glial cells but otherwise present at very low levels in the healthy brain, is the current gold-standard for imaging in vivo glial activation in the human brain. PET imaging, however, is associated with radiation exposure, which limits its use in children and child-bearing women, and over time. Microglia and astrocytes are dynamic cells able to change morphology and function following “activation” from a variety of pathological insults. Advanced magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is a sensitive approach for non- invasive measurement of intra- and extra-cellular microstructural changes associated with glial activation. We have developed a novel DWI multi-compartment microstructural model (MCM) for imaging microglia and astrocyte activation, which we validated in an experimental rat model of grey matter (GM) inflammation. Here, we propose to translate this model to the study of cortical glial activation in healthy controls and patients with MS, and to validate in vivo findings in post-mortem MS brain tissue. MS is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system that represents the leading cause of non-traumatic neurological disability in young adults in the US. There is solid evidence that extensive microglia activation is a main pathological feature of cortical pathology in MS. Our overall hypothesis is that MCM-derived indices are sensitive to cortical microstructural changes related to glial activation as evidenced by a strong correlation with TSPO levels on PET with 11C-PBR28, a second generation TSPO radioligand, and by neuropathological verification. A non-invasive methodology that allows investigating and characterizing the contribution of neuroinflammation in the GM will have a tremendous impact in clarifying disease mechanisms in MS, as well as in a wide- spectrum of neurological and psychiatric conditions.
UltraRadio / Boosting the efficacy of radiotherapy in Glioblastoma through ultrasound-aided delivery of theranostic nanoparticles across the blood–brain barrier
UltraRadio investigates ultrasound-assisted transport of theranostic nanoparticles across the blood–brain barrier. The project combines targeted delivery and imaging methods to study nanoparticle distribution and radiation response in glioblastoma research.
PlasticsFatE / Plastics fate and effects in the human body
"The main goal of PlasticsFatE (Plastics Fate and Effects in the Human Body) is to improve our present understanding of the impact of micro- and nano-plastics (MP/NP) and associated additives/adsorbed contaminants (A/C) in the human body. Human exposure to MP/NP may result from the widespread use of plastic products and their release to the environment, where they degrade to MP/NP particles. But plastics particles reach natural systems also as secondary by-products, e.g. from tyre wear or abrasion of textiles. As a consequence, these particles are found in food, drinking water, air and environmental media (food chain, soils). Despite recent efforts to assess the real dimension of human risks associated with MP/NP, our current knowledge is still insufficient. One of the reasons is the lack of reliable and validated methods that are able to generate the science-based data we need. PlasticsFatE will address this challenge and associated uncertainties by implementing a comprehensive measurement and testing program (""test the test""), including inter-laboratory studies, to improve and validate the performance and applicability of available methods and tools to MP/NP. The tested and validated approaches will be used to (1) identify and detect MP/NP and A/C in a variety of complex matrices, such as food (vegetables, fruits, beverages, fish etc.), human tissues and consumer products (tooth paste, beauty products), as well as relevant environmental media (air, drinking water, soils), and to (2) assess their (also long-term) fate and toxicity in the human body by using advanced cell culture and organ models that simulate real exposure to MP/NP in the respiratory and gastro-intestinal tract. The newly developed innovative approaches will be integrated into a novel risk assessment strategy specifically designed for MP/NP to provide the policy relevant and scientifically sound data needed to support the health-relevant aims of European strategies for plastics. PlasticsFatE is part of the European MNP cluster on human health."
Image-and genetically guided personalized neuromodulation therapy for persistent postural-perceptual dizziness
A neuromodulation research project combining brain imaging and genetic measurements in persistent postural-perceptual dizziness. It investigates how individual variation can inform the design and evaluation of stimulation methods.
EXPERIENCE / The Extended-Personal Reality: augmented recording and transmission of virtual senses through artificial intelligence
Social media has transformed the way we communicate through text, images, and videos. Despite recent technological avenues, virtual reality (VR) has not been incorporated in social platforms, hence limiting the comprehensive sharing of an EXPERIENCE. This project makes real the complex interplay between multisensory perception, emotional responses, past experiences, and perspective of the future also by disentangling the mental representation of self in space and time. The new Extended-Personal Reality technological and scientific paradigms will move Europe to the future generation of extended social interactions by allowing the public at large to i) create their own VR environments as they do photos and videos without the need for technical skills, ii) create virtual simulations eliciting unique psychological, cognitive, neurophysiological, and behavioural responses, iii) automatically generate VR environments from neurophysiological data, iv) easily manipulate VR environments to communicate and elicit specific emotions, v) manipulate perceived reality to effectively treat psychiatric disorders. EXPERIENCE embeds advanced artificial intelligence routines merging information from a person’s Extended-Personal Reality to inform manipulation tools including neuromodulation, multisensory biofeedback (audio, video, haptics), and subjective perception of time-space. EXPERIENCE will produce extremely realistic reproductions of the user's past and may re-administer it by modulating the associated emotional states on demand. Within a large number of research and innovation avenues, EXPERIENCE will prioritise novel diagnosis and treatment of affective disorders commonly associated with altered multisensory perception like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. A plethora of innovative technological paradigms including gaming, e-learning, and neuroeconomics will be in the commercial exploitations, including the opening of a new market for actually selling EXPERIENCEs
A PRIN 2020 research proposal led by Nicola Toschi at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. The LS5 evaluation ranked proposal 20205X4B4S in position 44 with a score of 91.
Associations between biomedical and psychosocial factors and indicators of psychological well-being and negative emotionality
A data-based study of relationships between biomedical measures, psychosocial factors and psychological well-being. The project examines how these different dimensions relate to negative emotionality and broader variation in mental health.
DeepPDStratify / Deep Learning-based multimodal and multidomain stratification of the Parkinson’s disease continuum
DeepPDStratify develops deep-learning methods for multimodal stratification of Parkinson’s disease datasets using multiple measurement types and study domains. NVIDIA hardware support enables computational development and analysis.
A computational neuroscience project using high-performance computing to study spiking neural networks and neocortex evolution. Access to CINECA resources supports numerical research into biologically inspired network models and cortical organization.
NanoInformaTIX / Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Modelling Platform for NanoInformatics
NanoInformaTIX aims to create a comprehensive, sustainable, multi-scale modelling framework for exposure and (eco)-toxicity of Engineered Nanomaterials (ENM) to facilitate cost-effective risk assessment, less reliant on animal testing, and to support the design of safer materials and products. Our approach integrates several relevant EU/US databases with validated nanoinformatics models covering: Materials, Exposure, Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetics (PBPK), Quantitative-Structure-Activity Relations (QSAR) and Systems Biology modelling and in vitro/in vivo extrapolation to support the prediction of biological effects and exposure of ENM at various stages of their life cycle and product development. NanoInformaTIX will address grouping and read-across for risk assessment and safer product design. NanoInformaTIX will use existing curated data from several completed EU/US projects and from peer-reviewed literature to develop, extend the models and will also consider emerging data from ongoing projects for model validation following the OECD validation principles. This will take the NanoInformaTIX models from TLR4 to TLR6. The NanoInformaTIX modelling framework will be a web-based platform with a user-friendly interface tailored to the needs of different stakeholders (industry, regulators, academia and the civil society). To obtain optimal confidence in the use of the NanoInformaTIX modelling and database framework, all models will be described clearly using agreed standards terminology and implemented on harmonized standard operating protocols based on Good Modelling/Software Design practices. Their applicability domain will be clearly documented and referenced for full transparency and detailed user guidance for each will be provided. NanoInformaTIX will achieve considerable impact by providing the much -needed validated accessible data management modelling framework to predict human and environmental risks, to support the design of sustainable ENM and products.
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) · University of Rome Tor Vergata · Institute of Occupational Medicine · Aarhus University · National Technical University of Athens
Breast Osteoblast-like cells in breast cancer: novel mediators, predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for bone metastatic disease
A molecular and cellular study of breast osteoblast-like cells in bone metastatic disease. The project investigates these cells as possible mediators of metastasis, quantitative biomarkers and molecular targets for further experimental study.
Advancing Rehabilitation: Physiological, Psychological and Neuroimaging Measures of Factors that Predispose, Promote, and Perpetuate post-traumatic Dizziness
A multimodal research project combining physiological, psychological and brain-imaging measurements in post-traumatic dizziness. It studies factors associated with the emergence, variation and persistence of symptoms.
Complex Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Research – Clinical Research Award (CTRR – CRA)
Total project awardUS$2,000,000
Completed01/08/2018 – 31/07/2025research grant
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Boosting Mind-body Mechanisms and Outcomes for Chronic Pain
Abstract While many mind-body therapies have shown promise for chronic pain, the efficacy of any single-modality treatment is typically modest, and finding a way to boost clinical outcomes is a crucially important goal. It is well documented, and recommended in the recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on pain, that a multimodal approach is optimal for pain management. Multimodal analgesic strategies are thought to enhance benefits to patients by simultaneously targeting multiple pathways that contribute to chronic pain. Mind-body therapies have shown promise for pain, and many such therapies (e.g., mindfulness meditation (MM) training) are actually characterized as predominantly “mind,” taking advantage of top-down brain-based mechanisms of action, without fully integrating bottom-up “body”-based mechanisms. A greater use of “mind” and “body” elements via a multimodal therapeutic approach may enhance clinical outcomes through neurophysiological integration within the central nervous system (i.e., brain). Our overall goal in this proposal is to evaluate how and where such integration takes place for a common chronic pain disorder - migraine. Our 3 Projects will target 3 critical and inter-related pathophysiological processes that characterize migraine headache, and how both “top-down” and “bottom-up” interventions mitigate this pathology. To augment MM training, we propose a specifically-targeted, bottom-up therapy that has also shown promise for migraine - transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS). We will use a recently developed optimized tVNS approach that gates stimulation to the respiratory rhythm (i.e., respiratory-gated auricular vagal afferent nerve stimulation, RAVANS), which enhances the potential synergy, both conceptually and neurophysiologically, of combining tVNS with MM, with its own focus of non-judgmental attention on breathing with a calm and alert mind. All three projects will apply neuroimaging and other physiological and behavioral tools at baseline and following 8-weeks of a combination of RAVANS or Sham tVNS with MM or education control. Aim 1, addressed by Project 1, will investigate brainstem and cortical mechanisms for reducing cortical/subcortical hyperexcitability. Aim 2, addressed by Project 2, will evaluate MM+RAVANS tVNS improvements in autonomic and central autonomic network dysfunction. Aim 3, addressed by Project 3, will use multimodal PET/MR imaging and a recently developed ligand for glial activation to assess anti-neuroinflammatory effects of MM+RAVANS tVNS therapy. Aim 4 will investigate how the neurobiological changes assessed in Aims 1 to 3 are inter-related through mediation and other analyses performed by the Neuroimaging and Biostatistical Core, while the Clinical Core and Administrative Core will support recruitment and administration of our synergistic study design.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Boosting mind-body mechanisms for mitigating central sensitization in migraine
Abstract Migraine (MIG) is a prevalent (15-20%) and highly disabling disorder, with complex neurobiological underpinnings characterized by sensitization of the brainstem trigeminal sensory complex, leading to brainstem-mediated up-regulation of cortical and hypothalamic excitability. Our own pilot fMRI data found reduced habituation and amplified afferent input from the spinal trigeminal nucleus to cortical areas including posterior insula and hypothalamus. Reducing cortical/subcortical amplification and normalizing habituation may be an important therapeutic target. Multimodal approaches have shown improved clinical outcomes, and have been recommended in the recent Institute of Medicine report on pain. We propose that this is also the case for mind-body therapies. Mindfulness meditation (MM) has shown promise for migraine, and likely operates by top-down mechanisms, potentially reducing posterior insula and thalamic hyperexcitability. Furthermore, hyperexcitability may be mediated by the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, and recent MR spectroscopy (H-MRS) studies have found that increased glutamate in posterior insula is associated with hyperalgesia in chronic pain patients, while experienced meditators show reduced glutamate levels in the thalamus. Additionally, bottom-up therapies such as invasive and non-invasive auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) also reduce migraine frequency and disability. In tVNS, vagal afference relayed to nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in the medulla may modulate trigeminal sensory complex excitability and hyperexcitability in higher brain structures (i.e., a “bottom-up” pathway), possibly by recruitment of serotonergic (raphe nuclei) and noradrenergic (locus coeruleus, LC) pathways, via NTS afference. Furthermore, the dorsal medullary vagal system operates in synchrony with respiration: NTS receiving inhibitory inputs from medullary ventral respiratory group (VRG) nuclei during inhalation, and facilitatory input during expiration. This is a critically- important feature of this circuitry, as it suggests that interventions utilizing this NTS pathway should be synchronized with respiration. Hence, our group developed Respiratory-gated Auricular Vagal Afferent Nerve Stimulation (RAVANS), that optimizes tVNS targeting of NTS by stimulating only during the expiratory phase. Thus, RAVANS tVNS incorporates bottom-up modulation of cortical/subcortical hyperexcitability in regions such as the posterior insula and thalamus, which are also targeted by MM-relevant circuits. In sum, we propose that MM training incorporating RAVANS tVNS will have a synergistic effect in reducing posterior insula, thalamic, and hypothalamic hyperexcitability in migraine.
CARDIMIRAX / HAX-1 splice variants as potential molecular biomarkers for cardiomyopathies
CARDIMIRAX investigates variants of the HAX-1 gene produced through alternative splicing as potential molecular biomarkers for cardiomyopathies. The project explores molecular differences that could help characterize diseases affecting heart muscle.
BIORIMA stands for Biomaterial Risk Management. BIORIMA aims to develop an integrated risk management (IRM) framework for nano-biomaterials (NBM) used in Advanced Therapeutic Medicinal Products (ATMP) and Medical Devices (MD). The BIORIMA RM framework is a structure upon which the validated tools and methods for materials, exposure, hazard and risk identification/assessment and management are allocated plus a rationale for selecting and using them to manage and reduce the risk for specific NBM used in ATMP and MD. Specifically, the IRM framework will consist of: (i) Risk Management strategies and systems, based on validated methodologies, tools, and guidance, for monitoring and reducing the risks together with methods for evaluating them; (ii) Validated methodologies and tools to identify the potential Exposure and Hazard posed by NBM to humans and the environment; (iii) A strategy for Intelligent Testing (ITS) and Tiered Risk Assessment for NBM used in ATMP and MD. BIORIMA workplan consists of 7 workpackages covering the major themes: Materials, Exposure, Hazard and Risk. BIORIMA will generate methods and tools for these themes for use in risk evaluation and reduction. The BIORIMA toolbox will consist of validated methods/tools for materials synthesis; reference materials bank; methods for human/environment exposure assessment and monitoring; (eco)-toxicology testing protocols; methods for prevention of accidental risks – massive release or explosion – A tiered risk assessment method for humans/environment; An intelligent testing strategy for NBM and risk reduction measures, including the safer-by-design approach. BIORIMA will deliver a web-based Decision Support System to help users, especially SME, evaluate the risk/benefit profile of their NBM products and help to shorten the time to market for NBM products.
Endometrial Notch pathway as a novel target for improving implantation efficiency
An experimental reproductive-biology project investigating the endometrial Notch signalling pathway as a potential target for improving embryo implantation. The work focuses on the molecular environment of the endometrium and implantation efficiency.
Mapping the linkage between auricular vagus nerve receptors and cardiovagal modulation
The vagus nerve is regarded as the main parasympathetic conduit of the autonomic nervous system and is involved in the regulation of heart rate, cardiac contractility, ventricular electrical stability and baroreflex sensitivity. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been suggested and/or used as a neuromodulatory therapy for multiple cardiovascular disorders, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, and heart failure. However, given that VNS is an invasive procedure and has been associated with significant adverse events, the mapping of alternative non-invasive pathways for vagal modulation is of critical relevance. Interestingly, the auricular branch of the vagus (ABVN) is the only peripheral branch of this nerve that distributes to the skin. Previous animal studies have demonstrated that ABVN sensory fibers terminate in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), and, similar to invasive VNS, ABVN stimulation has also been shown to modulate cardiac electrophysiology resulting in atrial fibrillation suppression, and regulation of left ventricular remodeling. While the anatomy of this nerve has been studied in detail, the functional mapping of the circuitry connecting ABVN stimulation with cardiovascular outcomes remains poorly understood. Moreover, as NTS activity and the dorsal medullary vagal system operates in tune with respiration, our group has previously suggested that the neuromodulatory effects of ABVN afference can be optimized by gating stimulation to the respiratory cycle. Hence, our overall goal is to functionally map the ABVN-brainstem-cardiovagal outflow pathway in both humans and rodents and assess its sensitivity to the modulatory effects of respiration. In humans, state-of-the-art ultrahigh-field functional MRI (7T fMRI) will afford enhanced spatiotemporal resolution to evaluate the response of the dorsal medullary vagal system and hypothalamus to ABVN stimulation. Neuroimaging will incorporate simultaneous cardiophysiological assessment and dynamic high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) assessment of cardiovagal modulation, using advanced point-process adaptive filtering algorithms developed by our group. More invasive experiments in a rat model will evaluate the effects of ABVN afference on cervical vagus nerve activity (CVNA), while electrocardiography will be recorded to calculate HF-HRV response to ABVN stimulation, thereby directly linking unique rat and human outcomes via a metric common to both. Rat studies will also assess activation in brainstem and hypothalamic homologue nuclei by c-Fos immunohistochemistry in the absence and presence of neuronal activity blocker, and excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter antagonists injected stereotactically into the target nuclei. In summary, the functional mapping of the ABVN pathway in humans is of pivotal importance given its accessibility and its potential neuromodulatory effects on cardiovascular physiology, and our proposal will significantly improve our understanding of the mapping from auricular vagus nerve receptors to the heart.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
In-vivo imaging of spinal and brain glial activation in low back pain patients
In animal models of pain, microglia and astrocytes become `activated' and start releasing pro- inflammatory cytokines and other products that further sensitize pain pathways. Thus, it is generally believed that glial cells actively contribute to the pathophysiology of persistent pain. Despite hundreds of studies with laboratory models, it is currently unclear whether glial cells have a role in human pain. Recently, however, our group has demonstrated that patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) have increased brain levels of the 18kDa translocator protein (TSPO). In addition, preliminary data collected from a different cohort of cLBP patients suggest an increase in spinal cord TSPO levels as well. As TSPO upregulation is a marker of glial activation, these observations support a role for glial activation in human chronic pain. With the current proposal, which builds logically on our prior observations, we will compare spinal and brain glial activation in healthy volunteers, and patients with subacute (i.e., pain duration between 1 and 3 months) and chronic (i.e., pain duration > 1 year) low back pain. Scans will be performed with integrated Positron Emission Tomography / Magnetic Resonance (PET/MR) imaging and [11C]PBR28, a second- generation radioligand for TSPO, with an excellent ratio of specific-to-nonspecific binding. By comparing [11C]PBR28 scans in cLBP patients of different clinical presentation (i.e., with radicular pain vs axial pain) we will test the hypothesis that glial activation in the primary somatosensory/motor cortices follows a somatotopic organization that mirrors the somatic distribution of the patients' symptoms. Moreover, we will perform cross- sectional comparisons between subacute and chronic low back pain, as well as longitudinal studies of subacute low back pain patients across time, to capture the transition to chronic pain, or the return to pain-free status. These investigations will allow us to assess the temporal evolution of glial activation in humans with pain disorders. A subset of sLBP patients will be re-scanned after a 2-week treatment with either minocycline (which was recently found to reduce sLBP) or placebo. While minocycline is a known glial inhibitor in animal models, the mechanisms underlying its effect on human pain are unknown. Finally, we will compare the baseline status of glial activation in subacute patients that have subsequently transitioned to chronic pain, or have healed. This comparison will allow us to test the hypothesis that glial activation can predict transition from subacute to chronic pain. While this project is purposely focused on a specific condition (low back pain), the identification of a role of glia in the development and maintenance of persistent pain and pain-related disability will have important practical implications for the management of a wide range of pain disorders.
Completed01/06/2016–31/07/2020career-development award
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
In vivo atlas of the ascending arousal system in health and traumatic coma
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The candidate's career goals are to become an independent researcher in the field of biomedical imaging, to make significant contributions to the basic knowledge of brain structure and function, and to develop novel tools that will be useful to address important issues in translational neuroscience. The candidate has received training in Physics; her research has focused on fMRI at low and high magnetic fields, on the development of research tools for the fMRI community, and on the investigation of brain function in health. The K01 award proposal was designed to allow the candidate to become an expert bio-imager of the ascending arousal system (AAS). The candidate's objective for this K01 award period is to receive training in the neuroanatomy, neuroscience and patho-physiology of the AAS, an area different from her previous training and research focus. To conduct the proposed research, she will also gain new research skills in imaging and computational methods for neuro-anatomy. Further, the candidate seeks to strengthen her ability of formulating clinically relevant hypotheses, of using a diversified set of skills and tools to test these hypotheses properly and promptly, and of grant writing. This will be achieved by regular meetings with her mentors, her research and clinical collaborators, by attending to specific didactic courses / workshops / conferences, and by hands-on training during the development of the proposed research project. Gray matter brainstem nuclei (Bn) of the AAS play a crucial role in regulating arousal, a key component of human consciousness. Because an in vivo identification of brainstem Bn of the AAS has been elusive so far by current imaging techniques, the neuro-anatomic and functional basis of arousal in health (sleep/wake conditions, anesthesia) and in disease (disorders of consciousness, sleep disorders) is poorly understood. The candidate's main research objective for this K01 award period is to develop and validate a novel procedure to delineate an in vivo probabilistic structural atlas of 13 human Bn of the AAS in MNI space. The procedure will use a newly developed set of methods to acquire multi-contrast echo-planar-images with exactly matched geometric distortion and resolution at 7 T, and semi-automatic segmentation procedures. Finally, this research project proposes to apply the developed tool to identify in vivo which Bn of the AAS are affected by hemorrhages in traumatic coma, and to evaluate the AAS connectivity in health and traumatic coma. Our preliminary results show the feasibility of generating a probabilistic template of four Bn of the AAS by 7 T multi- contrast imaging, of evaluating at 3 T the percent of injured tissue of these Bn in traumatic coma, and of mapping their functional connectivity in health. We share our enthusiasm with our collaborators that study the AAS in coma, sleep and anesthesia because the development of an in vivo atlas of Bn of the AAS might greatly advance the knowledge of the mechanism of arousal, improve the accuracy of prognostication in the early stage of coma, and facilitate the development of pharmaceuticals for altered states of arousal.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
The role of Brain Glial Activation in knee osteoarthritis
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most prevalent causes of pain and disability, and its incidence continues to increase as the elderly and obese populations grow. While most KOA patients report reduced pain and improved function after Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), approximately 20% of them continue to experience significant pain and disability even years post-TKA. The factors underlying inter-individual differences in susceptibility to post-TKA pain are largely unknown. In this project, we will measure levels of the translocator protein (TSPO), a protein upregulated in activated glia, in the brains of patients undergoing TKA and evaluate TSPO's role in post-TKA pain. TSPO functions to limit the magnitude of glia-mediated inflammatory responses, thereby promoting the return to pre-injury status and recovery from pain. Thus, interindividual differences in TSPO expression may explain why a small but substantial percentage of OA patients do not fully heal following TKA. We will perform brain scans in 110 KOA patients (pre-surgically, 1-to-2 weeks post-TKA and, in a subset of patients also 12 months post-TKA), and in 25 healthy volunteers (once). All patients will be also evaluated clinically 1 year post-TKA. Brain scans will be performed using integrated Positron Emission Tomography / Magnetic Resonance (PET/MR) imaging and the recently developed [11C]PBR28 radioligand, which binds to TSPO. MR data collected simultaneously to PET data will allow us to perform an MR-based motion correction of the PET data (a novel procedure that significantly improves the fidelity, sensitivity, and specificity of PT data). First, we will test the hypothesis that pre-surgically KOA patients will demonstrate higher [11C]PBR28 brain binding than healthy controls, which will be evidence of KOA-related glial activation. Then we will evaluate the hypothesis that TKA itself leads to an additional increase of [11C]PBR28 brain binding, which will be evidence of TKA-related glial activation. We also hypothesize that at 1-year post-TKA, [11C]PBR28 binding will still be elevated in patients still experiencing significant pain and disability, whereas it will be reduced to the levels of the contrl subjects in recovered patients. Finally, we will test the hypothesis that [11C]PBR28 binding pre- and peri-surgically will predict occurrence of long-term postsurgical pain 1 year after TKA. In particular, given the proposed anti-inflammatory and pain-protective role of TSPO, we will test the hypothesis that low pre-surgical / peri-surgical TSPO levels will predict higher likelihood of developing post-TKA pain. The identification of a role of glia and its modulation in the development and maintenance of persistent pain and pain-related disability following TKA will have important practical implications for the management of post-operative pain, and the development of tailored preventive interventions focused on glial modulation.
A research grant investigating human neurocircuitry, supported by the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine. Nicola Toschi contributed as a co-investigator during the programme, which ran from 2016 to 2021.
Development of an evolved, low-cost technique for phenotyping and stratifying disease severity in COPD patients
A research grant developing a low-cost phenotyping method for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease research. The project focuses on distinguishing measured characteristics and quantifying variation across participants, with Nicola Toschi contributing as a co-investigator.
Joint dynamical Heart Rate Variability and resting state fMRI analysis: a new tool to investigate central correlates of ANS dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease
An internally funded Tor Vergata project combining dynamic heart-rate variability analysis with resting-state functional MRI. It investigates brain correlates of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease, under Nicola Toschi’s leadership as principal investigator.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI)
Advanced Neuromonitoring: Data, Algorithms, and Clinical Inference
A collaborative research grant supported by MIT’s international seed-funding programme, focused on advanced neuromonitoring. The project brings together physiological data, analytical algorithms and quantitative inference, with Nicola Toschi serving as co-principal investigator.
Phenotyping COPD patients and assessing disease severity by means of a standardized model
An Italian Ministry of Health research project developing a standardised model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease research. The work focuses on quantitative phenotyping and the analysis of variation across study participants, with Nicola Toschi contributing as a co-investigator.
MODENA brings together nanomaterials researchers, toxicologists and computational modellers to understand how the structure of engineered nanomaterials relates to their biological effects. Nanoscale materials can have properties that differ from those of larger particles, creating both useful applications and potential hazards. The Action coordinates work on quantitative models that predict toxicological and ecotoxicological effects from material characteristics. Participants from universities, regulatory organisations and industry contribute the different forms of expertise needed to develop and validate these models. The intended benefits are safer material design, reduced reliance on animal experiments, and transparent prediction methods suitable for regulatory assessment. The modelling tools are developed with attention to established OECD principles for dependable quantitative structure–activity relationships.
MIND / Modeling and Imaging using Non-Gaussian Diffusion
A Wellcome research fellowship developing non-Gaussian diffusion MRI methods to characterise tissue microstructure. The programme spans high-field experimental imaging and conventional MRI systems, with applications in brain research and a collaboration with Tor Vergata’s Medical Physics, AI and Neurotechnology group.
Completed2012–2014 · research involvementresearch fellowship
American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship PF-12-078-01-RMC
An American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship held by Robert H. Dowen at Massachusetts General Hospital. Work supported by the fellowship examined gene regulation in C. elegans, including pathways connecting development and lipid metabolism.
While there are standard procedures for product life cycle analysis, exposure, hazard, and risk assessment for traditional chemicals, is not yet clear how these procedures need to be modified to address all the novel properties of nanomaterials. There is a need to develop specific reference methods for all the main steps in managing the potential risk of ENM. The aim of MARINA is to develop such methods. MARINA will address the four central themes in the risk management paradigm for ENM: Materials, Exposure, Hazard and Risk. The methods developed by MARINA will be (i) based on beyond-state-of-the-art understanding of the properties, interaction and fate of ENM in relation to human health and the quality of the environment and will either (ii) be newly developed or adapted from existing ones but ultimately, they will be compared/validated and harmonised/standardised as reference methods for managing the risk of ENM. MARINA will develop a strategy for Risk Management including monitoring systems and measures for minimising massive exposure via explosion or environmental spillage.
Institute of Occupational Medicine · University of Rome Tor Vergata · Aarhus University · CEA · Empa · Fraunhofer Society · Freie Universität Berlin · University of Gothenburg · INERIS · University of Parma · Edinburgh Napier University
Completed01/12/2010–01/12/2015research grant with equipment/in-kind support
Italian Ministry for University and Research (MIUR)
Cardiorespiratory dysregulation in hypertensive cardiomyopathy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a nonlinear signal processing approach to diagnostics, optimizing mechanical ventilation and reducing peri-and postoperative morbidity
A nationally coordinated research grant applying nonlinear signal processing to cardiorespiratory measurements in hypertensive cardiomyopathy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It investigates quantitative assessment methods, mechanical-ventilation optimisation and physiological variation around surgery.
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), Italian Ministry for University and Research (MIUR)
Physical Techniques in Cardiovascular Diagnostics
A bilateral Italy–Albania research grant investigating physical methods for cardiovascular measurement. Nicola Toschi led this phase as principal investigator within the scientific and technological cooperation programme, connecting medical physics with quantitative cardiovascular analysis.
Bilateral scientific and technological cooperation protocols · Research projects of wide relevance — Albania-Italy executive programme
Total project award€71,250
Completed01/01/2009–01/01/2010research grant
University of Rome Tor Vergata
Diffusion tensor imaging and the quantification of conductive phenomena elicited in anisotropic brain tissue by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
An internally funded Tor Vergata project using diffusion tensor imaging to investigate electrical conduction in anisotropic brain tissue. The research focuses on quantifying conductive phenomena produced by transcranial magnetic stimulation, with Nicola Toschi as principal investigator.
An internally funded Tor Vergata research project on modelling interactions between neural and vascular systems. The work addresses neurovascular relationships through quantitative modelling, with Nicola Toschi contributing as an investigator during the 2009–2010 programme.
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), Italian Ministry for University and Research (MIUR)
Physical Techniques in Cardiovascular Diagnostics
A bilateral Italy–Albania research grant exploring physical techniques for cardiovascular measurement. Nicola Toschi contributed as a co-investigator to this earlier programme phase, supporting research on the application of physical methods to circulatory function.
Artificial intelligence for neural-signal modelling
Artificial intelligence methods for neural-signal modelling and brain–computer interfaces, including speech decoding across different neural recordings.