Associate Professor
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Teaching: Human Anatomy
Training
She frequents as a student the University of Granada (Spain) for one semester, inside the European Erasmus project. In 1999 she graduated in Biological Sciences  at the University of Cagliari. In April 2000, she frequents for the duration of 1 year a post-degree Course of Specialization at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, (UK) and she was involved in a research project regarding anomalies of the coenzyme Q in neuronal degenerative pathologies (Huntington’s Chorea, Alzheimer). In 2004 she gets the PhD in Morphological Sciences, University of Cagliari, introducing the thesis (written in English) regarding the study of human auto-antibodies in endocrine illnesses of importance in Sardinia. In December 2005 she becomes Confirmed Researcher in the Human Anatomy (University of Cagliari). In March 2017 she participates and gets the National Scientific Qualification for the role of Associate Professor in Human Anatomy with excellent judgment.
Research activity
The biomarkers are used as indicators of specific biological state, and they include antibodies related to specific infections or proteins/peptides whose changes are useful in the diagnosis or in the follow-up of the illness. The techniques through which some types of biomarkers are analyzed (immunofluorescence, western-blot, ELISA, gel chromatography) are at-a-low-priced and not invasive. The scientific interest and the possible commercial relapses are notable. Hence, she focused her research line on peptides/neuropeptides, neurotransmitters as possible disease-biomarker.   Particularly, searching biomarkers in the Parkinson’s disease, she has found novel potential diagnostic targets, hence she has deposited a patent for a simple and fast diagnostic kit, realizable with blood. Another line of research concerns the identification of auto-antibodies, neuronal or endocrine, associated with specific clinical aspects in autoimmune illnesses (Systemic lupus Erythematosus, autoimmune poliendocrinopaties, diabetes). She is coordinator and Scientific responsible of a Convention between the Department of Biomedical Sciences and the “Center of Research in Biology and Pathology of the aging (University of Pisa) and NeuroCare Onlus (in Pisa)” for the expansion of the research involving the neurodegenerative-disease. She has also international collaborations, in fact, she spent a semester at the University of Nottingham (UK), involved in research projects regarding peptide changes in Alzheimer and Huntington’s Chorea as well as metabolic activity of certain neuro-endocrine peptides in the Siberian Hamsters.
Projects
• Title “ALS, focus on biomarkers” funded by “Sardinia Region”
• Title “Animal model of Parkinson’s disease induced by toxins and peptides involved” funded by different grants.
• Title “Auto-antibodies against Neuronal Antigens in the Systemic lupus Erythematosus” funded by “Sardinia Region”
• Title “Novel biomarkers and targets involved in metabolism and senescence” by Italian funding 
Other
Patent regarding a plasmatic diagnostic kit for the Parkinson’s disease, deposited in Italy (n. IT2018000001696) and Europe (UNC022). The patent’s cost was funded by the University of Cagliari.