FRA ANNAMARIA

EDUCATION
- 10/03/1994 Specialty School Degree in Applied Biotechnology, University of Milan, Milano. 50/50 cum laude
- 14/11/1990 Laurea in Pharmacy, University of Milan, Milan. Thesis internship 1989-1990 in the laboratory directed by Roberto Sitia at DIBIT-San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy. Title of the thesis: "Quality control of immunoglobulin secretion in the endoplasmic reticulum". 110/110 cum laude
- 10/03/1989 Laurea in "Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology" (CTF), University of Milan, Italy. 1987-1989: Thesis internship in the laboratory directed by Cristina alberini at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Brescia, Brescia. Title of the thesis: "Identification of signals which prevent secretion of partially assembled IgM". 110/110 cum laude

APPOINTMENTS
- From 31/12/2021 to today Associate professor of Molecular Biology (SC 05/E2)
- From 1/10/2002 to 30/12/2021 Assistant professor of General Pathology and Immunology (SC 06/A2)
- From 01/02/2000 to 01/04/2002 Research fellow at the Dept. Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Brescia, Italy
- From 01/08/1995 to 1/03/1999 Staff scientist at DIBIT- San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy.
- From 01/07/1993 to 30/06/1995 Post-Doctoral Fellow of the European Community “Human and Capital Mobility Programme” in the laboratory led by Kai Simons, EMBL, Heidelberg (Germany).
- From 01/01/1990 to 01/06/1993 Fellow of the Italian Cancer Research Association (AIRC) in the laboratory led by Roberto Sitia at DIBIT- San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy
- From 01/01/1989 to 31/12/1989 Research fellow in the laboratory led by Cristina Alberini, Dept. Of Biochemistry, University of Brescia, Italy
- From 07/08/2017 to 07/09/2017 Visiting scientist at the “Center for Respiratory Biology”, UCL, London, UK
- From 20/07/2018 to 31/07/2018 Visiting scientist at the “Center for Respiratory Biology”, UCL, London, UK
- From 01/08/2019 to 21/08/2019 Visiting scientist at the “Center for Respiratory Biology”, UCL, London, UK
From 27/05/2024 to 14/06/2024 Visiting scientist at the “Center for Respiratory Biology”, UCL, London, UK
From 01/06/2025 to 21/06/2025 Visiting scientist at the “Center for Respiratory Biology”, UCL, London, UK

ABILITATIONS
22/01/2014 National Abilitation (ASN) to Associate Professor in Applied Biology – (SC 05/F1)
10/01/2020 National Abilitation (ASN) to Associate Professor in Molecular Biology – (SC 05/E2)
08/02/2022 National Abilitation (ASN) to Associate Professor in General Pathology – (SC 06/A2)

LANGUAGES
Mother tongue: Italian
Other languages: English
2012 - Certificate in Advanced English (CAE), University of Cambridge (UK). Grade B. CEFR: C1.

TEACHING APPOINTMENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRESCIA
Teaching in courses of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees
AA 2002/2003 to AA 2011/2012 Molecular Immunology, MED04, BD in Technician of Biomedical laboratory.
AA 2003/2004 to AA 2008/2009 General pathology, MED04, BD in Professional Education.
AA 2004/2005 to AA 2008/2009 Immunopathology, MED04, BD in Biotechnology.
AA 2006/2007 to AA 2013/2014 General pathology, MED04, BD in Exercise and sport sciences.
AA 2008/2009 to AA 2011/2012 Immunology, MED04, BD in Environment and Workplace Prevention Techniques.
AA 2012/2013 to AA 2014/2015 Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, MED05, BD in Biotechnology.
AA 2015/2016 to AA 2017/2018 General pathology, MED04, BD in Environment and Workplace Prevention Techniques.
AA 2016-2017 fino AA 2021/2022 - Laboratory of General Pathology, MED04, BD in Biotechnology.
AA 2017/2018 – Techniques in clinical pathology, MED05, BD in Technician of Biomedical laboratory.
AA 2022/2023 - Chemistry, BIO10, MD School of dentistry.
AA 2022/2023 – Laboratory of Molecular Biology, BIO11, BD in Biotechnology.
AA 2022/2023 – General Pathology, MED04, BD in Dietistics.
AA 2022/2023 - Physiopathology, MED04, BD in Nursing.
AA 2023/2024 to AA 2024/2025 – General Pathology, MED04, BD Physiotherapy
AA 2024/2025 – General Pathology, MED04, MD School of dentistry.

RESEARCH FIELDS
Cell biology; Molecular biology; Immunology; General pathology; Genetic diseases.
Specific research interests:
-study of protein maturation in the endoplasmic reticulum and in particular quality-control of antibody maturation in plasma cells.
-study of membrane lipid microdomains called rafts in lymphocytes.
-study of the chemokine binding protein D6.
-study of the UPR response and in particular the role of the transcription factor XBP-1 in the differentiation from B lymphocyte to plasma cells.
-study of redox homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum.
-study of the mechanisms of retention of protein mutants in the endoplasmic reticulum in genetic diseases, including the Hyper IgM Syndrome associated with CD40 mutations, Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, C1 inhibitor deficiency (Hereditary Angioedema) and selective IgM deficiency.
-study of rare variants associated with alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency.
-study of plasma polymers of alpha-1-antitrypsin and C1-inhibitor mutants.
-differentiation to hepatocytes of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSc).
-study of the anti-protease activity of alpha-1-antitrypsin variants

ERC fields:
LS1_5 - Protein synthesis, modification and turnover
LS1_1 - Molecular interactions
LS3_2 - Cell biology and molecular transport mechanisms
LS3_5 - Cell differentiation, physiology and dynamics
LS3_6 - Organelle biology
LS6_2 - Adaptive immunity
LS7_3 Other medical technologies for diagnosis and monitoring of disease

ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
-Member of the organizing committee of the international meeting “Euroserpin2023”, Palermo (Italy) 5-7 June 2023.
- Member of the organizing committee of the international meeting “Euroserpin2025”, Brescia 28-30 May 2025.