Full Professor of Veterinary Physiology, University of Teramo.
Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment
University of Teramo
Via Renato Balzarini 1
64100 - Teramo
Italy
ORCID: 0000-0001-5140-9656
Scopus Author ID: 55907939900
2024 – Full Professor, Veterinary physiology
2023 - 2025 – Elected Member of Academic Senate, University of Teramo
2021 - present - Chair of International Master’s Degree (MSc) in Reproductive Biotechnologies, University of Teramo.
Member, Quality Insurance (AQ) Commission, Master's Degree Program in Reproductive Biotechnologies, University of Teramo.
2019 – present: Member, Research Quality Insurance (AQR) Commission, Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo.
2016 (February) – present: Scientific Member of the Organism in charge of Animal Welfare (OPBA), University of Teramo.
2008 – present: Member of the Faculty Board, PhD Program in Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology, University of Teramo and L'Aquila.
2020 (January) – present: Research Associate, Institute of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National research Council (IBBC-CNR), Rome, Italy.
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY
2018: Qualification (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) as Full Professor valid until 20/03/2028 (Article 16, paragraph 1, Law 240/10)
2017-2018: Rector's Delegate for the GDL CRUI Ranking
2016-present: Associate Professor, Veterinary Physiology (SSD VET / 02)
2015-present: Responsible for research activity, Andrology Laboratory, Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment.
2011: Confirmed Researcher, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo.
2008: Researcher, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo.
2004: PhD in "Endocrinology of Domestic Animals", University of Bologna
2002: First level University Master in "Reproductive Biotechnology", University of Teramo, 70/70.
1999: Degree in Veterinary Medicine, 110 cum laude, University of Pisa
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
My research activity focuses on the following topics:
- Design and validation of innovative technological platforms suitable for In Vitro fertilization (IVF) in mammalian models: I’m exploring the possible application of graphene-derive material and polymeric materials for the realization of innovative 3D devices usable as scaffold for IVF. Then, I’m working on the implementation of traditional IVF systems with the addition of the somatic component (Oviductal Epithelial Cells). These activities are carried out in strict collaboration with leader Companies in the field of biomaterials and with research Institutions of international relevance.
- Membrane remodelling as a modulator of sperm function: my research area is the study of molecular events that control membrane remodelling occurring during mammalian sperm capacitation. In particular, the chemical-physical properties of membranes are analysed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fluorimetry, spectrofluorimetry and confocal microscopy.
- Elaboration of computational models for studying of complex biological phenomena: studies are underway to evaluate the application of computational modelling to the study of complex biological events related to fertility. In particular, the biological applications of the network theory (biological networks) are under study.
- Scientometrics: I’m interested in quantitative evaluation of research activity in the field of reproduction and, more in general, of scientific output.
- Other areas of research: his research activity was also focused on other topics, either with the Physiology group in Teramo, or in collaboration with groups from other Universities and research Institutions. Publications have been produced concerning the effect of the exposure to electromagnetic fields of anthropogenic origin on the reproductive function of mammals, physiology of female reproduction, animal ethology and behaviour, regenerative and translational medicine, veterinary sciences.
Overall, I published over 100 documents, including 96 published in international journals subjected to peer review and indexed in bibliometric search engines (Scopus), with 218 co-authors and 1248 citations, with an H index = 20 (Scopus, data accessed on 22/12/2022).
In last 10 years, the search engine EXPERTSCAPE-Objective Rankings of Medical Expertise (http://expertscape.com/) placed me based on my scientific production in indexed journals (PubMed) in the top 5% of the worldwide researchers active in the "Sperm Capacitation" domain.
TEACHING ACTIVITY
My teaching activity was focused, from the beginning, on issues related to the physiology of gametes and the physiology and endocrinology of reproduction for students in Veterinary Medicine (Veterinary Physiology II and Endocrinology, 8 CFU) and Reproductive Biotechnologies (Cryobiology, 5 CFU). More recently, I started to teach also System Biology (5 CFU) for the student of master’s degree Course in Advanced Biotechnology and basic and advanced statistics for Doctorate students of the University of Teramo.
Usually, I adopt innovative teaching methods such as the e-learning platform of the University of Teramo, social networks, on-line systems.
I was President of the Doctoral Board (Presidente del Tribunal) at the University of Murcia (Florentin-Daniel Staicu, thesis title: "Role of the Nitric Oxide system in different reproductive processes " 2nd September 2019; Anna Rudnika, thesis title: "Associations between Vitamin D and Male Reproductive Parameters " 29th October 2019; Analuce Canha Gouveia, thesis title: "Collection and characterization of Human tubal and uterine fluids for their future use in Assisted Reproduction Technologies” 24th September 2019)
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER ACTIVITY
I worked as consultant for several Companies active in the field of biomedical application of materials. Starting from May 2022 and I’m Member of Scientific Board at LMPE Srl Benefit Company (Montecatini Terme, PT, Italy), whose business is the design, synthesis, characterization, and validation of innovative polymeric materials.
INVITATION AND ORGANIZATION OF EVENTS
Through the years I organized several seminars for students at University of Teramo and I participated to several events as invited speaker or chair. Recent invitation:
- 19-21 September 2022 Faculty Member and Invited Lecturer, Course “Genetics and model organisms in human disease research: workshop on Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) in the laboratory mouse” Monterotondo, Rome, ITALY organized by CNR-IBBC, EMMA, Infrafrontiers, and ICGEB.
- 23-25 October 2019 Invited Speaker, XXVI AISAL National Congress on “Preparazione, realizzazione, pubblicazione dei risultati di studi in vivo: linee guida internazionali”, Title of the lecture “La valutazione scientometrica come supporto decisionale nel disegno della ricerca sperimentale”.
- 2018 October - December- Invited Consultant and Lecturer at IZS-AM for the organization of “Progetto ScIento mtA”, aimed to improve the use of scientometrics tools in research activities at IZS-AM.
- 1-5 April 2018 I was Invited Lecturer at International Scientific School-Conference on "Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology 2019 – 2nd International School/Conference”, Tbilisi, Georgia.
INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS
Scientific Coordinator, of the Project: POFSE Abruzzo 2007-2013 Objective "Regional Competitiveness and Employment" ASSE n 4: Human Capital - Specific Objective: 4.1,
- Scientific Responsible of the project "In vitro and in silico study on mammalian spermatozoa membrane remodelling" within the MSCA-ITN, European Joint Doctorate in Biology and Technology of Reproductive Health (Rep-Biotech), in which is Supervisor of the ESR Marina Ramal Sanchez. Rep-Biotech Joint Doctoral Project is a Marie-Skłodowska Curie Innovative Training Network funded by the European Community under the Horizon 2020 program. It includes 12 Academic Institutions and 3 Companies from 9 European and Extra-European countries: Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Holland, USA and Japan.
- Scientific Responsible of the project "Effect of dietary on mammalian spermatozoa membranes lipid remodelling" within the MSCA-COFUND, Doctorate Program, Food and food innovative strategies to prevent reproductive and eating disorders (Rep-Eat), in which I was is tutor of the ESR Juliana Simões. Rep-Eat is a doctoral program (DP) in the interdisciplinary field "food and healthy diet" to study the impact of the quality of food on reproductive health (REP) and on eating disorders (EAT).
- Responsible for the "Innovation in in vitro fertilization techniques" project for a PON RI Doctoral Scholarship funded by Italian Ministry (MIUR).
- Responsible FARBIB project “Elaborazione di strategie innovative per l’utilizzo di biomateriali in medicina”.
- Responsible of the project: “Innovative Strategies for the Analysis of endocrine disrupting in Meats: Identification of their Metabolites in real matrices and studying their effect in vitro” funded by Lebanon National Research Council.
- Scientific Responsible: PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnologies, Grant funded by MUR ex DM351/2022 Dottorati di ricercar PNRR, Missione 4, componente 1,
- Scientific Responsible: 2 PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnologies ex DM 352/2022
EDITORIAL ACTIVITY
- Member of Editorial Board, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, IF 2.468
- Special Issue Editor for the Special Issue "3D Cultures, Organoids, Organ-on-Chip: New Research and Innovation Challenges in Reproduction" Cells, IF=6.600 (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cells/special_issues/cultures_organoids_organonchip)
- Topic Editor “Bisphenols and Male Reproductive Health”, Frontiers in Endocrinology, IF 3.644 (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/11230/bisphenols-and-male-reproductive-health#articles).
- Academic Editor for the Journal "BioMed Research International" (formerly Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology), a peer-reviewed and open access journal that publishes research articles or reviews in all areas of life sciences. IF = 2.880. (Http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/).
- Reviewer of an editorial project related to an eBook entitled "From Microbe to Man Biological Responses to artificial static magnetic field exposure" by Dr. János F. László, for the scientific publishing company Bentham Science Publishers (http: // benthamscience.com/).
- Review Editor, for the Journal "Frontiers in Systems Biology" specialized section of Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, Frontiers in Genetics, Frontiers in Neuroscience, Frontiers in Physiology and Frontiers in Psychiatry. This is an interdisciplinary section dedicated to modelling and discovering the emerging properties of complex biological systems (http://www.frontiersin.org/Systems_Biology/about).
REVIEWING ACTIVITY
2022: referee for Research Quality Assessment (VQR) 2015-2019, for on behalf of ANVUR (Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes).
Reviewer for research project for:
- Czech Science Foundation, CZ (the main public funding agency in the Czech Republic supporting the areas of basic scientific)
- National Science Center Poland(NCN), a government executive agency, supervised by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to support basic research in Poland
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, The Netherland.
Ad Hoc reviewer for international Journals in the fields of:
Reproduction:
Theriogenology, Reproduction in Domestic Animals, Biology of Reproduction, International Reproduction of Andrology, Reproduction, Molecular Reproduction and Development, Human Reproduction, etc …
Interaction between living organisms and electromagnetic fields:
Bioelectromagnetics, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Sustainability, Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, etc …
Systems biology:
Omics: a Journal of Integrative Medicine, Frontiers in Systems Biology, Biology Open, etc ….,
Biology:
Journal of Cell Science, Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, Cryobiology, etc...
Biomaterials:
Biopolymers
AWARDS
- "Welcome to SIVAR" Award, Italian Society of Veterinarians for Livestock Animals, SIVAR, for the thesis entitled "Determination of acrosome activity in the semen of animals of veterinary interest".
- Best communication in the Veterinary Physiology sector at the LXII meeting of the Italian Society of Veterinary Sciences, SISVet, held in S. Benedetto del Tronto, 23-25 September 2008.
- The scientific article: Bernabò N, Barboni B, Mattioli M: The spermatozoa caught in the net: it was selected as FEATURED ARTICLE on the home page of the journal BMC Systems Biology ( https://bmcsystbiol.biomedcentral.com/) also obtaining classifications: top 1% in the Altmetric score ranking.
- The idea "The virtual spermatozoon: computational model able to simulate the behavior of spermatozoa" presented by Prof. Nicola Bernabò was reported in the 4th edition of the International Competition of ideas "K-idea: intuitions, ideas, inventions," organized from "Kilometro Rosso, scientific technological park", Bergamo, Italy, in collaboration with Brembo, Jacobacci & Partners, MultiPhysiX LAB, Whirpool and Umania.
- Nicola Bernabò was awarded with a NIH Scholarship for the course "Summer Course on Computational Modeling of Cellular Signaling Pathways With Simmune" held at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Heath Institute (NIH), Bethesda, USA, 26th and 27th July 2014.
- The international magazine submitted to peer-review "Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine" has chosen as a cover image throughout 2017 a figure taken from the article: BERNABO ', N., Agostino, RD, Ordinelli, A., Mattioli, M., Barboni, B. The maturation of murine spermatozoa membranes within the epididymis, a computational biology perspective (2016) Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine, 62 (5), pp. 299-308.
- The poster entitled "Human Sperm Interactome Network", with Authors: Alessandra Ordinelli, Nicola Bernabò, Massimiliano Orsini, Mauro Mattioli and Barbara Barboni, won the SECOND PRIZE in the poster contest at the international conference "Biophysics at Rome" held in the days 18 and 19 May 2017 in Rome CNR Classroom, Piazzale Aldo Moro.
- The abstract entitled "Cyclin / Cdk complexes are involved in control of actin dynamics during boar sperm capacitation" with authors: N Bernabò, L Valbonetti, L Greco, G Capacchietti, M Ramal Sánchez, P Palestini, L Botto, M Mattioli and B Barboni, presented by Marina Ramal Sanchez was selected for the student competition in the 33rd annual meeting of the Association of Embryo Technology in Europe (AETE) held in Bath (UK) on September 8-9, 2017.
