Mara D'Onofrio
Mara D'Onofrio (female), Head of Genomics Facility at EBRI, is also associate researcher at the CNRInstitute
of Translational Pharmacology (IFT). She obtained a degree in Medicine at the University “La
Sapienza”, Roma, Italy (1986), a residency in Clinical Pathology (1995) and a PhD in Physiopathology
(1994).
From 1986 to 1990 she was research fellow at NIH, National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA). From 1995 to 2004 she was a research assistance at the Neuroscience Institute Neuromed (Pozzilli, IS, Italy), where she mainly worked on metabotropic glutamate receptors in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.
She is a senior researcher with major expertise on genomics, specifically focused on the identification of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, mainly of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson diseases.
Her research activities combine an interest in molecular and systems neurobiology and neurodegeneration, particularly regarding the roles of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and neurotrophins in the Central Nervous System, along with the development of genomics technologies exploiting innovative biomarkers.
A major line of her research is focused on the mechanistic role of NGF in AD-like neurodegeneration, linking the (abnormal) signalling of NGF and of its precursor form pro-NGF to phenotypic endpoints relevant for AD.
She is collaborating with prof. Antonino Cattaneo (EBRI, Roma, Italy), at the development of innovative neurotrophic factor based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
Two humanized recombinant antibodies developed in his laboratory are currently under clinical testing. The studies led to the evidence that NGF might be beneficial in the treatment of AD.
Based upon these findings, the laboratory is designing and characterizing engineered NGF molecules optimized for its therapeutic application in neurodegenerative diseases and pain. For this purpose, she took part to several national and European Financed projects.
In the FP7 funded project: “The NGF System and its interplay with endocannabinoid signalling, from peripheral sensory terminals to the brain: new targets for the development of next generation drugs for neuropathic pain PAINCAGE on the role of NGF and neuropathic pain”, PAINCAGE, she is responsible of the EBRI unit.
As a Medical Doctor, with specialization in Clinical Pathology, she has the qualified background for planning cooperative studies involving both laboratory and clinical setting.
She has different collaborations with National and International Institutions: with the CNR- IASI she is working, with Ivan Arisi, head of the EBRI Bioinformatics Unit, and clinical partners, to the to the validation and management of the diagnostic models and the selection of new biomarkers in the neurodegenerative fields for therapy improvement and therapeutic innovations. She is the author of over 50 peer reviewed publications in international scientific journals.
From 1986 to 1990 she was research fellow at NIH, National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA). From 1995 to 2004 she was a research assistance at the Neuroscience Institute Neuromed (Pozzilli, IS, Italy), where she mainly worked on metabotropic glutamate receptors in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.
She is a senior researcher with major expertise on genomics, specifically focused on the identification of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, mainly of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson diseases.
Her research activities combine an interest in molecular and systems neurobiology and neurodegeneration, particularly regarding the roles of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and neurotrophins in the Central Nervous System, along with the development of genomics technologies exploiting innovative biomarkers.
A major line of her research is focused on the mechanistic role of NGF in AD-like neurodegeneration, linking the (abnormal) signalling of NGF and of its precursor form pro-NGF to phenotypic endpoints relevant for AD.
She is collaborating with prof. Antonino Cattaneo (EBRI, Roma, Italy), at the development of innovative neurotrophic factor based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
Two humanized recombinant antibodies developed in his laboratory are currently under clinical testing. The studies led to the evidence that NGF might be beneficial in the treatment of AD.
Based upon these findings, the laboratory is designing and characterizing engineered NGF molecules optimized for its therapeutic application in neurodegenerative diseases and pain. For this purpose, she took part to several national and European Financed projects.
In the FP7 funded project: “The NGF System and its interplay with endocannabinoid signalling, from peripheral sensory terminals to the brain: new targets for the development of next generation drugs for neuropathic pain PAINCAGE on the role of NGF and neuropathic pain”, PAINCAGE, she is responsible of the EBRI unit.
As a Medical Doctor, with specialization in Clinical Pathology, she has the qualified background for planning cooperative studies involving both laboratory and clinical setting.
She has different collaborations with National and International Institutions: with the CNR- IASI she is working, with Ivan Arisi, head of the EBRI Bioinformatics Unit, and clinical partners, to the to the validation and management of the diagnostic models and the selection of new biomarkers in the neurodegenerative fields for therapy improvement and therapeutic innovations. She is the author of over 50 peer reviewed publications in international scientific journals.