Giorgio Grasselli

  • Professore associato
    • Dipartimento di farmacia - DIFAR
BIOS-06/A - Fisiologia

Didattica

Insegnamenti

2025 - 2026

2024 - 2025

Ricerca

Pubblicazioni IRIS

Lista completa pubblicazioni IRIS

Altre informazioni

LABORATORY OF CEREBELLAR PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

LABORATORY OF CEREBELLAR PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

Group leader: Giorgio Grasselli

Location: Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN) of the Italian Institute of Technology at San Martino IRCCS Research Hospital

IIT Webpage: https://www.iit.it/it/web/guest/people-details/-/people/giorgio-grasselli

Tel. (Lab): +39 010 8610 206
Alternative e-mail: giorgio.grasselli@iit.it
 

Giorgio Grasselli is Associate Professor of Physiology at the University of Genoa (Dept. of Pharmacy) and Affiliated Scientist at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and San Martino Hospital in Genoa.

His team is studying neuronal physiology and plasticity at different levels (structural and functional, at the synaptic level as well as looking at intrinsic excitability) using the cerebellum as a model area, to better understand the mechanisms used in this circuit to encode information and memory. We also investigate pathological alterations of the structure and function of this circuit in brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, autism and other neuropathologies. 

RESEARCH TOPICS

  • - neuronal plasticity (structural and functional, at the synaptic level as well as looking at intrinsic excitability),
  • - learning and memory
  • - physiology and pathophysiology of the cerebellum
  • - multiple sclerosis
  • - cerebellar ataxia
  • - autism
  • - neuropsychiatric disorders 

MAIN EXPERIMENTAL METHODS

  • - patch-clamp electrophysiology (in acute brain slices and primary neuronal cultures)
  • - viral vectors for gene expression/silencing
  • - immunohistochemistry
  • - fluorescent/confocal microscopy and morphometric analysis
  • - mouse behavior

OPEN POSITIONS

  • - Fellowship at San Martino (start 01/03/2026): call for expression of interest DL 15 Oct 2025: https://www.fens.org/careers/job-market/job/124005
  • - MSc/BSc thesis available
  • - supervision to apply for externally-funded fellowships for selected applicants (e.g.: MSCA-PF)

CURRENT TEAM MEMBERS

CURRENT FUNDING

  • - 03/2024-02/2027 Single Center Research Project (FISM-2023) (PI), Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (FISM)
  • - 11/2023-11/2025 Relevant Project for National Interest (PRIN-PNRR) (co-PI), Italian Min. of University and Research
  • - 10/2023-10/2025 Relevant Project for National Interest (PRIN-2022) (PI & Coordinator), Italian Min. of University and Research
  • - 01/2022-10/2025 Extended Partnership for Neuroscience “MNESYS” (Member, Spoke 3), Italian Min. of University and Research

 

PAST TEAM MEMBERS

  • - Monica Pontearso (Postdoc at UniGE, 2024), later Postdoc, University of Heidelberg (Germany)
  • - Matilde Bergamini (MSc student 2019, PhD Student 2020-2024), later Scientist, Metrion Biosciences (Cambridge, UK)
  • - Diego Agius (MSc student 2023-'24, Univ. of Maastricht, co-supervised), later Grad student, University of Malta
  • - Giulia Notti (Undergrad student 2023-'24), later MSc student, University of Genoa
  • - Federica Palmerio (Graduate Fellow at HSM, 2022-'23), later PhD student, University of Rome Tor Vergata
  • - Mattia Musto (Postdoc at IIT, 2019-'22), later Senior Research Scientist, Evotec (Verona, Italy)
  • - Edgar Ricardo Javier Mendoza Seclen (Visiting student, 2021-'22 from Univ. Milan Bicocca), later PhD student, Univ. Magdeburg (Germany)
  • - Giacomo Marenco (Medical Intern, 2021), later MD Resident in Psychiatry, University of Genoa

PAST FUNDING

  • - 07/2021-06/2023 5x1000 (PI & Coordinator), San Martino Hospital, Italian Ministry of Health
  • - 07/2019-06/2021 EU-H2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship (MSCA-IF-2018) (EU)
  • - 01/2017-12/2017 Investigator-initiated Research (PI), Biohaven Pharma (US)
  • - 01/2016-12/2016 Young Investigator SCA Research Award (PI), National Ataxia Foundation (US)

PERSONAL & TEAM MEMBERS' AWARDS

  • - 02/2025 MSCA-PF-2024 Seal of Excellence (Proponent: Monica Pontearso; Supervisor: GG)
  • - 02/2025 Selected as Participant and for Travel Grant (Alessandra La Terra), RIKEN CBS Summer School, Tokyo (Japan)
  • - 10/2024 Selected for Oral presentation (Alessandra La Terra) at the BraYn Conference
  • - 06/2022 Poster Award (Matilde Bergamini) at the National PhD Meeting, Italian Society for Neuroscience (SINS)
  • - 10/2021 Poster Award (Mattia Musto) at FEPS European Physiology Day Virtual Meeting, Federation of European Physiology Societies (FEPS)
  • - 09/2021 Poster Award (GG) at SINS conference, Italian Society for Neuroscience (SINS)
  • - 01/2021 Travel award (Mattia Musto) for JNS Meeting, Japan Neuroscience Society (JNS)
  • - 04/2019 IBRO World Congress Travel Grant (GG), International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)
  • - 01/2019 Travel award (GG) for JNS Meeting, Japan Neuroscience Society (JNS)
  • - 06/2018 Young Investigator Award (Premio SIF, GG), Physiological Society of Italy (SIF)

 

RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS

  1. Grasselli G, Boele HJ, Titley H, Bradford N, van Beers L, Jay L, Beekhof GC, Busch SE, De Zeeuw C, Schonewille M, Hansel C  (2020) -SK2 channels in cerebellar Purkinje cells contribute to excitability modulation in motor-learning-specific memory traces, PLoS Biol 18(1):e3000596, PMID: 31905212, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000596
  2. Grasselli G, He Q, Wan V, Adelman JP, Ohtsuki G, Hansel C (2016) - Activity-dependent plasticity of spike pauses in cerebellar Purkinje cells, Cell Rep 14(11):2546–2553, PMID: 26972012, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.054
  3. Grasselli G, Rossi S, Musella A, Gentile A, Loizzo S, Muzio L, Di Sanza C, Errico F, Musumeci G, Haji N, Fresegna D, Sepman H, De Chiara V, Furlan R, Martino G, Usiello A, Mandolesi G, Centonze D (2013) - Abnormal NMDA receptor function exacerbates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, Br J Pharmacol 168(2):502-17, PMID: 22924679, DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02178.x
  4. Mandolesi G, Grasselli G, Musella A, Sepman H, Musumeci G, Gentile A, Haji N, Fresegna D, Bernardi G, Centonze D (2012) - GABAergic signaling and connectivity on Purkinje cells are impaired in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, Neurobiol Dis 46(2):414-24 PMID: 22349452, DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2012.02.005
  5. Grasselli G, Mandolesi G, Strata P and Cesare P (2011) – Impaired sprouting and axonal atrophy in cerebellar climbing fibres following in vivo silencing of GAP-43, PLoS One 6(6): e20791, PMID: 21695168, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020791 
     

FULL UPDATED LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

GRASSELLI GIORGIO
Email
giorgio.grasselli@unige.it
Ricevimento

Gli studenti sono incoraggiati prendere appuntamento per incontri di ricevimento (al CBA, alla sede di V.le Benedetto XV o online) per richieste di chiarimenti, approfondimenti, suggerimenti, consigli di bibliografia, orientamento e mentorship scientifico-professionale. Ogni richiesta sarà la benvenuta.

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