MARINO FRANCA

Born September 16th 1963, Italian
- EDUCATION:
1986 - Degree in Biological Sciences, University of Pavia;
1993 - Specialization in Pharmacology cum laude, University of Pavia;
- PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
From 1993 to 2000 - Research contract, Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, Section of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Pavia and University of Insubria;
2001- present: Researcher in Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Insubria.
2003- present: Member of the Center of Neuroscience
2008- present: Member of the Research Center on Dyslipidemia.
2009 – present: Coordinator of PhD Course in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology – University of Insubria
2012- present: Member of the Research Center in Medical Pharmacology
2013- present: Member of the PhD Course in Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Medical Humanities, University of Insubria
- SOCIETIES:
Italian Societies of Pharmacology (SIF)
Italian Societies of the study of Atherosclerosis (SISA)
Italian Societies of Immunopharmacology
- TEACHING
Teacher of Pharmacology for Medical Students and different courses of Medical areas
Teacher in the PhD Course of Pharmacology
Teacher in the Specialization School of Pharmacology in the Medical area
- REFERE FOR DIFFERENT INTERNATIONAL PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS
Journal of Leukocyte Biology, Journal of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System, Life Sciences, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Cardiovascular Diabetology, Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology), etc.
- AUTHOR OF MORE THAN 180 PUBLICATIONS ON PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS
- COMPONENT OF SEVERAL COMMITTEES FOR THE ENTRANCE EXAMS TO THE DOCTORATE COURSES AND GRADUATE SCHOOLS
- COMPONENT OF SEVERAL COMMISSIONS FOR ADMISSION TO PLACES OF POST-DOC
- PARTICIPATION AT DIFFERENT RESEARCH PROJECT FUNDED BY NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (FISM, CARIPLO, PRIN, AMERICAN SOCIETIES OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS)
- ORGANIZATION AND PARTICIPATION AS SCIENTIFIC BOARD OF DIFFERENT SCHOOL FOR PHD STUDENT DURING THE LAST 5 YEARS
- TEACHING IN MASTER COURSES
- INVITED SPEAKER IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS
- RESEARCH INTERESTS AND TECHNIQUES:
Immunopharmacology, with particular regard to the mechanisms regulating spontaneous and acquired immune response in health and disease. Recent research in this field concern:
- the role of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the regulation of human PMN function and the relevance of these mechanisms for the immune effects of CNS drugs;
- the contribution of the inflammatory mechanisms in cardiovascular disease and in the effects of cardiovascular drugs (statins, drugs acting on the renin-angiotensin system).
Other research interests include neuropharmacology and in particular the pharmacology of the neurovegetative system. Interests in this area regard the modulation of adrenergic and cholinergic neurotransmission in the autonomic nervous system by several receptor systems, and the pharmacological analysis of signal transduction mechanisms involved. Research techniques originally developed and currently employed include: in vitro and in vivo models for the evaluation of pharmacological activities, HPLC-ED, HPLC-UV, spectrofluorimetry, cell cultures and assays of cell functions (leukocytes), molecular biology techniques (RT-PCR), flow cytometry.
Research projects are funded by both public and private institutions, including:
- Italian Ministry of Instruction, University and Research (PRIN); - University of Insubria; - National Multiple Sclerosis Society (www.nmss.org), New York, NY, USA; - Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis (www.aism.it), Genua, Italy.