Martedì e Giovedì ore 10-12
c/o Dip. Scienze Biomediche Sperimentali e Cliniche Sez. Biochimica
Viale Morgagni 50 Firenze
Massimo Stefani è nato a Pisa, il 31/7/1950 e si è laureato in Scienze Biologiche all’Università di Firenze. Nel 1990 è stato Professore straordinario di Biochimica all’Università di Siena e dal 1993 è Professor Ordinario di Biochimica nel Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sperimentali e Cliniche dell’Università di Firenze. Attualmente i suoi interessi scientifici sono volti allo studio del folding e misfolding di proteine modello, dei meccanismi molecolari alla base dell’aggregazione amiloide e della biologia cellulare della citotossicità di tali aggregati in sistemi viventi. I risultati delle sue ricerche sono comparsi in oltre 120 pubblicazioni scientifiche apparse in alcune delle più prestigiose riviste internazionali e ampiamente citati (oltre 4000 citazioni dei 10 lavori più citati). Ha collaborato o collabora con numerosi ricercatori italiani o stranieri. E’ stato, o è, responsabile di progetti di ricerca finanziati dal CNR e dal MIUR (PRIN and FIIRB) e partner in progetti CNR, UE e MURST PRIN. E’ stato direttore del “Centro di Ricerca sulle basi molecolari delle malattie neurodegenerative” dell’Università di Firenze. E’ leader di un gruppo di ricerca associato ai consorzi CIB e INBB. E’ stato revisore di progetti PRIN (2004, 2008) e membro del collegio dei revisori dei progetti PRIN (2006). E’ stato revisore di numerose e qualificate riviste scientifiche internazionali e valutatore di progetti per istituzioni scientifiche internazionali; E’ stato Executive Editor dell’Italian Journal of Biochemistry ed è membro dell’Editorial Board dell’International Journal of Biological Chemistry, di Current Proteomics, del The Open Biology Journal, e del World Journal of Biological Chemistry. E’ membro della Società Italiana di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare, della Protein Society e dell’ASBMB. Ha partecipato a molti congressi e meeting nationali o internazionali in qualità di invited speaker o chair oppure come membro del comitato scientifico o organizzatore.
Academic curriculum
Massimo Stefani was born in Pisa, on 31/7/1950 and graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Firenze. Since 1/8/1981 he was researcher at the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Firenze. In 1990 he won a public competition for Full Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Siena. Since 1993 he is full professor of Biochemistry at the University of Firenze (Department of Biochemical Sciences, since 2015 Department of Biomedical Experimental and Clinical Sciences). Since 2015 is Co-ordinator of the PhD Course in Biomedical Sciences of the University of Firenze. Since 2017 he is member of the Board of the IUSSAF (University of Firenze). In March-May 2019 he has been Head of the School of Dentistry of the University of Firenze. In 2018/19 he has been member of the Board of the School in Health Sciences of the University of Florence. He is author of popular and teaching books of Chemistry, Biology and Biochemistry and participated to the Editorial Bord of the Italian translation of Univerisity books of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology and Environmental Sciences. He is one of the authors of Dictionaries of Biology and of Biology and Medicine.
Scientific curriculum
His scientific interests have formerly been focused on the study of the catalytic activity and the structure-function relationships of phosphomonohydrolases, notably acylphosphatases and a low Mr phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase, together with peptide synthesis by organizing the laboratory of chemical synthesis of peptides at the Department of Biochemical Sciences of the University of Firenze. Then, his efforts have been principally dedicated to the study of molecular biology issues such as protein folding, misfolding and aggregation of model proteins such as acylphosphatase, HypF-N, beta2 microglobulin Abeta peptides, amylin and prion proteins and to the investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying amyloid aggregation and the cell biology of aggregate cytotoxicity on living systems. More recently, he focussed his research on the molecular and cellular basis of the protective effects of plant polyphenols, particularly oleuropein aglycone against amyloid diseases. The results of his researches have been reported in over 180 scientific papers published in outstanding international journals and widely cited (around 11000 total citations (ISI, Scopus), over 6000 citations of the 10 most cited articles, ISI data), for an HI value of 48 (ISI) or 49 (Scopus) and a total IF of over 710. He has deposited three patents (Nr. MI2008A000514 of 27.03.08, PCT Nr. EP2009/053596 of 23/02/2011 and Nr. FI2011A000034 of 02/03/2011) for the use of oleuropein aglycone and its derivatives in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer’s disease.
He has collaborated, and presently collaborates with many foreign and Italian researchers, notably Prof. C.M. Dobson, University of Cambridge, Dr. R. Melki, CNRS, Paris, Prof. Ayouni E.A. Centre de Biotecnologie de Borj-Cédria, Hammam-Lif, Tunisie, Prof. P. Nordlund, University of Stockholm, Prof. V. Bellotti, University of Pavia, Prof. P. Pucci, University of Napoli, Prof. M. Bolognesi, University of Milano, Prof. A. Gliozzi/A Relini, University of Genova, Prof. P. Viglino, University of Udine, Prof. P. Polverino de Laureto, University of Padoa, Prof. A. Nataliello, University of Milan. He has been, and presently is, responsible of research projects granted by CNR and MIUR (PRIN and FIIRB) as well as partner in projects CNR, UE and MURST PRIN. He has been Director of the Italian Research Center on the Molecular Basis of Neurodegeneration (CIMN) and member of the Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata (CIMMBA) and of the Centro per lo Studio a Livello Molecolare e Clinico di Malattie Croniche, Infiammatorie, Degenerative Neoplastiche per Sviluppo Nuove Terapie (DENOthe) of the University of Florence. He is leader of a group associated to the Italian CIB and the Italian INBB.
ORCID Identifier: orcid.org/0000-0002-4490-1922
Honors
He has been reviewer of domestic projects (Italian MIUR 2004), member of the referee board of the Italian MIUR (2006) and many foreign projects for granting institutions. He has been president of the ASN Commission (05/E1) of the Italian MIUR for the year 2014/15. He has been referee of many qualified scientific journal and project evaluator for several international scientific institutions. He has been Executive Editor of the Italian Journal of Biochemistry and member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Biological Chemistry, Current Proteomics, The Open Biology Journal, Genes & Diseases, International Journal of Medicine and Clinical Research, Archive of Biochemistry and World Journal of Biological Chemistry (WJBC); Editor of the Special Issue on Protein Folding, Misfolding and Aggregation of the Open Biology Journal (2009). He is, or has been, member of the Società Italiana di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare, the Protein Society, and the ASBMB.
He organized the international meeting HFSP/EU “Protein Phosphatases” and was Co-organizer and member of the Scientific Committee of the V European Symposium of the Protein Society, co-organizer of the EMBO Workshop and Advanced FEBS Course on “Structure of Amyloid Aggregates, Mechanisms of Formation and Dysfunction”, member of the organizing committee of the 53° Congress of the Società Italiana di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare, of the scientific committee of the Meeting Proteine 2010 and 2012 of the Società Italiana di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare and of the XII International Symposium on Amyloidoses (Rome, 2010). He has participated as invited speaker or chair to many national and international meetings, including:
Legenda
Massimo Stefani was born in Pisa, on 31/7/1950 and graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Firenze. Since 1/8/1981 he was researcher at the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Firenze. In 1990 he won a public competition for Full Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Siena. Since 1993 he is full professor of Biochemistry at the Department of Biochemical Sciences of the University of Firenze.