Biography

He has directed and directs a group of 6-10 researchers first at the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA, then at IGB, CNR, Naples, and coordinates the research of several investigators and students.
Since many years he has coordinated and coordinates national (progetti finalizzati CNR, FIRB) and international (EU, FIRB) research programs with the participation from two to eight research groups.
He has organized in Italy numerous workshops and international scientific conferences, directed bachelor’s and PhD thesis, received and managed research grants from more than twenty years.
He is internationally recognized as a main expert in the field of nervous system development, specifically mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons (mDA), and their degeneration (Parkinson’s disease, PD)
He has been a pioneer in the use of transplants of embryonic mDA neurons in PD animal models and in mDA differentiation from neural stem cells
His articles have been cited at least 1960 times (ISI Citation Indexes)
Total IF about 300, H index 26
In 1993 he has received the Courtesy Program Award at NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA for his studies on the development of mDA neurons.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY comprises
A) Studies on the development of mDA neurons.
B) Regenerative medicine studies in animal models.
C) Transcriptional regulation of neurogenesis.
D) Studies on neural stem cells (NSCs).
E) Studies on ADHD and on 5HT role in brain plasticity