Science Communication

Teacher in charge: Elisabetta Mutto Accordi

Teaching Hours: 13

Number of ECTS credits allocated: 1

Course period: January: 27, 16:00-18.00 RL room | 28, 16:00-18.00 RM room | 29, 16:00-18.00 RL room February: 4, 15:00-18.10 RL room | 5, 16:00-17.30 RL room | 11, 15:00-18.10 RL room | 12, 16:00-17.30 RL room | 17, 15:00-18.10 RL room | 21, 16:00-18.10 RL room

 

Course unit contents
Science communication - Communication process - Content selection - Storytelling - Persona Branding - Written communication - Public speaking – PowerPoint presentations
The course is dedicated to students of the 3rd year and secondly to students of 2nd year.
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  Nanomedicine: from dream to applications?

Teacher in charge: Regina Tavano, Emanuele Papini, Giulio Fracasso, Laura Fusco

Teaching Hours: 10

Number of ECTS credits allocated: 2

Course period: April 28-29-30 | May 5, 15.30-18.00 RL room

 

Course unit contents
The course includes the following lessons:

1. Introduction to Nanotechnology: why is something so small so big? What are the challenges of implementing nanomedicine?
2. Surface-masking, protein-corona, biodistribution; how to integrate preclinical models and humans?
3. Therapeutic applications (i.e. drug transporter, photodynamic therapy, photothermal ablation)
4. Biocompatibility and biomedical applications of new two-dimensional nanomaterials: MXenes

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  A journey with the cytotoxic lymphocytes

Teacher in charge: Denis Martinvalet

Teaching Hours: 10

Number of ECTS credits allocated: 2

Course period: May 23-26-27-28-30

 

Course unit contents
The course includes the following lessons:

1. Self and non-self for the cytotoxic lymphocytes: A general introduction to basic immunology;
2. Cytotoxic lymphocytes in the body: Histology of lymphoid tissues;
3. Development, function and pathology of cytotoxic lymphocytes;
4. Mechanisms of lymphocyte cytotoxicity. 5. Cytotoxic lymphocytes in the clinic.

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  Notes for statistical data analyses

Teacher in charge: Federico Ferraccioli

Teaching Hours: 20

Number of ECTS credits allocated: 3

Course period: January 15-16-17-28-29, 9:00-12:00

 

Course unit contents

• Statistical inference: hypothesis testing, interpretation of p-value, types of errors, power. Confidence intervals. The problem of multiple tests;
• Basic methods: inference on proportions and means, comparisons of two or more samples. Non-parametric alternatives (Wilcoxon, Kruskall-Wallis);
• Advanced methods: One-way or two-way analysis of variance. Introduction to regression models. Introduction to principal component analysis.

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  The little brain in the heart: journey through the cardiac nervous circuits

Teacher in charge: Tania Zaglia, Marco Mongillo

Teaching Hours: 10

Number of ECTS credits allocated: 2

Course period: March-April 2025

 

Course unit contents
The course includes the following lessons:

1. Vegetative neuro-modulation of the heart;
2. Unveiling previously neglected roles of the cardiac autonomic nervous system: a leap from traditional physiology;
3. The optogenetics era: a light touch to reveal the deep and dark secrets of cardiac innervation;
4. Tissue clearing: an innovative methodology to clear the cardiac nervous tangles 5. Can artificial intelligence predict the thoughts of little heart brain?

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  Astrocytes at the center of the brain of neurons

Teacher in charge: To be defined

Teaching Hours: 10

Number of ECTS credits allocated: 2

Course period: May 12, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 13, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 14, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 16, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 19, 16:00-18:00 RL room

 

Course unit contents
The course includes the following lessons:

1. Introduction to astrocytes, general aspects and brief history;
2. Changing the flow: astrocytes and neurovascular coupling
3. Astrocytes: from calcium signaling to behavior;
4. Astrocytes and anxiety-like behavior;
5. The dark side: astrocytes in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

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  The world of RNA: from cell biology to personalized medicine

Teacher in charge: Rosario Rizzuto, Annamaria Lia

Teaching Hours: 10

Number of ECTS credits allocated: 2

Course period: June 3, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 4, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 6, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 10, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 11, 16:00-18:00 RL room

 

Course unit contents

1. Introduction to the world of RNA;
2. RNA Delivery: strategies and limitations;
3. mRNA based strategies: applications;
4. RNA interference and ASOs;
5. siRNA: advantages and examples.

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  Skeletal muscle atrophy: from signaling pathways to the emerging role of lysosomal signaling in physiology and disease

Teacher in charge: To be defined

Teaching Hours: 10

Number of ECTS credits allocated: 2

Course period: June 16, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 17, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 23, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 24, 16:00-18:00 RL room | 25, 16:00-18:00 RL room

 

Course unit contents
The course includes the following lessons:

1. Skeletal muscle: introduction to tissue complexity;
2. Signaling pathways controlling muscle mass;
3. Lysosomes biology: from early discoveries to novel emerging functions;
4. Lysosomes biology: from trash bins to signaling hubs;
5. Novel insights into lysosomal function in muscle atrophy.

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