Short CV

PRESENT POSITION
Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences (formerly Department of Pharmacology and Anesthesiology), School of Medicine, University of Padova
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH TRAINING
2003 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pharmacology and Anesthesiology, University di Padova
2003 PhD Degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Padova
1998 Diploma of Specialization in Hospital Pharmacy (with full marks), University of Padova
1995-1996 Research Associate at the Department of Radiation Sciences, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
1995 Board Certified as Community Pharmacist
1995 MS Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Padova
1993-1994 EU COMETT Fellowship, PET Center, Groningen University Hospital, The Netherlands
1992 ERASMUS Fellowship at the Department of Organic and Molecular Inorganic Chemistry, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
LECTURER FOR THE FOLLOWING COURSES
Toxicology, BS Degree in Herbal Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy (6 CFU, 2005-2013)
Basic Pharmacology, BS Degree in Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medicine (6 CFU, 2013)
Pharmacoepidemiology, MS Degree in Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy (6 CFU, 2013)
General Pharmacology, MS Degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy (4 CFU, 2004-2007)
Radiopharmacy, Specialization Program in Hospital Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Siena (2 CFU; 2012)
Radiopharmacology, Specialization Program in Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (2 CFU; 2006-2013)
Advanced Pharmacology, Specialization Program in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine (1 CFU; 2006-2009)
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Mentor in the PhD Program in Pharmacology and Therapy of the following Graduate Students: Anna Bin (2005-2008); Chiara Zoppellaro (2007-2009); Marsela Qesari (2010-2012); Valentina Caputi (2013-2015); Ilaria Marsilio (2015-2018), Silvia Cerantola (2017-2019).
2004-now Mentor of several MS Degree Thesis in Pharmacy and CTF and BS Degree in Herbal Sciences.
EDITORIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Newsletter writer of SIF - Farmaci in evidenza, Italian Society of Pharmacology (SIF), http://edicola.sifweb.org/edicola/farmaci/pagina/archivio
Associate Editor for: Frontiers Molecular Biosciences, Section of Cellular Biochemistry, World Journal of Gastroenterology
Reviewer for: European Journal of Pharmacology, Frontiers in Pharmacology, Frontiers in Neuroscience, Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Journal of Nuclear Medicine, The Veterinary Journal, Acta Pharmacologica Sinica etc.
RESEARCH GRANTS
PI for: S. Camillo Hospital Treviso Research Grant (2014-2017), Alfawasserman Pharmaceutical Company (2014-2015), Cariparo Foundation (PhD Fellowship Grant, 2009-2011), University of Padova Research Grant (2004, 2008, 2009, 2017), European Union Center, University of Missouri – Columbia (USA, 2007) PRIN 2006, 2008, 2010.
OTHER APPOINTMENTS AND COMMITTEES
2014-present Consultant for the development of a “Guidance on Setting up Multimodality Preclinical Imaging Facilities: Associated Protocols and QA", International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations (ONU), Vienna, Austria
2009-present National Coordinator of the Clinical Scientific Area Radiopharmacy for the Italian Society of Hospital Pharmacy (SIFO)
2008-2009 Regulatory Commission of Italian Ministry of Health as expert radiopharmacist

  Courses

Educational Offer

  Office hours

Monday from 12:00 to 13:00
Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Edificio di Farmacologia, Largo Meneghetti n. 2 - 35131 Padova
Si consiglia di prendere prima appuntamento via mail.

  Availability for Thesis Projects

1) Role of the enteric nervous system in animal models of neuropathy (Parkinson's disease, Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, psychiatric and neurological disorders)

2) Evaluation of drug or alimentary supplements in in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro gastrointestinal models

3) Pharmacoepidemiological studies for the prevention or management of clinical risk

4) Pharmacovigilance of durgs and medical devices

  Scientific Activities

L’attività di ricerca della Prof.ssa Maria Cecilia Giron è indirizzata a diversi aspetti della farmacologia:
FARMACOLOGIA DEL TRATTO GASTROINTESTINALE
I meccanismi responsabili delle neurodisfunzione dell'apparato gastrointestinale sono ancora largamente sconosciuti, ma recenti evidenze suggeriscono che infezioni virali o anomalie della risposta immunitaria innata possono alterare e/o compromettere l'integrità del sistema nervoso enterico (SNE) sia direttamente che attraverso meccanismi immunomediati e determinare l'insorgenza di diverse patologie, quali la sindrome dell'intestino irritabile, le malattie intestinali croniche infiammatorie se non addirittura la comparsa di malattie neurodegenerative del sistema nervoso centrale come il morbo di Parkinson. La ricerca è focalizzata da un lato a definire il ruolo del SNE nelle alterazioni della funzione gastrointestinale utilizzando diversi modelli animali basati su infezione persistente da virus neurotropico Herpes Simplex virus di tipo 1 (HSV-1) ed alterazione dell'immunità innata (deplezione del microbiota con antibiotici, assenza o inibizione del segnale dei recettori Toll-like di tipo 2, 4 o 9) in condizioni normali, infiammatorie o inseguito ad esposizione di sostanze tossiche (neurotossine, pesticidi etc.).
FARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGIA
Le conoscenze relative all’andamento di patologie croniche (insufficienza cardiaca, diabete, ipo/ipertiroidismo, asma, cancro del colon, ictus ischemico, epatite C) in termini di prevalenza, di trattamento e di esito, costituiscono per le Aziende Sanitarie, e più in generale per il Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, delle importanti informazioni per una corretta valutazione dell’allocazione delle risorse nell’ambito della programmazione della spesa sanitaria. In questo contesto si inseriscono le analisi di farmacoepidemiologia volte a delineare: a) il profilo generale di impiego di farmaci in queste patologie; b) il relativo costo medio per terapia; c) le performance assistenziali, il trattamento del paziente e l’evitabilità della malattia stessa e/o delle sue complicanze.
INTERAZIONI TRA FARMACI
Questa linea di ricerca è nata in seguito al grido di allarme dell’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità per il numero crescente di segnalazioni di reazioni avverse, anche fatali, da prodotti erboristici. Lo studio si propone di monitorare l’assunzione di piante medicinali e/o di prodotti di nutriceutica in una coorte di pazienti sottoposti a visita anestesiologica o cardiologica o oncologica. Le interazioni o gli effetti collaterali sistemici con farmaci normalmente utilizzati nella pratica anestesiologica, cardiologica, chirurgica ed oncologica sono infatti poco conosciuti e possono portare a diverse complicazioni come effetti a livello del sistema cardiovascolare, aumentato rischio di emorragia, prolungamento dell’anestesia, insufficienza renale ed epatica etc.

  Technical expertise

PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY

Clinical studies design, preparation and conduction

Digestive System Disease Models

Inflammatory & Immune Diseases Models

Neural System Disease models

Drug Safety Evaluation

Single dose toxicity tests (rodent and non-rodent)

Repeated dose toxicity tests (rodent and non-rodent)

Toxicokinetic tests

Toxicological tests of new drug administration technology: Inhalation toxicology

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) safety evaluation

Functional evaluation of the activity of new chemical and biological entities

Epithelial permeability studies

Safety Pharmacology

Clinicopathological Study

Drug Safety Evaluation Basic Information

Bioavalailability

PK/PD research

TK/PD/TOX analysis

Active ingredient/prodrug/metabolite monitoring

Bioanalysisi of preclinical samples

Bioanalysis of clinical samples

Plasma stability tests

Drug-drug interaction

Food-drug interaction

Tissue Distribuition research

Excretion Research

  Positions available

  Publications

EDITORIAL ACTIVITY
1. Technetium, Rhenium and Other Metals in Chemistry and Nuclear Medicine, Editor U. Mazzi, Associate Editors M.C. Giron, A. Nadali, R.Rossin. Padova, SGE Editoriali, 2006, ISBN 88-89884-04-5.
2. Technetium, Rhenium and Other Metals in Chemistry and Nuclear Medicine, Editor U. Mazzi, Associate Editors M.C. Giron, R.Rossin. Padova, SGE Editoriali, 2010.
3. Writer for “SIF-Farmaci in evidenza”, newsletter of the Italian Society of Pharmacology (http://www.sifweb.org/farmaci/sif_farmaci_evidenza_main.php).

PUBLICATIONS for years 2018-2016

1: Brun P, Qesari M, Marconi PC, Kotsafti A, Porzionato A, Macchi V, Schwendener
RA, Scarpa M, Giron MC, et al. Herpes Simplex Virus
Type 1 Infects Enteric Neurons and Triggers Gut Dysfunction via Macrophage
Recruitment. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2018 Mar 15;8:74.

2: Hung C, Bronec C, Napoli E, Graham J, Stanhope KL, Marsilio I, Giron MC, Havel
PJ, Giulivi C. Adipose depot-specific effects of ileal interposition surgery in
UCD-T2D rats: unexpected implications for obesity and diabetes. Biochem J. 2018
Feb 14;475(3):649-662.

3: Filpa V, Bistoletti M, Caon I, Moro E, Grimaldi A, Moretto P, Baj A, Giron MC,
et al. Changes in hyaluronan deposition in the rat myenteric plexus after experimentally-induced
colitis. Sci Rep. 2017 Dec 15;7(1):17644.

4: Antonioli L, Pellegrini C, Fornai M, Tirotta E, Gentile D, Benvenuti L, Giron
MC, et al. Colonic motor dysfunctions in a mouse model of high-fat diet-induced obesity: an involvement of A(2B) adenosine receptors. Purinergic Signal. 2017 Dec;13(4):497-510.

5: Caputi V, Marsilio I, Filpa V, Cerantola S, Orso G, Bistoletti M, et al. Antibiotic-induced
dysbiosis of the microbiota impairs gut neuromuscular function in juvenile mice.
Br J Pharmacol. 2017 Oct;174(20):3623-3639.

6: Brun P, Scarpa M, Marchiori C, Sarasin G, Caputi V, Porzionato A, Giron MC,
et al. Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 supplementation reduces gastrointestinal dysfunction in an animal model of IBS. PLoS One. 2017 Jul 21;12(7):e0181863.

7: Caputi V, Marsilio I, Cerantola S, Roozfarakh M, Lante I, et al. Toll-Like Receptor 4 Modulates Small Intestine Neuromuscular Function through Nitrergic and Purinergic Pathways. Front
Pharmacol. 2017 Jun 8;8:350.

8: Gabbia D, Dall'Acqua S, Di Gangi IM, Bogialli S, Caputi V, et al. The Phytocomplex from Fucus vesiculosus and Ascophyllum nodosum Controls Postprandial Plasma Glucose Levels: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study in a Mouse Model of NASH. Mar Drugs. 2017 Feb 15;15(2). pii: E41

9: Dall'Acqua S, Catanzaro D, Cocetta V, Igl N, Ragazzi E, Giron MC, Cecconello L, Montopoli M. Protective effects of ψ taraxasterol 3-O-myristate and arnidiol 3-O-myristate isolated from Calendula officinalis on epithelial intestinal barrier. Fitoterapia. 2016 Mar;109:230-5.

10: Antonioli L, Colucci R, Pellegrini C, Giustarini G, Sacco D, Tirotta E, Caputi V, Marsilio I, Giron MC, et al. The AMPK enzyme-complex: from the regulation of cellular energy homeostasis to a possible new molecular target in the management of chronic inflammatory disorders. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2016;20(2):179-91.

  Complete list of publications

Cecilia Giron in Padua Research Archive IRIS (Institutional Research Information System)

  Patents

  Research projects and Funds

Biostime Institute for Nutrition and Care: Research Project entitled "Exploring the role of enteric nervous system on myelination during early life: modulation of gut microbiota to prevent neuropsychiatric disorders", PI Prof.ssa Maria Cecilia Giron