Paola Bossu

Paola Bossù obtained her Doctoral Degree in Biology (PhD-equivalent) in 1985. From 1986, for 4 years, as staff scientist in the Laboratory of Immunology directed by Aldo Tagliabue and Diana Boraschi at Sclavo Research Center, Dr. Bossù gained experience in cytokine research. She used both in vitro and in vivo models to study pro-inflammatory cytokines (mainly IL-1), their receptors and inhibitors. Her immunological background was then straightened by a 2.5 year-postdoctoral fellowship in USA, where, under the guide of Abul K. Abbas at Harvard Medical School in Boston, she studied Th1 versus Th2 lymphocyte activation, cytokine production and apoptosis in normal and autoimmune experimental systems. At the end of 1992 she moved back to Italy, where she was deeply involved in the set up of the new Research Center of Dompé, as regards in particular the laboratory of Cell Biology, which she was going to lead. For several years Paola Bossù directed the Laboratory of Cell Biology in the Biotechnology Department at Dompé, where she has been involved with her group in projects regarding inflammation, autoimmunity and also oncology. During that time she has participated in the identification and characterization of inhibitory molecules of IL-1 and of molecules interfering with transformed cell cycle. Moreover, she was able to identify the cytokine IL-18 as a therapeutic target for autoimmune lupus and to describe for the first time an IL-18 cDNA vaccination therapy efficient to inhibit autoimmunity progression. In 2001 Paola Bossù moved to Rome, where she became consultant at the Scientific Park of University of Rome “Tor Vergata” for coordinating and managing projects in the biotechnology area. In 2002 she became also consultant of ALTA Srl for collaborating in the management of research and development projects in the area of biomedicine and biotechnology, particularly those related to neuroscience. In 2003, with the intent to apply her scientific background and expertise to neurosciences, she was appointed by IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation in Rome for setting up and directing a newly established Laboratory of Experimental Neuro-psychobiology within the Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology directed by Carlo Caltagirone . Mission of the lab was to perform biological investigation with clinical relevance in the field of neurology and in particular neuroimmunology. At the present, Dr. Bossù is research director at Santa Lucia Foundation and Head the Experimental Neuro-psychobiology Laboratory. As part of the Lab, Dr. Bossù managed the construction of a large biological bank which collects, stores, processes and distributes human biological materials (including blood, serum, plasma, DNA, RNA and blood cells) from up to 5000 subjects suffering from neurological and psychiatric diseases clinically very well characterized. The main research interests of Dr. Bossù are currently related to the identification of immunological and inflammatory mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative, cerebrovascular and psychiatric diseases. She coordinates studies addressed to identify new therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers in subjects at high risk to develop disease, as well as in patients at different stages of disease, through immune-biological analyses addressed to define the involvement of different immune cell populations and the cytokine changes in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, stroke, depression and schizophrenia.