PEOPLE – CMN Lab

Marco Peviani, PhD Associate Professor

Marco Peviani received his PhD in 2010 from the Open University (UK) and Mario Negri Institute (Italy), studying preclinical models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). As a post-doc at the University of Pavia, he validated Sigma-1 receptor as a therapeutic target for ALS. In 2014, he moved to San Raffaele Institute, and then he joined the gene therapy program at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s hospital and Harvard as an instructor, to optimize a new gene therapy approach for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Since 2019, he has been an assistant professor at the University of Pavia, Associate Professor since 2022. His major research focus is on the development of new gene/drug-delivery tools and MRI/PET tracers for neurodegenerative disorders.

Daniela Buonocore PhD RTDa

Daniela Buonocore is a researcher who obtained her MSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Pavia (Italy), followed by two post-graduate degrees in Regulatory Sciences and Human Nutrition, and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. Her pharmacological research focuses on the role of oxidative stress in various contexts such as ageing, neurodegenerative diseases, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and sports. She collaborates with academic partners and pharmaceutical companies to set up in vitro drug release characterization models, which can be applied to toxicological and ADME studies. She is co-founder of bioRESTART, an academic spin-off focused on sustainability and circular economy, and currently she works as a researcher at the Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani,” University of Pavia, collaborating on the project PNRR_CN3 for the development of gene therapy and drugs with RNA technology.

Barbara Balestra PhD Lab Manager

MSc in Experimental and Applied Biology at the University of Pavia, PhD in Pharmacological Sciences. She conducted studies on the influence of neuronal pathways, (serotoninergic, dopaminergic, opioid) on intestinal peristalsis and their pharmacological regulation, In physiological and pathological (irritable bowel syndrome, Parkinson’s disease) status. She participated in national (PRIN, Italian Celiac Association, AIC) and international (NIH, USA and NATO Collaborative Exchange Grant) projects . Other areas of interest included neurotoxicology and the pathophysiology of the urinary and respiratory systems. She has participated in pharmacogenetic studies to analyze genetic variants predisposing to adverse drug events. Currently, she joined the Cellular and Molecular Neuropharmacology Lab.