Simona Gaudi

Research work

The study of genome environment interaction is the leitmotif of Dr. Simona Gaudi’s career. Starting from the study of the molecular mechanisms that characterize the integration of bacteriophages in the bacterial genome, Dr. Gaudi developed, during her PhD, skills in the field of genetic engineering for the construction of recombinant vaccines. The realization of such constructs has evidenced that it was not enough to know only the sequence of the genes to set up functioning fusion proteins. The DNA structure is a fundamental biological characteristic for understanding the regulatory mechanisms that underly the state of health or disease, innovative concepts in the early 90s. The reserch study on the X-Linked Proliferative (XLP) disease, carried out at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, Lyon), highlighted the importance of sequences in which genes are inter-tested. This pathology is characterized by DNA deletions of varying sizes, containing, surprisingly, a limited number of genes. In 2001, complete genome sequencing showed that only 2% are genes, the rest are sequences that do not code for proteins, with important biological functions that still need to be fully decoded.

Her research at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità focuses on the functional genomics of non-communicable, multifactorial and multi-functional diseases. In addition, the European Commission has launched a study on the role of repeated sequences and the epigenetic aspects of non-communicable diseases. Since 2016, the Department of Environment and Health has been able to develop the study of environmental genome interactions, focusing on epigenetic modifications in the genome of women who suffer violence. This research study is focused on the epigentic markers of psychiatric diseases, with particular attention to Post Traumatic Stress, in attempt to identify the molecular bases of resilience.

Professional experience

Dr. Simona Gaudi has held various research positions spanning from 1990 to the present. Notably, she served as a Researcher and Principal Investigator (PI) at the Italian National Institute of Health, focusing on the Departments of Environment and Health (2016-present), Infectious, Parasitic, and Immune-Mediated Diseases (2010-2015), Pharmacology (2002-2010), and Cell Biology and Neurosciences (1999-2002). Her career also includes prestigious fellowships and training awards, such as the Telethon Fellowship at the University of Milan and San Raffaele Hospital (1998-1999) and the Special Training Award at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO, Lyon, France (1995-1997). Additionally, she completed a Post-Doctorate Fellowship at UC Davis, International Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, a WHO collaborative laboratory, in Davis, USA (1994-1995), and served as a Fellow on AIDS research at the Italian National Institute of Health (1990-1991).

Education

Dr. Simona Gaudi earned her PhD in Biotechnology from UC Davis, USA, and the University of Milan, VM, Italy, between 1990 and 1993. Prior to this, she obtained her Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Milan, Italy, in 1985

Areas of interest & scientific knowledge

Italy

Place of Affiliation

Violence against Women and Children

Genome Environment Interaction
Epigenetics

Epigenetics of psychiatric diseases

Autism Spectrum Disorder
Schizophrenia and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Transposable Elements and Non-Communicable Diseases

Cancer and psychiatric diseases

Selected Publications

Piccinini A, Bailo P, Barbara G, Miozzo M, Tabano S, Colapietro P, Farè C, Sirchia SM, Battaglioli E, Bertuccio P, Manenti G, Micci L, La Vecchia C, Kustermann A, Gaudi S. Violence against Women and Stress-Related Disorders: Seeking for Associated Epigenetic Signatures, a Pilot Study. Healthcare (Basel). 2023 11(2):173.
Gaudi S and Mancini L. Global environmental changes and women. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, in press
Ricciardi W, Marcheggiani S, Puccinelli C, Carere M, Sofia T, Giuliano F, Dogliotti E, Mancini L, Agrimi U, Alleva E, Busani L, De Castro P, Gaudi S, Michelozzi P, Rezza G, Testai E, Vella S. Focus Health and Climate Change: science calls for global action. Ann Ist Super Sanità, 2020. 55(4): 323-329.
Bucciardini R, Ferrelli RM, Giammarioli AM, Bortolin E, Fanales Belasio E, Mattioli B, Donfrancesco C, Sabbatucci M, Pasetto R, Colucci A, Mancinelli R, Palmieri L, De Castro P, Sampaolo L, Gaudi S, Falzano L, Morelli S, Grassi T, Buttò S, Luzi A, Ricciardi W. Health inequalities: a Research Positioning Exercise at the National Institute of Health, Italy. Eur J Public Health, 2019. 29(5):943-947.
Gaudi S and Mancini L. Epigenetics in the Mediterranean area: genome-pollution interaction. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 2019. 28 (6): 4970-4973.
Mancini L, Gaudi S, Figliomeni M, Iacobini V, Volpi E, Marcheggiani S. Extreme Events and Health: An Italian Pilot Study. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 2019. 28 (6):4979-4989.
Guffanti G, Gaudi S, Klengel T, Fallon JH, Mangalam H, Madduri R, Rodriguez A, DeCrescenzo P, Glovienka E, Sobell J, Klengel C, Pato M, Ressler KJ, Pato C, Macciardi F. LINE 1 insertions as a genomic risk factor for schizophrenia: preliminary evidence from an affected family. 2016. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet; 171(4):534-45.
Gaudi S, Guffanti G, Macciardi F. Epigenetic mechanisms and brain circuits of poisitive emotions: a role for Transposable Elements. 2016 J Comp Neurology 524:2944-54.
Guffanti G, Gaudi S, Fallon JH, Sorbell J, Potkin SG, Pato C, Macciardi F. Transposable elements and psychiatric disorders. 2014 Am J Med genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 165B(3):201-216.
Balestrieri E, Arpino C, Matteucci C, Sorrentino R, Pica F, alessandrelli R, Coniglio A, Curatolo P, Rezza G, Macciardi F, Gaudi S, sinibaldi-Vallebona P.Hervs expression in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2012 PLos One 7(11):e48831.
Carlini F, Ridolfi B, Molinari A, Bozzuto G, Toccacieli L, Formisano G, Paradisi S, Parisi C, Gruber OMV, Ravo M, Weisz A, Arcieri R, Vella S, Gaudi S. The reverse transcription inhibitor abacavir shows anticancer activity in prostate cancer cell lines. 2010. PLos One 5(12):e14221.
Arpino C, Sinibaldi-Vallebona P, Gaudi S, Rezza G. Polyomaviruses and autism: more than a simple association? 2010. J Neurovirol 16(4):330-331.
Paradisi S, Sacchetti B, Balduzzi M, Gaudi S, Malchiodi-Albedi F. Astrocyte modulation of in vitro beta-amyloid neurotoxicity. 2004. Glia. 46: 252-260.
Domenici MR, Pintor A, Potenza RL, Gaudi S, Gro MC, Passarelli F, Reggio R, Galluzzo M, Massotti M, Popoli P. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5)-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis and NMDA-potentiating effects are blunted in the striatum of aged rats: a possible additional mechanism in striatal senescence. 2003. Eur J Neurosci. 17: 2047-2055.
Falbo V, Floridia G, Gaudi S, Zoraqi G, Taruscio D. A new polymorphism in the flanking region of human VAMP2 and hPer1 genes. 2002 Mol Cell Probes. 16: 391-392.
Domenici MR, Paradisi S, Sacchetti B, Gaudi S, Balduzzi M, Bernardo A, Ajmone-Cat MA, Minghetti L, Malchiodi-Albedi F.The presence of astrocytes enhances beta amyloid-induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal cell cultures. 2002 J Physiol Paris. 96: 313-316.
Gaudi S, Zoraqi G, Falbo V, Taruscio D.[Circadian biological clocks: molecular self-generating mechanisms which keep the rhythm] 2000. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 36: 99-109.
Bolino A, Yin L, Seri M, Cusano R, Cinti R, Coffey A, Brooksbank R, Howell G, Bentley D, Davis JR, Lanyi A, Huang D, Stark M, Creaven M, Bjorkhaug L, Heitzmann F, Lamartine J, Gaudi S, Sylla BS, Lenoir GM, Castagnola E, Giacchino R, Porta G, Franco B, Romeo G, et al. A new candidate region for the positional cloning of the XLP gene. 1998. Eur J Hum Genet. 6: 509-517.
Lamartine J, Nichols KE, Yin L, Krainer M, Heitzmann F, Bernard A, Gaudi S, Lenoir GM, Sullivan JL, Ikeda JE, Porta G, Schlessinger D, Romeo G, Haber DA, Sylla BS, Harkin DP. Physical map and cosmid contig encompassing a new interstitial deletion of the X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome region. 1996. Eur J Hum Genet. 4: 342-351.
Simonic T, Gaudi S, Giussani F, Malcovati M, Ronchi S, Tenchini ML. cDNA sequence for bovine ribosomal protein L3 carrying a bipartite nuclear targeting motif, identified also in many other ribosomal proteins. 1994. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1219: 706-10.
Ponti W., Agresti A., Rocchi M., Bonizzi L., Gaudi S., Meneveri R., Ginelli E. and Poli G. Applicazioni di biotecnologie nello studio delle malattie infettive in medicina veterinaria. 1993. Stato dell’arte delle ricerche italiane nel settore delle biotecnologie applicate alle scienze veterinarie e zootecniche. Fondazione iniziative zooprofilattiche e zootecniche. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia. 35: 35-39.
Simonic T., Gaudi S., Capra M., Tenchini M. L. Malcovati M. and Ronchi S. Clonaggio di proteine markers del bovino. Stato dell’arte delle ricerche italiane nel settore delle biotecnologie applicate alle scienze veterinarie e zootecniche. 1993. Fondazione iniziative zooprofilattiche e zootecniche. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia. 35:75-80.
Raimondi E, Gaudi S, Moralli D, De Carli L, Malcovati M, Simonic T, Tenchini ML Assignment of the human connexin 32 gene (GJB1) to band Xq13. 1992. Cytogenet Cell Genet. 60: 210-211.
Gaudi S., Arosio B., SimonicT., Tenchini M. L., Malcovati M. and G. Annoni “Expression of connexin-32 mRNA in rigenerating and fibrotic rat liver ” 1992. "Molecular and Cell Biology of Liver Fibrogenesis" A. M. Gressner, G. Ramadori eds, - Kluwer Academic Publishers, 208-212.
Gaudi S., Arosio B., SimonicT., Tenchini M. L., Malcovati M. and G. Annoni “ Espressione dell’mRNA della connessina-32 nel fegato rigenerante e fibrotico di ratto. Expression of connexin-32 mRNA in rigenerating and in fibrotic liver in rat" 1992. Giornale Italiano di Chimica Clinica. 17: 301-304.
Tattanelli M., Gaudi S., De Santis C., Paini C., Maffei L., Beretta A. and Siccardi A. G. Proteine ricombinanti di SIV derivanti dal gene env corrispondente agli epitopi immunodominanti e neutralizzanti di HIV. 1992. Rapporti ISTISAN, 92/14: 265.
Ottone F., Giussani F., Gaudi S., Malcovati M., Tenchini M.L. and Rocchi M. Assignment of human peroxisomal 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase (ACAA) to 3p14-pter. Human Gene Mapping 11. 1991.Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics. 58: 1880.
Gaudi S., Arosio B., Simonic T., Giussani F., Tenchini M.L. and Annoni G. Connexin-32 gene expression in rat liver intoxicated with carbonium tetrachloride. 1991. Journal of Hepatology. 13: 115.
Gaudi S, Ponti W, Agresti A, Meneveri R, Malcovati M, Bonizzi L, Poli G, Amato A, Ginelli E Detection of bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) infection by DNA probe technology. 1990. Mol Cell Probes. 4:163-174.
Agresti A, Meneveri R, Siccardi AG, Marozzi A, Corneo G, Gaudi S, Ginelli E. Linkage in human heterochromatin between highly divergent Sau3A repeats and a new family of repeated DNA sequences (HaeIII family).1989. J Mol Biol. 205: 625-631.
Bonizzi L., Trussardi L., Gaudi S., Peri E. and Poli G. Molecular study of BLV infection 1989 Atti della Società Italiana delle Scienze Veterinarie. 1035-1041.
Gaudi S., Agresti A., Meneveri R., Pacciarini M., Bonizzi L., Poli G. and Ginelli E. Potenzialità delle sonde molecolari per la diagnosi di infezioni virali nel settore zootecnico-veterinario. 1989. Nuove frontiere della diagnostica nelle scienze veterinarie. 22: 11-16.
Antonacci C.M., Cristina S., Gaudi S., Parravicini C., Vago L., Moroni M., Lechi A., Trabattoni R., Tedeschi F., Budka H. and Costanzi G. 1989. Rapporti ISTISAN, 89/17: 45.
Gaudi S., Agresti A., Marozzi A., Ponti W., Bonizzi L., Poli G and Ginelli E. "Rilevamento del Virus della Leucosi Bovina (BLV) mediante ibridazione molecolare". 1987. Clin. Veter.1987. 110: 207-213.