Antonella CAMAIONI
University of Rome Tor-Vergata

Prof Antonella Camaioni took the Ph.D. in Morphogenetic and Cytological Sciences in 1989 at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. During her doctorate and  till 1991, she was studying the process of mammalian fertilization, mainly focusing on eggs and sperm interaction with components of the extracellular matrix. From 1989 to 2002, she was Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health and Cell Biology at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. From 1991 to 1994, she spent a sabbatical at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA), in the Proteoglycan Chemistry Section directed by Dr. V.C. Hascall. In that period, she continued to be involved in biology of reproduction studies, in particular on the characterization of the extracellular matrix that is organized around the oocyte by the cumulus oophorus before ovulation, both in terms of proteoglycans and hyaluronan content. In 2002, she became Associate Professor of Histology at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and this is her present position in the Department of Biomedicine and Prevention of the same University. In recent years, by utilizing knock-out mice, she has been studying the function of specific proteins in the organization of the cumulus cell-oocyte complex extracellular matrix as well as in embryo implantation and development. Since 2006, she has also been involved in embryotoxicity and biocompatibility studies on variously functionalized nanomaterials and their use as tridimensional scaffolds for the maintenance and differentiation of embryonic and adult stem cells, to improve in vitro culture conditions by mimicking the characteristics of the extracellular matrix, with the perspective to utilize such scaffolds for tissue regeneration.

Back to TS.II.D