NAVARRA Michele

Place and date of birth: Messina (Italy) 30 August 1968.
Position: Associate professor in Pharmacology at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Messina (Italy).
European Medicines Agency (EMA) expert.
Education:
12/11/1990 Degree in Pharmacy at the University of Messina (Italy), summa cum laude.
15/12/1994 Specialization in Pharmacognosy at the University of Messina (Italy), with the highest mark.

Professional experience
1991 – 1993 Post graduated fellowship at the Pharmaco-Biological Department of the Messina University (Italy).
1994 - 1996 Fellowship at the Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (Italy).
Nov.1999/July 2002 Externship at the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Institut de Biotecnologia y Biomedicina “Vicent Villar i Palasì”, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain).

Award and Fellowship
1988-‘89-’90 Scholarships awarded by Opera Universitaria, University of Messina (Italy) for best examination performances.
1991-1992 Post graduated fellowship awarded by the Messina County Government.
1999 Externship for “Short Term Mobility” awarded by the National Research Council (CNR, Italy).
08/10/1999 “Analossilaos” award for young scientific researcher.
2000 Externship for “Short Term Mobility” awarded by the National Research Council (CNR, Italy).
2001 Externship by the Italian Toxicological Society (SITOX).
2002 Externship by Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC, Spain).

Academic activities
3/9/’96 - 13/1/’98 Assistant professor in Pharmacology at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Reggio Calabria (Italy).
13/1/’98 - 11/10/’06 Assistant professor in Pharmacology at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro (Italy).
11/10/’06 - Associate professor in Pharmacology at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Messina (Italy).

Grant
1994 – 1999 Experimental model development of in vivo and in vitro for the characterization of novel therapeutic strategy in neurodegenerative disease supported by the European Fund for Regional Development (POP 94/99, Calabria Region, Italy). Member of a research group.
1995 – 2005 several National Program on AIDS (VIII, IX, I, II, IV, V) funded by Ministry of health. Member of a research group.
1998 – 1999 Role of interleukin 1-beta in neuronal toxicity induced by gp120 supported by the Italian Ministry for University and Scientific Research (PRIN). Member of a research group.
2000 – 2003 Regulation of astroglial soluble guanylyl cyclase by inflammatory agents. Mechanism and functional implications supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Spain. Member of a research group.
2000 – 2006 Experimental study on the neurobiological properties provide by the bergamot essential oil, financed by Calabria Region (POR Calabria 2000–2006). Member of a research group.
2004 – 2005 Study of the neuroprotective profile of the essential oil of bergamot (Citrus bergamia) and its fractions in human cells of neuroectodermal origin exposed in vitro to excitotoxic stimuli, supported by the Italian Ministry for University and Scientific Research (PRIN). Member of a research group.
2006 – 2007 Mechanisms underliying the antiproliferative effects of novel pyrazolo-pyrimidine derivates on human neuroblastoma cell in culture supported by Progetti di Ricerca di Ateneo (PRA). Principal investigator.
2007 – 2008 Antiproliferative effects of pyrazolo-pyrimidine derivates on human neuroblastoma cells, supported by Fondazione Banco di Sicilia. Principal investigator.
2007 – 2008 Study of natural killer-dendritic cell interactions in the immune responses against tumors: identification of innovative therapeutic approaches, supported by Assessorato della Sanità, Regione Sicilia. Responsible of research unit.
2008 – 2009 Interactions Between Endocannabinoid and Serotonergic Systems in Mood Disorders Caused by Nicotine Withdrawal, supported by Progetti di Ricerca di Ateneo (PRA). Member of a research group.

Main scientific interest
Research activity is focused on the mechanisms underline cell death.

Scientific Societies Membership
from 1997 Italian Pharmacological Society
from 1997 Italian Toxicological Society
from 2003 Italian Society for Neurosciences
from 2003 Italian Pharmacognosy Society
from 2009 Italian Phytotherapy Society