The lab was established by Bruno Maraviglia

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Riccardo De Feo

Riccardo De Feo earned a Master's degree in Physics from Sapienza University of Rome in 2017 with a thesis on diffusion kurtosis imaging for healthy ageing. He is currently enrolled in the PhD course in Morphogenesis and Tissue Engineering and is currently applying machine learning techniques to MRI data.

Since July 2018 he has been working for the Enrico Fermi Centre and from January 2019 he will move to the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio working on automated segmentation of rodent MRI data with deep learning techniques, as an exchange student of the European MICROBRADAM project. The aim of this project will be to develop novel contrasts for MRI, particularly sensitive to tissue demyelination and remyelination.

Maria Giovanna Di TraniMaria Giovanna Di Trani earned a Master's degree in Physics from Sapienza University of Rome in 2016 with a thesis on diffusion MRI for prostate cancer diagnosis. She is currently enrolled in the PhD course in Morphogenesis and Tissue Engineering and studies different diffusion MRI for prostate cancer identification and grading. She worked on ex-vivo experiments for validation of diffusion models, such as Kurtosis and Anomalous Diffusion. Moreover, she is interested in prenatal imaging, studying brain development in fetuses and ventriculomegalias. Since July 2018 she has been working for the Enrico Fermi Centre and from January 2019 she will move to the Centre for Magnetic Resonance Resonance Research (CMRRR) in Minneapolis as an exchange student of the European RISE project. The aim of this project will be to study human brain aging with diffusion techniques, particularly sensitive to tissue microstructures, and to compare diffusion investigation outcomes with functional MRI data.

Publications

Articles

  1. Di Trani MG, Nezzo M, Caporale A, Miano R, Mauriello A, Bove P, Manenti G, Capuani S. Performance of Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging Versus Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Discriminating Between Benign Tissue, Low and High Gleason Grade Prostate Cancer. Academic Radiology, in press.

    Nezzo MG, Di Trani MG, Caporale A, Miano R, Mauriello A, Bove P, Capuani S, Manenti G. Mean diffusivity discriminates between prostate cancer with grade group 1&2 and grade groups equal to or greater than 3. European Journal of Radiolory (2016), vol.85, p.1794-1801, ISSN: 1872-7727, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrad.2016.08.001

    Posters

    Di Trani MG, Caporale A, Nezzo M, Capuani S. Towards a definition of the biophysical bases of transient Anomalous Diffusion (TAD) parameters. Evaluation of tAD, DKI and DTI in normal and cancer prostate tissue with Magnetic Resonance micro-imaging at 9.4 Tesla. In: Proceedings of the ISMRM-ESMRMB annual meeting (2018).

    Di Trani MG, Manganaro L, Antonelli A, Guerreri M, De Feo R, Bernardo S, Catalano C, Capuani S. Apparent diffusion coefficient values of the normal foetal brain developing. In: Federico Giove. Editorial: Proceedings of the International School on Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function - XII Workshop. Frontiers in Physics. 23-27 May (2018).

    Di Trani MG, Caporale A, Nezzo M, Miano R, Mauriello A, Bove P, Capuani S, Manenti G. Histogram analysis of low- and high-risk prostate cancer: a comparison between Gaussian and non-Gaussian diffusion. In: Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine (2017) vol.30.

    Di Trani MG, Caporale A, Nezzo M, Miano R, Mauriello A, Bove P, Manenti G, Capuani S. Mean Kurtosis discriminates between low- and high-risk prostate cancer better than Mean Diffusivity does. In: Proceedings of the ISMRM annual meeting (2017).

    Di Trani MG, Caporale A, Nezzo M, Miano R, Mauriello A, Bove P, Manenti G, Capuani S. Non-Gaussian diffusion NMR discriminates between low- and high-risk prostate cancer. In: Proceedings of the third Edition of Biophysics@Rome (2017).

    Di Trani MG, Monti S, Cavaliere C, Aiello M, Capuani S. About the dependence of Gaussian diffusion and Kurtosis parameters on SNR in prostate DWIs. In: Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine. Vol.30 (2017).

    Funding

    Progetti di Avvio alla Ricerca 2018 - "Micro-imaging NMR ad alto campo (9.4 Tesla): studio e validazione dei parametri di diffusione molecolare sulla base delle microstrutture del tessuto sano e tumorale della prostata."

    Progetti di Avvio alla Ricerca 2017 - "Sviluppo e validazione di nuove tecniche di imaging basate sull'NMR di diffusione molecolare applicate allo studio, diagnosi e stadiazione del tumore della prostata."

Federico GioveMarta Moraschi received a Degree in Physics in the field of Physics of Biosystem, and a MSc in Medical Physics from The Specialisation School of the Sapienza Univesity of Rome. She currently works for the Enrico Fermi Center. Her research interests include human brain function, structure and organization in both physiological and pathological conditions (parkinson Disease, Alzheimer Disease, Down Syndrome and other neurodegenerative disorders). Her experimental activity is mainly focus on the study of cerebral activity and fluctuation of cerebral Resting State (Resting State MRI), by means of Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques. She worked and currently works on the study of cerebral structure, mainly in patological conditions. Moreover, she is interested in several technical aspects of MRI, such as optimization of data acquisition and processing. In recent last years, She worked for Sant'Andrea Hospistal of Rome, as a mediacal Physicist in the Unit of Medical Physics and the Unit of Radiotherapy where she has dealt with the planning of external radiation therapies. She also contributed to the planning and actualization of the scientific activity of the Unit of Neuroradiology.

Selected Publications

  1. A. Romano, R. Cornia, M Moraschi, A. Bozzao, O. Gagliardo, L. Chiacchiararelli, C.Iani, G.Stella, G.Albertini, A. Pierallini. Age-related cortical thickness reduction in non demented Down's Syndrome subjects. Journal of Neuroimaging, 2015:00:1-8.
  2. Daniele Mascali, Mauro DiNuzzo, Tommaso Gili, Marta Moraschi, Michela Fratini, Bruno Maraviglia,
    Laura Serra, Marco Bozzali, and Federico Giove. Intrinsic Patterns of Coupling between
    Correlation and Amplitude of Low-Frequency fMRI Fluctuations Are Disrupted in Degenerative
    Dementia Mainly due to Functional Disconnection. PLoS One 10 (2015), e0120988.
  3. A. Romano, M Moraschi, R. Cornia, A. Bozzao, O. Gagliardo, L. Chiacchiararelli, C. Iana, G. Stella, G.Albertini, A Pierallini. Age effects on cortical thickness in young Down's Syndrome subjects: a cross-sectional gender study. Neuroradiology 2015 Apr(57):401-11.
  4. A.Romano, G. Albertini, D. Guida, R. Cornia, C. Settecasi, C. Condolucci, M.Moraschi, L.M.Fantozzi, A. Bozzao, A. Pierallini. A Cervical Flexion-Extension MRI Study in Down Syndrome. Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 09/2014.
  5. Salviati M, Bersani FS, Calabria LF, Rapinesi C, Kotzalidis GD, Minichino A, Romano A, Moraschi M, Chiacchiararelli L, Bozzao A, Cianfrone G, Girardi P.Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation in a woman with chronic tinnitus: clinical and FMRI findings. Seeking relief from a symptom and finding vivid memories by serendipity.Brain Stimul, 2014 May-Jun;7(3):492-4.
  6. M. Fratini M. Moraschi, B. Maraviglia, F. Giove. On the impact of physiological noise in spinal cord functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.J Magn Reson Imaging, 2014 Oct;40(4):770-7.
  7. M. Moraschi, M. Di Nuzzo, F. Giove. On the origine of negative BOLD response. J Neurophysiol, 2012 Nov;108(9):2339-42
  8. M. Moraschi, F. Giove, G.E. Hagberg, M. Di Paola, G. Spalletta, B. Maraviglia.Smoothing that does not blur: effects of the anisotropic approach for evaluating Diffusion Tensor Imaging data in the clinic.Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2010;31(3): 690-697
  9. C. Cacciari, M. Moraschi, M. Di Paola, A. Cherubini, M.D.Orfei, F. Giove, B. Maraviglia, C. Caltagirone, G. Spalletta. White matter microstructure and apathy level in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2010; 20(2):501-7.
  10. M. Moraschi, G. Giulietti, F. Giove, M. Guardati, G. Garreffa, N. Modugno, C. Colonnese, B. Maraviglia. fMRI study of motor cortex activity modulation in early Parkinson Disease. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2010; 28(8):1152-8.

 

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Silvia Tommasin

I graduated in Physics in 2006 and obtained the PhD in 2010 from La Sapienza Università di Roma defending two thesis with astrophysical subjects. The former work was about the project and realtization of an optical photodetector for star pulsations and the latter the infrared spectroscopy of AGN. To continue my research on active galaxies I moved to Tel Aviv University, where I understood to be interest in brain science. I approached neuroscience at the Hebrew University investigating single neuron recording in monkeys, to inquire how recent past effects present. Finally I reached fMRI studies at the Weizmann Institute with the support of a grant offered by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli Center of Excellence. I worked on synchronous EEG-fMRI measurement in anesthetic-altered states and in this framework I was temporarily hosted by Fondazione Santa Lucia. From 2015 I have been postdoctoral fellow at Centro Fermi and worked on the dynamics of the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal both during alternated periods of resting state and working memory task engagement, through functional MRI, hosted by Fondazione Santa Lucia.

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Laura MaugeriLaureata in Fisica presso l’Università “La Sapienza” di Roma nel gennaio 2012 con una tesi sperimentale dal titolo “Studio della struttura locale di cobaltiti tramite EXAFS”. La tesi prevedeva uno studio della struttura locale di sistemi di nanoparticelle contenenti Litio, da impiegare come catodi nelle batterie agli ioni di Litio. Lo studio, realizzato con il supporto della luce di sincrotrone, ha consentito di individuare una correlazione tra struttura e performance della batteria. Dopo la laurea, ho in parte continuato il progetto della tesi ed in parte mi sono occupata dello studio della struttura locale di alcuni sistemi di superconduttori presso il gruppo G4 della Sapienza. Nel febbraio 2016 ho conseguito un dottorato di ricerca presso l’Università degli studi di “Roma Tre” difendendo una tesi dal titolo “Studio su scala atomica di soluzioni acquose attraverso NDIS combinata con simulazioni EPSR”. Nell’ambito del progetto, svolto presso il Liquids Group dell’Università degli studi di “Roma Tre”, mi sono occupata di studiare principalmente l’idratazione, a livello atomico, di zuccheri (principalmente D-glucosio) e di amminoacidi (glicina) attraverso la diffrazione neutronica con sostituzione H/D e combinata con le simulazioni al computer. Lo studio dell’idratazione delle biomolecole su scala atomica è stato utile al fine di individuare il ruolo dell’idratazione nelle funzioni biologiche specifiche delle biomolecole.

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