Luigi Balasco

2009-2014: Bachelor student in Biology (“Corso di Laurea in Biologia Generale ed Applicata) @ University of Naples Federico II, Italy.

July 14, 2014: Bachelor degree (“Laurea triennale in Biologia Generale ed Applicata) @ University of Naples Federico II, Italy (score 109/110).

2014-2017: Master student in Neuroscience (“International Master Degree in Neuroscience”) @ University of Trieste, Italy.

March 24, 2017: Master degree (“International Master Degree in Neuroscience”) @ University of Trieste, Italy (score 110/110).

March-September 2017: Research Assistant @ Karolinska Institutet, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Stockholm, Sweden.

2018-2022: PhD student in Cognitive and Brain Sciences @ CIMeC - University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy. Supervisor: Prof. Yuri Bozzi.

Research Experience

May-July, 2014: Internship for Bachelor’s Degree thesis @ University of Naples Federico II, Italy. Title of thesis: Satellite DNA-mediated effects on genome regulation and tumorigenesis. Supervisor: Prof. Orfeo Picariello.

2016-2017: Internship for Master’s Degree thesis @ SISSA, Italy. Title of thesis: Comparative analysis of markers of macrophage polarization in trigeminal ganglia from migraine animal models. Supervisor: Prof. Elsa Fabbretti, Prof. Andrea Nistri, Dr. Sandra Vilotti.

March-September 2017: Research Assistant @ Karolinska Institutet, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Stockholm, Sweden. Studies on investigating the effect of a cell based treatment (bone marrow-derived macrophages, M2 polarized) in a mouse model of neonatal asphyxia. Supervisor: Prof. Ulrika Ådén, Dr. Elena di Martino.

2018 – Ongoing: PhD student in Brain and Cognitive sciences @CIMeC, Rovereto, University of Trento. Studies on somatosensory processing defects in mouse models of autism spectrum disorders. Supervisor: Prof. Yuri Bozzi

Teaching Activity

June-September 2022: Scientific tutor in Neurobiology of Brain diseases for master students at CIMeC Departement, University of Trento, Trento (IT) – Tutoring activities (appointed as best course in the master degree in cognitive science).

March-June 2022: Scientific tutor in Histology and Embriology for medical students at CISMed Departement, University of Trento, Trento (IT) – Lectures and laboratory activities

December 2021: Scientific tutor in Molecular Physiology for master students at CIBIO Departement,University of Trento, Trento (IT) – Laboratory activities

March, 2021: C.L.I.L. Miur (Italian Ministry for instruction, university and research) Project at Liceo classico "Giovanni Prati", Trento. Lectures and tutoring activities held in English in the school's laboratories.

December, 2020: Scientific tutor in Molecular Physiology for master students at CIBIO Departement,University of Trento, Trento (IT) – Laboratory activities

March, 2020: C.L.I.L. Miur (Italian Ministry for instruction, university and research) Project at Liceo classico "Giovanni Prati", Trento. Lectures and tutoring activities held in English in the school's laboratories.

June, 2019: Tutor for the Summer School "Un viaggio attraverso i sensi" at Fondazione Golinelli, Bologna. Tutoring activities and lectures at Fondazione Golinelli.

March, 2019: C.L.I.L. Miur (Italian Ministry for instruction, university and research) Project at Liceo classico "Giovanni Prati", Trento. Lectures and tutoring activities held in English in the school's laboratories.

Lab tutor

Alessandra Georgette Ciancone Chama (Master in Cognitive Sciences, Univ. Trento). October 2020-September 2021 – now PhD student @University of Montreal

Zhenia Shlossman (Master in Cognitive Sciences, Univ. Trento). October 2019-July 2020 – now primary school teacher

Romina Garcia de Leon (Visiting student – Master in Cognitive Sciences, Univ. Trento). April 2019-July 2019 – now PhD student @University of British Columbia

Francesca Viscido (Master in Cognitive Sciences, Univ. Trento). March 2019-December 2019 – now research intern @ Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience

Lorenzo Mattioni (Master in Molecular Cellular Biotechnologiy, Univ. Trento). March 2019-October 2019 – now PhD student @University of Mainz

Davide Dall’Acqua. Post-graduate stage in Experimental Psychology (Dept. Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Univ. Trento), October 2018-April 2019 – now junior high school teacher

My thesis project is part of the research on autism. Autism spectrum disorders form a heterogeneous group of highly variable neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social interaction and language, and by stereotypical behaviors. The diagnosis of autism is based on behavioral observation of the subject as the research has not yet identified specific markers. The causes of autism are unknown to date. Among the most recognized hypotheses there is one that suspects a synergy between genetic and environmental factors. As a matter of fact, the syndromic forms of autism, i.e. those whose clinical picture is attributable to known causes (chromosomal aberrations, disorders due to single mutations and pathologies due to gene copy number variations), represents a percentage that is around 20%-25%. Recent studies have shown that about 90% of individuals with autism show atypical sensory responses for one or more sensory categories (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch).  It is no coincidence that in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the hyper/po-reactivity to sensory stimuli has been added to the diagnostic criteria. The use of genetically modified animal models has allowed a great step forward over the years in the study of the etiopathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders. It is interesting to note that many animal models that carry mutations related to autism also show sensory deficits. In addition, these atypical behaviors have been associated with defects in various molecular machinery, not only in the central nervous system but also in the peripheral nervous system. In this perspective it is possible to speculate that sensory alterations may contribute, at least in part, to the autistic phenotype.

My thesis work aims to investigate possible defects of the somatosensory system in genetic models of autism. In particular, the analysis models are represented by the mice Cntnap2 KO and Shank3b KO; two lines in which the expression of the genes in question is suppressed. The hypothesis underlying the research project is that possible defects in the encoding of sensory stimuli of tactile nature may contribute to the autism-like phenotype in these genetic models of autism. The project primarily involves the evaluation of the sensory response to a tactile stimulus by means of behavioural tests. Secondly, the project wants to evaluate the anatomical-molecular basis of possible behavioral differences to tactile stimulation.

Italian Society of Neuroscience (SINS).

Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS).

Brainstorming Research Assembly for Young Neuroscientists (BraYn).

June 2022: “SINS outstanding oral presenter award” at the SINS PhD Meeting, 11 June, 2022, Brescia - ITALY

January 2022: 200€ prize “for the excellent quality of his research work presented at the “CIMeC Doctoral Student Day”, 27 January, 2022, Rovereto - ITALY.

June 2021: “Best poster presentation award” at the European Neuroscience Conference by Doctoral Students, ENCODS, 4-6 June - Virtual Conference

2018-2022: 4-year doctorate fellowship from CARITRO - University of Trento.

March 2017: Erasmus + for Traineeship fellowship from University of Trieste.

September, 2022: “Somatosensory processing deficits and altered connectivity in Cntnap2 -/- and Shank3b−/− mouse models of autism spectrum disorder”, 5th Brayn Congress, Rome, Italy (poster presentation).

August, 2022: “Somatosensory processing deficits in two genetic mouse models of autism spectrum disorder”,8th European Student Conference on Behavior and Cognition ESCBC, Rovereto (oral presentation).

July, 2022: “Somatosensory processing deficits and altered cortico-hippocampal connectivity in Shank3b−/− mice”, FENS Forum 2022, Paris, France (poster presentation).

June, 2022: “Somatosensory processing deficits and altered connectivity in Cntnap2 -/- and Shank3b -/- mouse models of autism spectrum disorder”, SINS PhD Meeting, Brescia (oral presentation) – best oral presentation award

January, 2022: “Somatosensory processing deficits and altered cortico-hippocampal connectivity in Shank3b-/- mice”, CIMeC PhD Day, selected talk (oral presentation) – best oral presentation award

October, 2021: “Somatosensory processing deficits and altered cortico-hippocampal connectivity in Shank3b−/− mice”, 4th Brayn Conference, Pisa, Italy (poster presentation).

August, 2021: “Somatosensory processing deficits and altered cortico-hippocamapal connectivity in Shank3b -/- mice", Virtual FENS Regional Meeting (FRM2021) (poster presentation).

June, 2021: “Somatosensory processing deficits and altered cortico-hippocamapal connectivity in Shank3b - /- mice”, ENCODS 2021 (poster presentation). – best poster award

November, 2020: “Sensory abnormalities in Cntnap2-deficient mice, a genetic model of autism spectrum disorders” 3rd BraYn Conference 2020 (oral presentation).

July, 2020: “Somatosensory defects in mouse models of autism spectrum disorders”, FENS 2020 Virtual Forum (poster presentation).

October, 2019: “Somatosensory hypo-reactivity to whisker stimulation in the Cntnap2 -/- mouse: a genetic mouse model of autism spectrum disorder” IN CNR Annual Retreat 2019, Pisa, Italy (oral presentation)

September, 2019: “Hyporeactivity to whisker stimulation in Cntnap2 -/- mice: new implications for autism spectrum disorder”, 19th International Workshop on Fragile X and other Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Sorrento, Italy (poster presentation)

March, 2019: "Somatosensory impairments contribute to autistic-like behaviors following whisker stimulation", SINS PhD Conference - New perspectives in Neurosciences: The Researches of Young Italian Neuroscientists, Naples, Italy (poster presentation).

September, 2017: “Trigeminal ganglia of familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 R192Q mutant mice express markers of the M1 macrophage polarisation stage”, 18th International Headache Congress, Vancouver, Canada (http://www.ihs-headache.org/congress-and-calendar/2017).March, 2019: "Somatosensory impairments contribute to autistic-like behaviors following whisker stimulation", SINS PhD Conference - New perspectives in Neurosciences: The Researches of Young Italian Neuroscientists, Naples, Italy (poster presentation)