Enrico Domenici

1986-90         Ph.D. in Molecular Sciences/Chemistry with full honors at the Scuola Normale Superiore, University of Pisa (70/70 cum laude)

1980-84         University of Pisa, Italy; Faculty of Sciences.  Degree in Biological Sciences (Laurea) with full honors (110/110 cum laude)  

Oct 15 – present      Associate Professor, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento

In charge for the Course in “Genomics in drug discovery” (6ECTS), organized by the Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO) for the Master in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Trento (from academic years 2012/3 – present). The course is aimed at providing the basis for the understanding of modern proteomic and genomic applications, including high-throughput biology platforms, to drug development, from target identification to clinical biomarker development

Invited lecturer at the International Master Degree in Neuroscience, a two-year multidisciplinary training in neurobiology at the Brain Centre for Neuroscience (Trieste), since 2009

Genomic and proteomic biomarkers in neuroscience (depression, schizophrenia and autism, neurodegenerative disorders); functional genomics at genome-wide level; identification of novel targets through integrative genomic and proteomic analysis.

Sept 12-Sept 15       Molecular Biomarker Leader; Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Disorders DTA, Roche, Basel

Oct 10-Aug 12         Head of Biomarker and Pathway Analysis for CNS, Translational Research Sciences, Roche, Basel

Oct 08-Sept 10        Translational Medicine Leader, Center of Excellence for Drug Discovery in Neuroscience, GSK, Verona 

Sept 04-Sept 08       Director of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Excellence for Drug Discovery in Psychiatry, GSK, Verona 

Jan 00-Aug 04         Director of Molecular Diagnostic/Molecular Medicine, GSK Medicines Research Center, Verona

Oct 94 -Dec 99        Head of Molecular Microbiology/Microbial Biochemistry, GlaxoWellcome Medicines Research Center, Verona

Oct 90-Sep 94          Research Scientist, Glaxo Medicines Research Center, Verona

1987-Sep 90            ENI fellowship for a PhD at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (University of Pisa), and Pharmaceutical Division of St. Jude Children Research Hospital, Memphis, TN (USA)

1986-1987               Mario Negri Pharmacological Research Institute, Milano, trainee

1982-84            Department of Biochemistry, University of Pisa (student fellow)

• Scientific Leader for the FP7 Network for Initial Training (ITN) IN-SENS (Deciphering inter- and intracellular signalling in schizophrenia). FP7 Network for Initial Training (ITN); 2013-2016
• Member of the Lieber Institute-Pharma Brain RNA Seq Consortium Steering Committee (www.libd.org), a precompetitive consortium aimed at expanding knowledge around the genetic contribution to brain disorders (2013-5 
•  Member of the Worldwide Psychiatry Genomic Consortium for Schizophrenia, Principal Investigator from 2012.   
• Member of the CommonMind Consortium (CMC) Leadership Team (http://commonmind.org/WP/leadership/) a public-private effort aimed at generating and analyzing large-scale RNASeq genomic data from human subjects with neuropsychiatric disease (from 2012)
• Member of Scientific Advisory Board for COSYN Programme (Comorbidity and Synapse Biology in Clinically Overlapping Psychiatric Disorders): PHC-03-2015 of H2020-PHC
• Member of Scientific Committee for the ITAN network (Italian Autism Research Network) from Dec 2015

Reviewing and Editorial Activity

• Editorial board of Metabolomic Open Access, OMICS publishing group
• Invited member on the Board of Experts of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Scientific Research (MIUR) and Committee for Research Evaluation (CIVR) for the following ERC sectors (LS7 - Diagnostic Tools, Therapies and Public Health; LS5 - Neurosciences and Neural Disorders; LS2 - Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology). Evaluation of PRIN, FIRB and SIR projects since 2008
• Referee for several international journals. Most recent assignments: Autism Mol Research, Biological Psychiatry, Brain Research, Br. Journal Psychiatry, Electrophoresis, Eur. J. Neuropsychopharmacology, Future Medicine, Int J Develop Neuroscience, J Affective Disorders, J. Proteome Research, Journal of Psychiatry Research, Mol. Cell. Neurobiology, Molecular Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology, Neuroreport, Neuroscience, Neuroscience Letter, Peer J, PLoS One, Proteomics, The Pharmacogenomics Journal, Translational Psychiatry, World Journal of Biological Psychiatry

Responsibility for Collaborations with Academic Institutions (Last 10 Years)

• Leader of GSK Collaborative Research Contract with German Primate Research Center in Gottingen (Prof. Fuchs) for the identification of new targets for depression (2004-2005)
• Leader of GSK Collaborative Research Contract with University of Helsinki (Prof. E Castren) for the identification of new targets for depression (2004-2005)
• Leader of GSK Collaborative Research Contract with University of Milan (Prof. A Vescovi) for the development of stem cell lines for pharmacological screening (2004)
• Leader of GSK Collaborative Research Contract with University of Milan (Prof. M Popoli) for the development of new in vitro assay for analysis of antidepressants (2005-2006)
• GSK leader of an EU-funded Integrated Project on the Genomic of Depression (Framework 6^th). Member of the Project Executive Board (2004-2007)
• Co-leader of GSK Collaboration with Max Plank Institute of Psychiatry (MPI), Munich, Germany for combined analysis of GWAS data and analysis in depression and  association analysis of quantitative expression traits (2009-2011)
• Leader of Roche collaboration with   Max Plank Institute of Psychiatry (MPI), Munich, Germany for Novel Biomarkers for Autism based on integrative genetic genomic approach (2012-2014)
• Leader of Roche Collaboration with Prof. D. Rujescu (Halle University); Prof. T. Schulze (Tubingen University) and Prof. S. Cichon (Basel University); Network based analysis of exome sequencing in schizophrenia and bipolar: towards genetics of dimensions (2013-2015)
• Leader of Roche Collaboration with University of Bari (Dr. G. Pergola):  Gene co-expression networks as roadmap for genotype to phenotype mapping in schizophrenia (2015-2016)

Capacity to attract external research grants and Coordination of Corresponding Projects

Presented proposals to obtain funding from the European Community for the following research programmes:

• C Gualerzi, U Heinemann, R Boelens and E Domenici; Structure of free and complexed IF2 and the search for a new target for anti-microbial drugs; Area Cell Factory (Framework IV- Biotechnology). Total grant: 793.000 ECU (128.000 ECU to GW) – 1997-2000 GlaxoWellcome Lead
• R Diaz-Orejas, W Saenger, D Rice, JM Carazo, JC Alonso, E Lanka, E Domenici, R Boelens; Novel strategies for the design of helicase inhibitors, Area Microbial Factories (Biotechnology). Total grant: 1.463.400 ECU (162.000 ECU to GlaxoWellcome) –1998-2001. GlaxoWellcome Lead
• P Mc Guffin et al. GENDEP: Genome-based therapeutic drugs for Depression (Integrated Project). SIXTH Framework Programme. Total grant:  7.560.000 Euro (430.000 Euro to GSK) –2004-2007. GSK leader and Project Board Member
• C Korth et al. IN-SENS (Deciphering inter- and intracellular signalling in schizophrenia). FP7 Network for Initial Training (ITN). Total cost: EUR 3 918 138 (full EU contribution). 2013-2016 Scientific Leader (Roche)

Short Biography

20+ years of experience in research and drug discovery in different therapeutic areas, ranging from the identification of novel targets and development of high-throughput screen programs to the application of genomic biomarkers in clinical settings. Led a number of early drug discovery projects in different therapy areas. Since 2000, increased focus on the discovery of biomarkers in neuroscience by a combination of genetic, genomic and proteomic approaches in preclinical and clinical context. In 2004, took accountability for the biomarker strategy of psychiatry at GlaxoSmithKline. In 2010 joined Roche Neuroscience, leading the implementation of molecular biomarkers in neuroscience first as Biomarker and Pathway Analysis Area Head and later as Molecular Biomarker Leader. In 2015, joined the University of Trento, Centre for Integrative Biology, as Associate Professor.

During his scientific career, Enrico Domenici has established a number of research collaborations with academic partners and with precompetitive consortia and has supervised a number of Master and PhD students.