Simona Panni
Assistant Professor Molecular Biology
DiBEST Dept. (Biology, Ecology, Earth Science), University of Calabria
Via Pietro Bucci, cubo6C
Phone : +39 0984-492920
Email : simona.panni@unical.it
Scopus Author ID 6506090490
Orchid ID 0000-0002-7500-4028
Education
Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Biotechnology (phD equivalent) 50/50 cum laude University of RomeTor Vergata.
Master Degree in Biological Sciences, 110/110 cum laude, University of Rome La Sapienza.
Academic Qualifications
Current Position Assistant Professor in Molecular Biology
2017: National Scientific Qualification (ASN) for Associate Professor in Molecular Biology
2011: Qualification to practice the profession of Biologist, University of Rome Tor Vergata
2006: Qualification Assistant Professor in Molecular Biology University of Calabria
Since 2019 Departmental Coordinator for Internationalization
Since 2018 External Reviewer for Committee on Animal Research and Ethics (OBPA)
Since 2008 Erasmus+ Programme Coordinator for Biology
Since 2006 Member of Doctoral Committee
Technology Transfer
Co-founder of the innovative startup Kazaam Lab s.r.l., academic spin-off of the University of Palermo. The startup has received numerous awards (including first prize GET IT 2021, second Startcup Palermo 2019 prize) and funding.
Designed “Inventor”, for the European patent application n. 202117953.7 - 1126 with title “Analytical platform for the provision of software services on the cloud” (Morfea, Panni, Rombo)
Research Activity
SP is co-author of 45 publications indexed by Scopus and listed under the following links:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=it&user=hOGzkN0AAAAJ
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6506090490
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7500-4028
Principal Research interest:
Molecular Interactions and regulatory circuits involving ncRNAs
Development of standards for data representation in Molecular Interactions
Protein Interactions mediated by Binding Domains
Member of the Società italiana di Biofisica e Biologia Molecolare
Member of the International Society for Biocuration
Member of the International Molecular Exchange Consortium
Member of the HUPO PSI-MI working group
Member of the Management Committee COST action CA15205
In 2015, 2016 and 2017: Visiting Researcher at the EBI, Hinxton (Cambridge, UK)
In 2003 Visiting Researcher at Charite Institute of the Humboldt-Universitat of Berlin
She has given oral presentations at numerous national and international meetings, some of which are listed below:
Panni S. HUPO-PSI Meeting 11-13 May 2022 "NcRNAs in IntAct: the RNA entries" HUPO-PSI Meeting 11-13 May 2022 EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
Panni S. “The annotation of miRNAs in IntAct: Growth Failure in Early Childhood as a case study” HUPO-PSI Meeting March 22-26 2021 (virtual meeting)
Panni S. “ncRNAs in IntAct: state of the art and perspectives” HUPO-PSI Meeting March 23-26 2020 San Diego (virtual meeting)
Panni S. “Noncoding RNA regulatory networks: miRNAs and beyond“ Workshop “The role of text mining in curation workflows“ Malaga 21-22 Feb 2019
Panni S, Bateman A. Duesbury M, Perfetto L, Porras P, Orchard S and the IMEx Consortium “Building non-coding RNA networks in IntAct: from yeast to human” 12th International Biocuration Conference University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK from April 7-10, 2019.
Panni S, Duesbury M, Perfetto L, Porras P, Orchard S and the IMEx Consortium “Building non-coding RNA networks in IntAct: from yeast to human” SIBBM 2018 Frontiers in Molecular Biology Rome, Italy, 20-22 June 2018 (Flash presentation)
Panni S. “Human ncRNA interactions: how to annotate them” HUPO-PSI Meeting April 18-20 2018 EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
Panni S. “ncRNAs interactions: a case study” Curation workshop on molecular and causal interactions. Rome, December 5-7 2017
Panni S, Prakash A. Bateman A, Orchard S “Yeast ncRNAs interactions: a case study” HUPO-PSI Spring Meeting, Ghent, Belgio. dal 18-20 April 2016
Member of the Scientific Organizing Committee for “Gene Regulation Ensemble Effort for the Knowledge Commons (GREEKC)” Workshop Rende, 18-19 February 2020
She has served as peer-reviewer for several journals, including Database, Proteomics, FEBS letters, Plos One, Briefing in Bioinformatics, Cancer Letters and others and for national and international Funding Agencies
Fellowships and Awards
Between 1997 and 2004 S.P. has won several scholarships including a two-year Grant from the European Institute of Oncology (IEO), a three-year Grant from the Italian Foundation for Cancer Research (FIRC) and a Telethon award for the study of the specificity of interactions mediated by protein domains. From 2002 to 2005 she was a Fellow in the Molecular Genetics Laboratory,
Dept. of Biology, of the University Tor Vergata in Rome. In 2003 she won an ESF grant "Integrated Approaches for Functional Genomics" to work as a visiting researcher at the Charite Institute of the Humboldt-Universitat of Berlin. In 2015 she won a grant for researcher mobility from Unical (DR 2037). In 2019 II Prize at StartCup Palermo, in the National Prize for Innovation (ICT).
Financial Support
2021 I Prize at GET IT!, startup competition organized by Cariplo Factory and Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell’Amore (€50K)
2019-2020 Co-PI with Simona E. Rombo, of the project“Big Data Software Services for Decision Support in Precision Medicine”, founded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology EIT Health within the program EIT Health RIS Innovation (part of Horizon 2020).
SMP 2020 (Internazionale): Co-PI, with Simona E. Rombo, of the project “PHOENIX eHealth Platform: Algorithms and Services for Decision Support in Precision Therapy Selection” founded within the program Startups Meet Pharma, Challenge on Multiple Myeloma, by EIT Health
2019-2021: PRIN 2017 Participant in the project “Membrane transporters, the doors of cellular metabolism. Investigation of biochemical features structure/function relationships, metabolic regulation and physio-pathological aspects by in vitro and in vivo experimental models.” Coordinator prof. Cesare Indiveri
2018: Cost Action Financial Support project GREEKC : Gene Regulation Ensemble Effort for the Knowledge Commons. Member of the Management Committee for Italy.
2018: MIUR Financial Support for Basic Research Activity
2017-2020 PRIN 2015 project “Tumor-targeting peptidomimetics: synthesis and bio-medical applications.” Participant. Coordinator GENNARI Cesare Mario Arturo-Stella Lorenzo
2013-2016 PRIN 2010 project “Sintesi e applicazioni biomediche di peptidomimetici in campo oncologico”. Participant. Coordinator GENNARI Cesare Mario Arturo-Stella Lorenzo
During the period 2000-2008, under the scientific supervision of prof. Cesareni S.P. was involved in numerous national and international financed project among which:
2001-2003 PRIN project “Analisi di Fosfoproteomi” 2001-2003 Coordinator prof. Lorenzo Pinna (University of Padova)
2003-2005 PRIN project “Fosforilazione reversibile delle proteine: un approccio proteomico integrato”. Coordinator prof. Lorenzo Pinna (University of Padova)
“Functional Proteomics: Towards defining the Interaction Proteome” project within the Seventh Framework (FP7) Programme of the European Union Coordinator Prof. F.-Ulrich Hartl
2004-2006 FIRB project " An integrated approach for the assembly of protein networks and the discovery of functional pathways" .
2006-2008 FIRB project “An integrated approach for the assembly of protein networks and the discovery of functional pathways, II”
Teaching
Molecular Biology I 6 CFU (Unical, since 2019-)
Molecular Biology II 6 CFU (Unical, since 2011-)
Eukaryotic Molecular Biology 5 CFU (Unical, 2006-2010)
Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry 3 CFU (Unical, 2007-2009)
Genomics 3 CFU (Unical, 2006)
Applications of Bioinformatics 5 CFU (Unical, 2005)
Monographic Lessons on PPI networks (Unipi, 2008)