Visit of Prof. Andrea Sgoifo, PhD from University of Parma (Italy) to Laboratory of Pharmacology of School of Pharmaceutical Sciences - UNESP

• Grant number: 16/09062-7
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: June 22, 2017
• End date: July 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Cesar Crestani
• Grantee: Carlos Cesar Crestani
• Visiting researcher: Andrea Sgoifo
• Visiting researcher institution: Università degli Studi di Parma, Italy
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Andrea Sgoifo is MS in Biological Sciences (University of Parma, IT, 1987) and PhD in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology (University of Milano, IT, 1994). He is Professor of Physiology at the University of Parma since 2005. Professor Sgoifo is editorial board member of 15 international scientific journals and was visiting professor at many international institutions in Europe and Australia. Andrea Sgoifo’s research activity is closely related with studies developed in my laboratory. However, the methodological and experimental approach employed in the Prof. Sgoifo’s lab is different from those used in our group. For instance, differently of direct arterial pressure recording performed in my laboratory through implant of arterial cannulas, Prof. Sgoifo has extensive experience in radiotelemetry electrocardiogram recordings in rats and mice. Moreover, Prof. Andrea Sgoifo is one of the researcher who has contributed more intensively to the understanding of the biology of stress-evoked cardiovascular complications using experimental models of social stress, which has been preconized in studies of stress biology because is more ethological and allow approaches in a translational perspective. I have met professor Sgoifo in two scientific meetings hosted in Italy in the last year, in both of which he was scientific committee member. Even in this initial contact, I mentioned the interest of our group to expand the techniques of analysis of cardiovascular function in our laboratory, especially those that enable long-term electrocardiogram recording, as well as to include new experimental models of social stress. Prof. Sgoifo also demonstrated genuine interest in the realization of studies in collaboration with our institution. As a first step of collaboration with Professor Andrea Sgoifo, my PhD student Jonas Vieira is currently finalizing an activity program with Prof. Sgoifo for a sandwich period that will be realized between July-November/2016. As a next step, it would be extremely helpful the visit of Prof. Sgoifo to our laboratory. In addition to the contribution for the implementation of new techniques and experimental models in our group, this visit would facilitate the discussion of the studies currently developed in our group in order to organize future collaborations. Finally, Prof. Dr. Fernado M.A. Correa and Prof Dr. Leonardo B.M. Resstel of the Department of Pharmacology/FMRP-USP are collaborators of our group and have also investigated the cardiovascular changes evoked by aversive threats. Therefore, a visit to Ribeirão Preto will also be part of the activities of Prof. Sgoifo in the Brazil. Thus, the program of the visit of Prof. Sgoifo includes 4 main activities: 1) Offering a course titled "The effects of emotional stress on the cardiac function"; 2) discussing the project of some of my Graduate Students in order to organize future collaborations to inclusion of additional analysis and experiments; 3) conduction of a preliminary study aiming to compare in adolescent and adult rats the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias evoked by chronic social isolation; and 4) visit to the to the Department of Pharmacology/FMRP-USP to discussion of research activities with Prof. Fernado Correa and Prof Leonardo Resstel and give a lecture. (AU)