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VANESSA CHECCHETTO

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Position

Ricercatrice a tempo det. art. 24 c.3 lett. A L. 240/2010

Address

VIA U. BASSI, 58/B - PADOVA

Telephone

0498276336

2020 – present: Non-tenured assistant professor (RTDa)
DiBio/Unipd/ Italy. Research topic: Study of the role of ion channels in human pathologies.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
2018 – present: Habilitation for Associate Professorship: 05/E1 (BIO/10 – General Biochemistry) and 05/A2 (BIO/04 – Plant Physiology).
2008-2011: Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biotechnology - curriculum in Biotechnology . University of Padua, Italy.
2006: Master’s degree in Industrial Biotechnology (Summa cum laude). University of Padua, Italy.
2004: First degree in Biotechnology - Biotechnology . University of Padua, Italy.

TEACHING
From 2020-present: Teaching position as non-tenured assistant professor (RTDa). Topics: Biochemistry, Degree Course in Natural Sciences and Natural and Environmental Sciences. Unipd/Italy.
2020-2021: Teaching position as RTDa. Topics: Experimental Biochemistry, Degree Course in Molecular Biology and in Biotechnology. Unipd/Italy.
2017-2018: Teaching position as contract lecturer for the Course of Biochemistry 1, Degree Course in Biology. Unipd/Italy
2016-2017: Teaching position as contract lecturer for the Course of advanced molecular plant biology, Master's Degree Course in Biomolecular science and evolution. Unife/Italy
From 2008: Integrative/laboratory class teaching for several bachelor’s and master's degree courses (238 hours in total), Unipd/Italy
Since the 2008/2009: Co-supervisor of students of Bachelor’s Degree and Master's Degree and co-tutor of a PhD student (PhD in Biosciences)

PUBLICATIONS
From 2010 to 2023, Vanessa Checchetto authored 40 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and international books. Among these publications, she is the first or co-first author on 16, the last or co-last author on 3, and the corresponding author or co-author on 6.
For more details, you can view her profile on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=EP8fNxkAAAAJ&hl=it

FUNDING
1. PI of the Integrated Research Budget project of the Department (BIRD-DiBio)
2. Co-PI of the research group for a PRIN project 2022.
3. Member of the research group for the project: National Recovery and Resilience Plan - PNRR - CN3 Spoke 1.
4. Co-partner of the research group for the project: Foundation Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo - Call for Scientific Research of Excellence 2021.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Awards and recognition
2021: IJMS (International Journal of Molecular Sciences) 2020 Young Investigator Award in the fields of Molecular Biophysics
2012: Winner of Aldo Gini fellowship to work at CE), Grenoble, France

Notices

Office hours

  • Su appuntamento da concordare via e-mail (contatto: vanessa.checchetto@unipd.it) / By appointment to be agreed via e-mail (contact: vanessa.checchetto@unipd.it)

Publications

Selected publications (* first author or first co-author, **corresponding author, § PhD supervisor):
- Checchetto V*, Leanza L, De Stefani D, Rizzuto R, Gulbins E and Szabò I. Mitochondrial K+ channels and their implications for disease mechanisms. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2021. In press. IF 2019: 10.6, Ranking 2019: 7/271 Pharmacology and Pharmacy (Q1).
- Paggio A*, Checchetto V*, Campo A, Menabò R, Di Lisa F, Szabo I, Rizzuto R and De Stefani D. Identification of an ATP-sensitive potassium channel in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Nature, 2019. Aug;572(7771): 609-613. doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1498-3. IF 2018: 43.070, Ranking 2018: multidisciplinary 1/69 (Q1).
- Checchetto V** and Szabò I. Novel Channels of the Outer Membrane of Mitochondria: Recent Discoveries Change Our View. Bioessay 2018 40(6):e1700232. doi: 10.1002/bies.201700232. IF 2018: 4.396, Ranking 2018: Biology 10/87 (Q1), Biochemistry and Molecular biology 69/299 (Q1).
- Carraro M*, Checchetto V*, Sartori G, Kucharczyk R, di Rago JP, Minervini G, Franchin C, Arrigoni G, Giorgio V, Petronilli V, Tosatto S, Lippe G, Szabó I, and Bernardi P. High-conductance channel formation in yeast mitochondria is mediated by F-ATP synthase e and g subunits. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, Cell Physiol Biochem. 2018; 50(5):1840-1855. doi: 10.1159/000494864. IF 2017: 5.5, Ranking 2017: Cell biology 45/190 (Q1), physiology 8/83 (Q1).
- Vecellio Reane D, Vallese F, Checchetto V,Acquasaliente L,Butera G, De Filippis V,Szabò I, Zanotti G, Rizzuto R, Raffaello A. A MICU1 Splice Variant Confers High Sensitivity to the Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uptake Machinery of Skeletal Muscle. Mol Cell. 2016 Nov 17;64(4):760-773. IF 2016: 14.714, Ranking 2016: Biochemistry & molecular biology 6/290 (Q1), cell biology 12/190 (Q1).
- Reina S & Checchetto V*, Saletti R, Gupta A, Chaturvedi D, Guardiani C, Guarino F, Scorciapino MA, Magrì A, Foti S, Ceccarelli M, Messina AA, Mahalakshmi R, Szabo I, De Pinto V. VDAC3 as a sensor of oxidative state of the intermembrane space of mitochondria: the putative role of cysteine residue modifications. Oncotarget. 2016 Jan 19;7(3):2249-68. IF 2016: 5.168, Ranking 2016: Oncology 44/217 (Q1), cell biology 48/190.
- Patron M, Checchetto V, Raffaello A, Teardo E, Vecellio Reane D, Mantoan M, Granatiero V, Szabò I, De Stefani D, Rizzuto R. (2014). MICU1 and MICU2 finely tune the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter by exerting opposite effects on MCU activity. Mol Cell. 2014 Mar 6;53(5):726-37. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2014.01.013. IF 2014: 14,018, Ranking 2014: Biochemistry & molecular biology 6/290 (Q1), cell biology 11/184 (Q1).
- Carraretto L, Formentin E, Teardo E, Checchetto V, Tomizioli M, Morosinotto T, Giacometti GM, Finazzi G and Szabò I. A thylakoid-located two-pore potassium channel controls photosynthetic light utilization in plants. Science 2013 342: 114-8. IF 2013: 31.477, Ranking 2013: multidisciplinary 2/55 (Q1).
- Checchetto V*, Formentin E, Carraretto L, Giacometti GM, Szabo I and Bergantino E§. Functional and physiological characterization of a calcium-dependent potassium channel from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cyanobacteria. Plant Physiology. 2013 162(2):953-64. IF 2013: 7.394, Ranking 2013: Plant Sciences 6/199 (Q1).
- Checchetto V*, Segalla A, Allorent G, La Rocca N, Leanza L, Giacometti GM, Uozumi N, Finazzi G, Bergantino E§, Szabò I. Thylakoid potassium channel is required for efficient photosynthesis in cyanobacteria. PNAS 2012 109: 11043-8.

Research Area

In recent decades, ion channels have been identified as crucial pharmacological targets in the development and progression of human diseases. They regulate the flow of ions through the cell membrane, and therefore, it is not surprising that they are involved in various diseases, making them promising targets for therapeutic development. Furthermore, the importance of proteins that interact with ion channels in contributing to the onset and progression of various diseases has been increasingly recognized, positioning ion channels as key components in signal transduction pathways similar to other receptors.
Through my studies, I expect to discover new signaling platforms and deepen the understanding of the mechanisms that regulate key interactions in these pathways. It is anticipated that new mechanisms and previously unknown protein functions will be identified. Simultaneously, the identification of potential interaction sites could open new horizons in the associated pathophysiological processes. In the realm of modern pharmacology, the rational design of protein-protein interaction inhibitors represents a promising and potential-rich area for drug discovery.