Person
BARDONI Rita
Associate Professor
Course Catalogue:
Communications
Attachment (CV)
Curriculum Vitae
Education:
1989: Degree in Biology summa cum laude, University of Modena (Italy)
1990−1993: Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Neurophysiology–University of Ferrara (Italy)
Employment:
1996−2005: Assistant professor, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy)
2005−present: Associate Professor of Physiology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Research field: Study of neural circuits involved in sensory transmission at the spinal level. Characterization of communication mechanisms between neuron and glia in the spinal cord.
Fellowships and awards:
1990: Research fellowship from ECRO (European Chemoreception Organization) to support a research internship at the Georg August Universität in Göttingen (Germany)
1995 and 1997: Research fellowships from Human Frontier Science Program and Fulbright Program, respectively, to partially support a post−doc research position at Columbia University (New York, USA)
2002: Italian Society of Physiology Award to the Best Young Physiologist of the year 2001
2010-2011: Research fellowship from Fulbright Program, to support a visit at Columbia University (New York, USA)
Research experiences in other laboratories:
1990: Georg August Universität in Göttingen (Germany). Undergraduate internship. Morphological characterization of olfactory receptors of Xenopus laevis e optical recording of calcium concentration changes at the confocal microscope.
1991−1994: University of Ferrara (Italy). PhD in Neurobiology and Neurophysiology. Study of voltage−dependent potassium currents in cerebellum granule cells by using patch−clamp.
1995: Columbia University, New York (USA), Prof. Amy MacDermott. Post−doc position. Study of ATP−mediated excitatory synaptic transmission in rat spinal cord dorsal horn.
1997 and 1999: Visiting professor at Columbia University, Prof. Amy MacDermott. Identification of pure NMDA synapses in dorsal horn and study of the role of NMDA receptors in mediating neuronal excitability.
2001 and 2003: Honorary senior research fellow at University College of London (UK), Prof. Maria Fitzgerald. Characterization of developmental changes of excitatory synaptic transmission in spinal cord dorsal horn.
2010-1011: Fulbright Research Scholar at Columbia University, Prof. Amy MacDermott. Characterization of the role of presynaptic GABAA receptors in sensory processing in spinal cord.
2015 and 2017: Visiting Professor at Washington University in Saint Louis (USA). Center of the study of itch, Prof. Zhou-Feng Chen. Characterization of the functional properties of spinal GRPR and NK3R neurons, involved in itch and pain transmission.
Teaching experiences:
1999 – present: Professor of Physiology at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Academic year 2020-2021: Courses of “Physiology” (Bachelor Degree in Biological Sciences, 9 CFU), “Human Physiology” (Master Degree in Medical Biotecnologies, 6 CFU) and “Physiology of Animal Systems” (Master Degree in Didactic and Communication of Sciences, 6 CFU).
1996-present: Supervisor of several B.D. and PhD. theses at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
2019-2022: Supervisor of a Ph.D. student for the project “Characterization of spinal dorsal horn circuits involved in chornic pain”, funded by the program “Dipartimento di Eccellenza”
Other professional activities:
Review editor of Cellular neurophysiology (specialty section of Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience)
Reviewer for several scientific journals (Journal of Physiology, Journal of Neuroscience, Current Neuropharmacology, Pain, Molecular Pain, Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience)
Recent research grants:
- 2019-2022: Contribution from BPER (Banca popolare dell’Emilia Romagna). "Optogenetics as chronic pain treatment". Role: PI
- 2019-2023: HERMES (EU's Horizon 2020) "Hybrid Enhanced Regenerative Medicine Systems" Role: Co-Investigator.
- 2019-2021: MIUR, PRIN 2017: "The interplay between the RNA/protein quality control system and exosomes as a spreading mechanism in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" Role: Co-Investigator.
- 07/01/2016 – 12/31/2017 UNIMORE – Departimental FAR program. "Role of Pannexin 1 in pain transmission in spinal cord dorsal horn" Role: PI.
- 11/01/2010-10/31/12 Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena "Functional activity mapping of spinal nociceptive circuits: electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies." Role: Co-Investigator
- 09/23/10-09/22/12: MIUR, PRIN 2008. "Modulatory action of ghrelin on nociceptive transmission in spinal cord dorsal horn." Role: PI.
1989: Degree in Biology summa cum laude, University of Modena (Italy)
1990−1993: Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Neurophysiology–University of Ferrara (Italy)
Employment:
1996−2005: Assistant professor, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy)
2005−present: Associate Professor of Physiology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Research field: Study of neural circuits involved in sensory transmission at the spinal level. Characterization of communication mechanisms between neuron and glia in the spinal cord.
Fellowships and awards:
1990: Research fellowship from ECRO (European Chemoreception Organization) to support a research internship at the Georg August Universität in Göttingen (Germany)
1995 and 1997: Research fellowships from Human Frontier Science Program and Fulbright Program, respectively, to partially support a post−doc research position at Columbia University (New York, USA)
2002: Italian Society of Physiology Award to the Best Young Physiologist of the year 2001
2010-2011: Research fellowship from Fulbright Program, to support a visit at Columbia University (New York, USA)
Research experiences in other laboratories:
1990: Georg August Universität in Göttingen (Germany). Undergraduate internship. Morphological characterization of olfactory receptors of Xenopus laevis e optical recording of calcium concentration changes at the confocal microscope.
1991−1994: University of Ferrara (Italy). PhD in Neurobiology and Neurophysiology. Study of voltage−dependent potassium currents in cerebellum granule cells by using patch−clamp.
1995: Columbia University, New York (USA), Prof. Amy MacDermott. Post−doc position. Study of ATP−mediated excitatory synaptic transmission in rat spinal cord dorsal horn.
1997 and 1999: Visiting professor at Columbia University, Prof. Amy MacDermott. Identification of pure NMDA synapses in dorsal horn and study of the role of NMDA receptors in mediating neuronal excitability.
2001 and 2003: Honorary senior research fellow at University College of London (UK), Prof. Maria Fitzgerald. Characterization of developmental changes of excitatory synaptic transmission in spinal cord dorsal horn.
2010-1011: Fulbright Research Scholar at Columbia University, Prof. Amy MacDermott. Characterization of the role of presynaptic GABAA receptors in sensory processing in spinal cord.
2015 and 2017: Visiting Professor at Washington University in Saint Louis (USA). Center of the study of itch, Prof. Zhou-Feng Chen. Characterization of the functional properties of spinal GRPR and NK3R neurons, involved in itch and pain transmission.
Teaching experiences:
1999 – present: Professor of Physiology at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Academic year 2020-2021: Courses of “Physiology” (Bachelor Degree in Biological Sciences, 9 CFU), “Human Physiology” (Master Degree in Medical Biotecnologies, 6 CFU) and “Physiology of Animal Systems” (Master Degree in Didactic and Communication of Sciences, 6 CFU).
1996-present: Supervisor of several B.D. and PhD. theses at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
2019-2022: Supervisor of a Ph.D. student for the project “Characterization of spinal dorsal horn circuits involved in chornic pain”, funded by the program “Dipartimento di Eccellenza”
Other professional activities:
Review editor of Cellular neurophysiology (specialty section of Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience)
Reviewer for several scientific journals (Journal of Physiology, Journal of Neuroscience, Current Neuropharmacology, Pain, Molecular Pain, Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience)
Recent research grants:
- 2019-2022: Contribution from BPER (Banca popolare dell’Emilia Romagna). "Optogenetics as chronic pain treatment". Role: PI
- 2019-2023: HERMES (EU's Horizon 2020) "Hybrid Enhanced Regenerative Medicine Systems" Role: Co-Investigator.
- 2019-2021: MIUR, PRIN 2017: "The interplay between the RNA/protein quality control system and exosomes as a spreading mechanism in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" Role: Co-Investigator.
- 07/01/2016 – 12/31/2017 UNIMORE – Departimental FAR program. "Role of Pannexin 1 in pain transmission in spinal cord dorsal horn" Role: PI.
- 11/01/2010-10/31/12 Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena "Functional activity mapping of spinal nociceptive circuits: electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies." Role: Co-Investigator
- 09/23/10-09/22/12: MIUR, PRIN 2008. "Modulatory action of ghrelin on nociceptive transmission in spinal cord dorsal horn." Role: PI.
Research Outputs (71)
Awards and honors
Fulbright Research Scholar,
conferred by United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs - 2010
No Results Found
Current Module Offerings (3)
BMF-20 - Fisiologia umana
I Semestre I anno (22/09/2025 - 19/12/2025)
- 2025
Master or equivalent second cycle
6 CFU
48 hours
DCS60-013 - Fisiologia dei sistemi animali
Secondo Semestre (02/03/2026 - 05/06/2026)
- 2025
Master or equivalent second cycle
6 CFU
48 hours
SB-24 - Fisiologia
I Semestre (15/09/2025 - 17/12/2025)
- 2025
Phasing-out degree programme
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (D.M. 270/04)
( Department of Life Sciences )
Bachelor or equivalent first cycle
9 CFU
72 hours
No Results Found