Department Presentation

Presentation

The Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health (NEUROFARBA) provides pre-clinical and clinical expertise that includes the design and preparation of new active ingredients, the study of the rational bases of therapies impacting human health across the entire lifespan, neuropsychological studies in cognitive sciences, and the pathophysiology of the nervous system and sensory organs. Consequently, the NEUROFARBA Department has a highly multidisciplinary composition with several converging areas. Specifically, it includes Area 3 (Chemical Sciences) with pharmaceutical and food chemistry, Area 5 (Biological Sciences) with pharmacology, Area 6 (Medical Sciences) with neurology, child neuropsychiatry, pediatrics, maxillofacial surgery, and ophthalmology, and Area 11b (Historical, Philosophical, Pedagogical, and Psychological Sciences, bibliometric sub-area) with general psychology, psychometrics, and psychobiology.

NEUROFARBA acts as an authority in experimental and clinical research, fostering stable relationships among related fields, and promoting alliances and collaborations with other departments, research centers, scientific societies, and public and private entities. The Department is firmly rooted in the national and international scientific community and primarily addresses issues of high social impact concerning children, adults, and the elderly, in full compliance with bioethical principles.

The departmental structure is organized into a series of laboratories dedicated to neurological, ophthalmological, psychological, pediatric, pharmacological-toxicological, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical sciences, from which strategies and operational lines for basic research and healthcare are developed. The main goal is to maximize the innovative, integrative, synergistic, and efficient use of available resources.

Research areas in the neurological field include: obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, cerebrovascular diseases and multiple sclerosis, neurogenetics, neuroimmunology, neuropathies and movement disorders, common and rare neurodegenerative diseases (dementias, ataxias, choreas, parkinsonisms), and neurorehabilitation.
Research areas in psychology include: cognitive, sensory, and emotional processes, interactions among different cognitive processes in both normal and pathological conditions, and the psychobiology of cognitive and behavioral disorders in preclinical models.
Research areas in pharmacology-toxicology include: pharmacology and toxicology of the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, hormones and autacoids, inflammation and cell proliferation, pharmacoepidemiology, and pharmacovigilance.
Research areas in pharmaceutical sciences include: rational design, synthesis, and optimization of biologically active molecules using either traditional pharmaceutical chemistry methods or advanced molecular modeling; study of target interactions via molecular modeling; preparation of peptides and proteins with post-translational modifications through synthetic, semi-synthetic, and molecular biology techniques; and study of their interactions with antibodies.
Research in “Nutraceuticals” focuses on different plant sources—particularly foods, medicinal plants, botanical-based dietary supplements, and agro-food by-products. Studies aim to identify and quantify bioactive metabolites contained in various matrices and derived plant extracts using multi-component extraction and analytical methods (metabolomics), and to evaluate the biological-pharmacological potential of chemically characterized extracts through tests on animal models.

Thanks to the recognition of the Department’s Excellence by the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR), a research and advanced training project (2023–2027) is underway, aimed at developing innovative therapies for frailty at the extremes of life, both in children and the elderly. The project identifies new pharmacological targets, develops new bioactive products, and also addresses prevention in adulthood. This initiative fully aligns with the Department’s path toward evolving research from a basic to a translational approach. For this purpose, new research infrastructures have been created, equipped with specialized laboratories and cutting-edge instruments. Specifically:
i) a “human-based” modeling laboratory, in vitro and in silico, for the preclinical study of human diseases;
ii) an advanced functional and molecular imaging laboratory;
iii) a laboratory for the creation of biotechnological tools through molecular and tissue engineering with Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2).

The laboratories are equipped with technologically advanced instruments, including a High-Content Spinning Disk Imaging system with two dedicated software platforms for confocal image acquisition and neural network construction using artificial intelligence, patch clamp systems and intracellular ion fluorescence imaging for cells and tissues, and a multi-electrode array (MEA) electrophysiological recording system. The NMR spectrometer has also been completely reconfigured with new components. Current research includes the development of complex in vitro study systems based on human stem cells to enhance the clinical translatability of the research. New pharmacological approaches are under study, based on pharmaceutical chemistry and biotechnologies, with particular attention to drugs capable of modulating ribonucleic acid (RNA) in both its coding and non-coding forms.

Over the years, the Department has developed inter-institutional collaborations with CNR (including the establishment of the first Research Units at Third Parties, URT, within the University) and LENS. These collaborations have expanded the already rich infrastructure with 3D printing and bioprinting systems and multichannel intracellular MEA systems, which, combined with in-house facilities, make the Department a cutting-edge hub for drug discovery and safety.