Daniela Cimini

Daniela Cimini

350 Cobblestone Ct

Chapel Hill, NC, 27514 – USA (Home)

607 Fordham Hall

University of North Carolina

Chapel Hill, NC, 27599 – USA (Work)

Tel. ++1-(919) 962-2354

Fax. ++1-(919) 962-1625

Education / University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Center for Evolutionary Genetics
Ph.D., Genetics and Molecular Biology, March 2001
Dissertation title: Cellular mechanisms of aneuploidy induction in mammalian cells: role of mitotic spindle and mitotic checkpoint
Advisor: Dr. Francesca Degrassi
University of Rome “La Sapienza”
Specialty degree (cum laude), Applied Genetics, October 1997
Thesis title: Study of chromosome malsegregation mechanisms by means of in situ hybridization on anaphases and binucleate cells
Advisors: Prof. Caterina Tanzarella and Dr. Francesca Degrassi
University of Rome “La Sapienza”
Degree (Lauream cum laude) in Biology, November 1993
Thesis title: Use of CREST staining and in situ hybridization for the analysis of micronuclei induced by 5-azacytidine in human fibroblast cultures
Advisors: Prof. Caterina Tanzarella and Dr. Francesca Degrassi
Research
Experience / University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Biology
Postdoctoral Fellow (Advisor Dr. E.D. Salmon), May 2002 – present
Visiting Scholar, December 2001 – April 2002
Visiting Researcher, January 2000 – April 2001
Conducted research on cellular mechanisms responsible for chromosome mis-segregation during mitosis in mammalian cells. Found that mitotic lagging chromosomes are induced by merotelic kinetochore orientation, an error in microtubule-kinetochore attachment. Also found that this error occurs very frequently in early mitosis, but is largely corrected before mitotic exit. Currently studying such correction mechanisms.
Center for Evolutionary Genetics (Italian National Research Council), Rome, Italy
Research Fellow for the Italian Federation for Cancer Research (FIRC), January –December 2001
Conducted studies on mitotic checkpoint, aneuploidy, and neoplastic transformation
Center for Evolutionary Genetics (Italian National Research Council), Rome, Italy
Graduate student, November 1998 – October 2000
Conducted studies of cellular mechanisms of aneuploidy induction in mammalian cells
Center for Evolutionary Genetics (Italian National Research Council), Rome, Italy
Research Associate, July 1997 – April 1998
Performed analysis of frequencies of mitotic abnormalities induced by environmental mutagens and creation of an archive of digital images of FISH-stained mammalian cells
Institute for Research in Molecular Biology (IRBM), Pomezia, Italy
Research Fellow, December 1996 - July 1997
Conducted FISH (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization) studies on site-specific integration of adeno-associated viruses into the human genome
Center for Evolutionary Genetics (Italian National Research Council, C.N.R.), Rome, Italy
Research Fellow, December 1994 - November 1996
Developed immunoistochemical and molecular cytogenetics approaches that allow discriminating between aneugenic and clastogenic chemical mutagens
Participated to the following research project funded by the European Community: The detection and evaluation of aneugenic chemicals
Center for Evolutionary Genetics (C.N.R.)/ Italian Superior Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
Collaborator, 1995-1996
Conducted collaborative studies for the following research project funded by the European Community: Biomonitoring of human populations exposed to petroleum fuels with special consideration on the role of benzene as a genotoxic component
University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Rome, Italy
Trainee, January 1992 – December 1994
Conducted studies on the ability of various chemical compounds to induce aneuploidy or chromosome aberrations, using molecular cytogenetics techniques
Scholarships,
Fellowships,
and Awards /
  • Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, December 2003
  • Young Scientist Award, European Environmental Mutagen Society, September 2001
  • Research Fellowship, Italian Federation for Cancer Research (FIRC), January – December 2001
  • Graduate Student Fellowship, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, November 1997 – October 2000
  • Best Poster Award, European Environmental Mutagen Society, September 1996
  • Three-year scholarship for best three candidates to the Specialty School of Applied Genetics, November 1994, Declined
  • Research Fellowship, Italian National Research Council, December 1994 – November 1996

Courses and
Workshops / SmithCollege, Northampton, MA, USA
Molecular Biology course, July 13-26, 2003
School of Genetics, Italian Genetics Association, Cortona, Italy
Genes and Cancer, November 4-6, 1996
Superior Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
Advanced course in designing and statistical analysis of environmental mutagenesis studies in the laboratory and in humans, October 2-5, 1995
School of Genetics, Italian Genetics Association, Cortona, Italy
Introduction to designing and statistical analysis of environmental mutagenesis studies, June 20-22, 1994
Institute of Genetics, University of Bari, Italy
Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization Workshop, October 25-27, 1993
Superior Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
Chemical carcinogens: action mechanism and risk evaluation, April 14-16, 1993
Teaching
Experience / Graduate School of Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization Workshop, June 23-25, 1998
SpecialtySchool of Applied Genetics, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
Lectures on “Aneuploidy: Meaning and Mechanisms”, 1997
UndergraduateSchool of Biology, University “RomaTre”, Rome, Italy
Cytogenetics Laboratory, 1996
Memberships / Member of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) since year 2000
Publications / Cimini D., Cameron L.A., and Salmon E.D. Anaphase spindle mechanics prevent mis-segregation of merotelically oriented chromosomes. Submitted to Curr. Biol.
De Antoni A., Pearson C.G., Cimini D., Canman J.C., Sala V., Nezi L., Mapelli M., Sironi L., Faretta M., Salmon E.D., and Musacchio A. Acitvation of Mad2 in the spindle checkpoint resembles the template-assisted conversion of prions. Submitted to Genes Dev.
Cimini D., Moree B., Canman J.C., and Salmon E.D. (2003). Merotelic kinetochore orientation occurs frequently during early mitosis in mammalian tissue cells, and error correction is achieved by two different mechanisms. J. Cell Sci., 116: 4213-4225.
Cimini D., Mattiuzzo M., Torosantucci L., and Degrassi F. (2003). Histone hyperacetylation in mitosis prevents sister chromatid separation and produces chromosome segregation defects. Mol. Biol. Cell., 14: 3821-3833.
Cimini D. (2002). Cellular mechanisms of aneuploidy induction in mammalian cells. 2001 EEMS Young Scientist Award Lecture. Eur. J. Genet. Toxicol. (on-line only), March 2002.
Cimini D., Fioravanti D., Salmon E.D., and Degrassi F. (2002). Merotelic kinetochore orientation versus chromosome mono-orientation in the origin of lagging chromosomes in human primary cells. J. Cell Sci., 115: 507-515.
Cimini D., Howell B., Maddox P., Khodjakov A., Degrassi F., and Salmon E.D. (2001). Merotelic kinetochore orientation is a major mechanism of aneuploidy in mitotic mammalian tissue cells. J. Cell Biol., 153: 517-527. [Cover article]
Cimini D., Tanzarella C., and Degrassi F. (1999) Differences in chromosome malsegregation rates obtained by scoring ana-telophases or binucleate cells. Mutagenesis, 14: 563-568.
Pittoggi C., Renzi L., Zaccagnini G., Cimini D., Degrassi F., Giordano R., Magnano A.R., Lorenzini R., Lavia P., and Spadafora C. (1999). A fraction of mouse sperm chromatin is organized in nucleosomal hypersensitive domains enriched in retroposon DNA. J. Cell Sci., 112: 3537-3548.
Carere A., Antoccia A., Cimini D., Crebelli R., Degrassi F., Leopardi P., Marcon F., Sgura A., Tanzarella C., and Zijno A. (1999). Analysis of chromosome loss and non-disjunction in cytokinesis-blocked lymphocytes of 24 male subjects. Mutagenesis, 14: 491-496.
Rizzuto G., Gorgoni B., Cappelletti M., Lazzaro D., Gloaguen I., Poli V., Sgura A., Cimini D., Ciliberto G., Cortese R., Fattori E., and La Monica N. (1999). Development of animal models for adeno-associated virus site-specific integration. J. Virology, 73: 2517-2526.
Cimini D., Fioravanti D., Tanzarella C., and Degrassi F. (1998). Simultaneous inhibition of contractile ring and central spindle formation in mammalian cells treated with cytochalasin B. Chromosoma, 107: 479-485.
Pieroni L., Fipaldini C., Monciotti A., Cimini D., Sgura A., Fattori E., Epifano O., Cortese R., Palombo F., and La Monica N. (1998). Targeted integration of adeno-associated virus-derived plasmids in transfected human cells. Virology, 249: 249-259.
Carere A., Antoccia A., Cimini D., Crebelli R., Degrassi F., Leopardi P., Marcon F., Sgura A., Tanzarella C., and Zijno A. (1998). Genetic effects of petroleum fuels. II. Analysis of chromosome loss and hyperploidy in peripheral lymphocytes of gasoline station attendants by fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques. Environ. Mol. Mutagenesis, 32: 130-138.
Cimini D., Antoccia A., Tanzarella C., and Degrassi F. (1997). Topoisomerase II inhibition in mitosis produces numerical and structural chromosomal aberrations in human fibroblasts. Cytogenet. Cell Genet., 76: 61-67.
Parry J.M., ...... , Cimini D., ...... , Hess P. (1996). The detection and evaluation of aneugenic chemicals. Mutat. Res., 353: 11-46.
Cimini D., Tanzarella C., and Degrassi F. (1996). Effects of 5-azacytidine on the centromeric region of human fibroblasts studied by CREST staining and in situ hybridization on cytokinesis-blocked cells. Cytogenet. Cell Genet., 72: 219-224.
References / Dr. Edward D. Salmon
608 Fordham Hall
CB# 3280
Department of Biology
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC, 27599
USA
Phone: ++1-919-962-2265 (Office)
++1-919-962-2354 (Lab)
Fax: ++1-919-962-1625
e-mail:
Dr. Francesca Degrassi
Centro Genetica Evoluzionistica, C.N.R.
Via degli Apuli, 4
00185 – Roma
ITALY
Phone: ++39-06-49917519 (Office)
++39-06-4457527 (Lab)
Fax: ++39-06-4457529
e-mail:
Dr. Timothy J. Mitchison
ICCB/ICG, HarvardMedicalSchool
250 Longwood Ave, SGM 604
Boston, MA, 02115
USA
Phone: ++1-617-432-3703
Fax: ++1-617-432-3702
e-mail:
Prof. Maurizio Gatti
Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare
Università “La Sapienza”
P.le Aldo Moro, 5
00185 – Roma
ITALY
Phone: ++39-06- 49912842
Fax: ++39-06-4456866
e-mail:
Dr. Dwayne A. Wise
Department of Biological Sciences
P.O. Drawer GY
MississippiStateUniversity
Mississippi State, MS, 39762
USA
Phone: ++1-662-325-7579
Fax: ++1-662-325-7939
e-mail:

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