WISH Lab Members

Jacopo Agrimi

WISH Coordinator

Jacopo Agrimi is an expert in heart-brain axis physiology and stress psychobiology, with a background in Clinical Psychology and a PhD in Translational Medicine. He has conducted innovative research on the mechanisms by which psychosocial stress alters communication between the heart and the brain, both in humans and in animal models in the United States at Johns Hopkins University, where he developed murine models to study the neuroendocrine effects of violence. He was among the first researchers to introduce preclinical models to study the effects of male violence on the female body. He is currently the Principal Investigator of the WISH Lab at the University of Padua. He coordinates translational research projects on Intimate Partner Violence and contributes to the establishment of the first interdisciplinary laboratory in Italy dedicated to studying the health effects of gender-based violence.

Gaya Spolverato

Clinical Research Coordinator

Gaya Spolverato, a specialist in Oncologic and Gastroenterological Surgery, is an Associate Professor at the University of Padua and the youngest Head of Department in Italy, leading the General Surgery 3 Unit at the Hospital of Padua. Graduating in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Padua in 2010 and specializing in General Surgery at the University of Verona in 2017, she furthered her training at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She teaches various courses at the University of Padua, including Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Sciences, a Master's in Statistics and Epidemiology, and a PhD in Clinical and Experimental Oncology. As the General Secretary of the Italian Society of Surgical Oncology (SICO), she is a member of the Society for Surgical Oncology (SSO), the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO), the Italian Society of Surgery (SIC), and the Council of the Medical Association of Padua. Author of over 250 articles and 10 books, since 2024 she has directed the first national fellowship in oncologic surgery sponsored by SICO. In 2015, she co-founded Women in Surgery Italia (https://womeninsurgeryitalia.it/chisiamo/), of which she has been president since 2021. As the Rector's Delegate for Equal Opportunities, in 2022 she participated in the ministerial round table on Women in Healthcare.

Nazareno Paolocci

Cardiovascular Area Coordinator

Nazareno Paolocci earned his medical degree and PhD in neurobiology from the University of Perugia. He completed his residency in clinical pathology at the University of Perugia and a postdoctoral fellowship in cardiology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Paolocci joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2002. A pioneer in the research that led to the development of an intravenous treatment for advanced heart failure, his studies focus on cardiovascular diseases. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, the American Heart Association, and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Scientific Reports, and Frontiers in Medicine – Hematology, among numerous other journals. His work has been recognized with the Magic That Matters Award from Johns Hopkins in both 2013-2014 and 2018-2019.

Giulia Melis

Head of WISH Human Research

Giulia Melis is a psychologist and researcher in the field of forensic neuropsychology. After obtaining her master's degree in Neuroscience and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, she earned a PhD in Brain, Mind, and Computer Science from the University of Padua. Her research focuses on the analysis of criminal behavior and the mechanisms of deception, adopting a multidisciplinary approach that combines cognitive neuroscience and computer science. She is currently a research fellow at the Department of General Psychology at the University of Padua, where she collaborates on projects investigating the neural bases of recognizing emotional authenticity.

Dajana Glavas

Head of Oncological Research

Dajana Glavas graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Trieste. She obtained her specialization diploma in General Surgery from the University of Padua. During her training, she conducted clinical and research activities at the Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplant Units and the General Surgery 3 Unit of the Padua University Hospital, focusing particularly on digestive oncologic surgery under the guidance of Prof. Salvatore Pucciarelli and Prof. Gaya Spolverato. Currently, she works as a specialist physician at the General Surgery Department of the Camposampiero Hospital, directed by Dr. Emilio Morpurgo, where she has had the opportunity to deepen her knowledge of robotic and minimally invasive surgery.

Marie Anne Makoudjou

Head of WISH Preclinical Research

Marie Anne Makoudjou is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Padua, specializing in the biological and neuropsychological impacts of intimate partner violence (IPV). Her current research integrates biomolecular analysis, animal models, and clinical data to investigate the pathophysiological consequences of IPV beyond epidemiology. She obtained her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, where her research focused on peptides derived from the processing of NGF precursors. During her doctoral studies, she collaborated with CNR-Confindustria, contributing to inter-institutional projects, laboratory activities, and scientific outreach. Marie Anne holds a master's degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Camerino and a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Dschang, Cameroon. She is proficient in a wide range of advanced laboratory techniques, including molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy. She has authored scientific publications and presented her work at national and international conferences, demonstrating her strong commitment to research, communication, and collaboration.

Angelica Gatti

Communication Manager and Head of WISH UNCOVER

After graduating in Economics and Commerce from the University of Pisa, Angelica Gatti obtained her Master's Degree in Economics and Law from the Alma Mater Studiorum of Bologna, with a thesis on labor in the 'Gig Economy' era. She specialized in Labor Law with a Master's from Sapienza University of Rome, focusing on the impact of Smart Working on women's employment. She contributes to the annual drafting of the Report on the State of Rights in Italy, for the chapter on education and social mobility. She teaches economics in secondary schools. Always engaged in cultural and political spheres, with a particular focus on education and training, in recent years she has been committed to the themes of Peace and Disarmament, organizing national campaigns, conferences, and meetings.

Ahmed Samaha

PhD Student

Ahmed Samaha is a pharmacist and researcher with expertise in pharmaceutical science, molecular biology and neuroscience. Recently he completed his master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnologies at the University of Padua, Italy, where he conducted his thesis in molecular biology focusing on rare skeletal muscle diseases. Following his Master’s, Samaha joined the Institute of Neuroscience at the National Research Council (CNR), Italy, as a research fellow, where he employed the zebrafish model to investigate the molecular and behavioral mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Samaha is currently pursuing his PhD, focusing on preclinical models that investigate the neuroendocrine and cardiac consequences of repeated male-to-female violence. His research integrates molecular biology, neuroscience, and translational medicine to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets involved in the biological response to gender based violence.

Lucia Bernardele

Lab Manager

Lucia Bernardele is a student in the Medicine and Surgery degree program at the University of Padua. She joined the team as a thesis student, contributing to the writing of the first article published by the WISH Lab. As part of this project, she conducted research on a murine model aimed at studying intimate partner violence and its biomolecular and clinical effects. She has gained laboratory experience both in Italy and abroad at Johns Hopkins University. She collaborates with the WISH project as a Lab Manager and is continuing to write her thesis on the clinical ramifications of gender-based violence.

Alice Bergamin

Intern

Alice Bergamin is a student in the Midwifery degree program at the University of Padua. She chose to undertake an elective internship to get closer to the world of research, with the aim of expanding her knowledge and challenging herself in a multidisciplinary context. She actively collaborates on the UNCOVER and WISH Human Research projects. She has gained clinical experience in both hospital and community settings, developing a particular interest in forensic midwifery and the protection of women's health and rights. She is also involved in student representation within her degree program, the department, and the Joint Committee.

Linda Baldini

Thesis Student

Linda Baldini is a student in her sixth and final year of the Medicine and Surgery degree program at the University of Padua. She is currently part of the team as a thesis student and collaborates with the WISH project in the Human Research area. Since the final years of her schooling, she has delved into the topic of gender-based violence through both school-related and extracurricular activities. Her thesis project aims to verify the presence, in women who are victims of IPV, of early epigenetic and neurophysiological alterations, already observed in animal models, which could predict an increased risk of developing neurological and neoplastic diseases.The ultimate goal is to translate these findings into targeted preventive measures aimed at reducing the risk and combating the development of such pathologies.

Giovanni Piccolo

Research Fellow - Digital Media and IT Specialist

Giovanni Piccolo manages the communication and technological infrastructure for the WISH project. His profile combines a solid technical-scientific background, with a master's degree in Chemistry and several years of experience as a software analyst at Accenture, with a deep passion for visual storytelling and documentary photography. This passion stems from international volunteering experiences, where he witnessed firsthand the urgency for ethical and respectful narration of human resilience stories. Within WISH, his goal is to apply his technical skills to effective communication, managing the website, producing photo and video content, and overseeing social media channels.His approach is based on the conviction that technology and photography can give a voice to people and humanize complex issues, in full alignment with the project's mission.