BECCHETTI ANDREA

Role
Associate professor  
Academic disciplines
Physiology (BIOS-06/A)
Scientific-Disciplinary Group:
PHYSIOLOGY (05/BIOS-06)
Office phone
Room:
  • U03, Floor: 3, Room: 3041
  • U03, Floor: 3, Room: 3010
Reception hours

Appointment by E-mail.

Biography

Andrea Becchetti received his academic degrees at the University of Milan. Subsequently, he spent prolonged research sojourns at the University of Florence (Department of General Pathology; 1990-1992), the Emory University School of Medicine of Atlanta (Department of Physiology; 1993-1994); the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Department of Physiological Sciences; 1995-1996), and the Biophysics Sector of the International School for Advanced Studies (ISAS-SISSA) of Trieste (1997-1999).

In 2000, he was appointed Assistant Professor (Associate Professor since 2005) at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences), where he presently teaches General Physiology and Neuroscience.

Research

  1. Regulation of local neuronal circuits in the mammalian prefrontal cortex, by acetylcholine and hypocretin (orexin). The ascending regulatory systems modulate vigilance, cognition and the sleep-waking cycle, with pathological implications in sleep-related epilepsy, narcolepsy, and epilepsy in general.
  2. Regulation of synaptogenesis by the cholinergic system.
  3. Functional study of mutant nicotinic receptor subunits linked to genetic epilepsies.
  4. Signaling interplay between voltage-gated potassium channels and integrin receptors, which regulates cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix, cell migration, neurite extension, and is implicated in tumor growth and invasiveness. 

Publications

  • Amadeo, A., Coatti, A., Aracri, P., Ascagni, M., Iannantuoni, D., Modena, D., et al. (2018). Postnatal Changes in K+/Cl- Cotransporter-2 Expression in the Forebrain of Mice Bearing a Mutant Nicotinic Subunit Linked to Sleep-Related Epilepsy. NEUROSCIENCE, 386, 91-107 [10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.06.030]. Detail

  • Becchetti, A., Crescioli, S., Zanieri, F., Petroni, G., Mercatelli, R., Coppola, S., et al. (2017). The conformational state of hERG1 channels determines integrin association, downstream signaling, and cancer progression. SCIENCE SIGNALING, 10(473), 1-13 [10.1126/scisignal.aaf3236]. Detail

  • Conti, V., Aracri, P., Chiti, L., Brusco, S., Mari, F., Marini, C., et al. (2015). Nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy with paroxysmal arousals due to CHRNA2 loss of function. NEUROLOGY, 84(15), 1520-1528 [10.1212/WNL.0000000000001471]. Detail

  • Aracri, P., Banfi, D., Pasini, M., Amadeo, A., Becchetti, A. (2015). Hypocretin (orexin) regulates glutamate input to fast-spiking interneurons in layer V of the Fr2 region of the murine prefrontal cortex. CEREBRAL CORTEX, 25(5), 1330-1347 [10.1093/cercor/bht326]. Detail

  • Aracri, A., Consonni, S., Morini, R., Perrella, M., Rodighiero, S., Amadeo, A., et al. (2010). Tonic modulation of GABA release by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in layer V of the murine prefrontal cortex. CEREBRAL CORTEX, 20(7), 1539-1555 [10.1093/cercor/bhp214]. Detail

Research projects

Brain Network Development and Disease (BranDys)
Year: 2022
Call: FAQC 2022 - seconda finestra
Grantors: Università degli Studi di MILANO-BICOCCA
PNRR per la Missione 4, componente 2 Investimento 1.1- Avviso 104/2022 | Protein-protein interactions as regulators of molecular complexes involved in synaptic plasticity: the paradigm of the adaptor protein p140Cap (Acronym: MOLSYNCAP).
Year: 2022
Call: Bando PRIN 2022
Grantors: MINISTERO DELL'UNIVERSITA' E DELLA RICERCA (MUR)
BECCHETTI-Fondo per il finanziamento delle attività base di ricerca
Year: 2017
Call: FFABR 2017
Grantors: M.I.U.R. - MINISTERO DELL'ISTRUZIONE, DELL'UNIVERSITA' E DELLA RICERCA - UFFICIO I - Bilancio e Contabilita'. Coordinamento staff della Direzione
The role of neuronal nicotinic receptors in the pathogenesis of autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy: a study on wild type and conditional transgenic mice expressing the beta2-V287L subunit
Year: 2011
Call: 2011-090 - Telethon Grant Proposal 2012
Grantors: FONDAZIONE TELETHON ETS
Recettori nicotinici cerebrali e patologie epilettiche
Year: 2007

Awards

Awards

  • AIRC Triennial Fellowship, AIRC, 1990

Scientific fellowships

  • Socio effettivo o corrispondente - American Physiological Society, 2016
  • Socio effettivo o corrispondente - Society for Neuroscience, 2004
  • Socio effettivo o corrispondente - Society of General Physiologists, 2000
  • Socio effettivo o corrispondente - Società Italiana di Fisiologia, 2000

Editorial boards

  • Membro del Comitato Editoriale - PEERJ, 2014 - 2020
  • Guest Editor di rivista o collana editoriale - FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY, 2012
  • Direttore di rivista, collana editoriale, enciclopedia - , 2012 - 2014

Management or corporate responsibility

  • Direttore del Telethon Research Service: Functional Test of Ion Channels - FONDAZIONE TELETHON, 2004 - 2005

Research and teaching assignments

  • Ricercatore all estero - Attività di ricerca al Department of Physiological Sciences - Newcastle University, 1995 - 1997
  • Ricercatore all estero - Attività di ricerca nel Department of Physiology. - Emory University, 1992 - 1994