KEYNOTES

Alessandra Minelli, Associate professor in Psychobiology at the Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine at the University of Brescia. I also have the position of senior researcher at the Genetic Unit IRCCS (Scientific Research Institute) Fatebenefratelli “San Giovanni di Dio”, Brescia, Italy. The principal aim of my research is the identification of clinical and biological predictors associated with the development of major depressive disorders (MDD) and to the efficacy of relative treatments, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological. For this reason, my publications cover a broad range of topics, such as the genetics of personality traits as mediators of MDD; the clinical and genetic markers related to unfavourable treatment outcomes focusing also on treatment resistant depression (TRD); the clinical role of childhood trauma and relative psychotherapy treatment in TRD; the biological dysregulations associated to childhood trauma; the clinical and biological markers associated to electroconvulsive therapy in TRD patients. 

I have a degree in clinical psychology, a PhD in neuroscience and a specialization degree in cognitive and behavioural psychotherapy, and I am an expert psychologist in trauma-focused psychotherapy (EMDR and TF-CBT). I spent one year abroad at the F.C. Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging in Nijmegen (The Netherlands) and then I held positions as post-doc and researcher for several years. 

I successfully administered many projects (e.g., staffing, research protections, budget), in collaboration with other researchers, and produced peer-reviewed publications as a result of these projects. In particular, I am the PI of the unit UNIBS in the HORIZON-HLTH-2021-STAYHLTH-01 for the project entitled “Psych-STRATA - A Stratified Treatment Algorithm in Psychiatry: A program on stratified pharmacogenomics in severe mental illness”. I’m an official collaborator as well as the Chair of the clinical sub-committee in the ERAPerMed project 2020, entitled “PROMPT - Toward PrecisiOn Medicine for the Prediction of Treatment response in major depressive disorder through stratification of combined clinical and -omics signatures”. I’m collaborator and project manager of the project RF-2016-02361697, entitled “Towards precision medicine in psychiatry: clinical validation of a combinatorial pharmacogenomic approach”. Moreover, I was PI of the research project entitled "Transcriptional and miRNA signatures associated with the efficacy of the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) in-patients". 

Regarding scientific honors I can mention that a) since 21 June 2022 I am a member of the cost action CA19106 - Multi-Sectoral Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe: Incidence and Trends (Euro-CAN)- Working Group 1 Definition and operationalisation of child maltreatment; Working Group 4 Dissemination and multiplication; b) since the beginning of 2021 I am the Co-Chair of the ECNP (European College of Neuropsychopharmacology) "Pharmacogenomics and Transcriptomics" Network – Chair Prof. Bernhard T. Baune; c) since 2019 I am a member of the PhD course in "Molecular Genetics, Biotechnology and Experimental Medicine" Committee – University of Brescia; d) since 2019 I am qualified for Full Professorship in General psychology, psychobiology and psychometrics from Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (National scientific habilitation (ASN)).