University of Verona
UNIVR has 22,000 students and 1,500 staff including lecturers, researchers, and administrative personnel. A forward-thinking institution which continuously seeks to strengthen the link between its courses and the world of work. It ranks 394° as regards Life Sciences and Medicine according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2020.
UNIVR is the leader of WP5, which is the clinical WP. In this role, it will be the coordinator and main implementing center of the TAPE-Obesity trial and the ADOBESIF trial and will assist APHP in supervising the ObGe-SEMA trial. In addition, UNIVR will participate in WP1, contributing to the construction of the catalog of harmonized cohorts, in WP3, providing phenotypes and DNA from families potentially useful for the discovery of new forms of Mendelian obesity, and in WP6, participating in the working groups for the dissemination of results.
Affiliated Partner
People
Prof. Anita Morandi
Associate Professor, Medical doctor, Paediatrician and PhD with particular interest in genetics, diabetology, endocrinology and clinical nutrition. Good clinical experience in pediatric diabetology and nutrition and good skills as a researcher thanks to an international doctoral formation (international co-tutored fellowship) at the CNRS (Pasteur Institute, Lille, FR) and at the University of Verona (Verona, I). Member of the Italian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology (ISPED) and of the ISPED Obesity Study Group, of the Italian Society of Obesity (SIO) and of the SIO Scientific Committee, of the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and of the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG). Awarded the ISPED Balducci Prize for research in 2017. Awarded the SIO Best Oral Communication Prize in 2023. Author of 91 scientific publications in international journals (Scopus HI 24 in September/2023)
Frediana Tummino
Dietitian and Nutritionist specialized in Food Science and Human Nutrition, with a particular interest in pediatric nutrition. Extensive clinical experience in childhood obesity, metabolic diseases, and pediatric diabetology at the Pediatric Department B of the Ospedale Maggiore di Borgo Trento in Verona. Research experience in university settings on two projects: multidisciplinary treatment of eating disorders in developmental age with a specific focus on the role of parents in the course of the pathology; association between meal timing and metabolic outcomes. Freelance Nutritionist at a medical practice in Verona and clinical nutrition studio in Enna, Sicily.
Stefania Pontalti
Medical doctor, graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Verona with a particular focus on obesity and pediatric nutrition. Research experience in both university and hospital settings within a clinical study on the use of inositols to reduce insulin resistance in children with obesity. Outpatient experience in managing pediatric patients with obesity and its complications.
Dr Andrea Crobu
Andrea has worked on European FEAMP projects related to the development policies of low trophic aquaculture in the Veneto region for the past five years. Previous to that he worked as a prosthetics and mobility aids designer for pediatric patients at an orthopedic company specialising in severe disabilities. He also has teaching and project management experience for European Social Fund projects related to adult employment policies and training for minors.
Stephane Lobbens
With over 25 years of experience in a genetics laboratory (CNRS-FR), he is currently serving as a data manager with a specialisation in machine learning. His extensive background in genetics has provided him with a deep understanding of biological data, while his expertise in machine learning allows him to effectively analyse and derive insights from complex datasets. He excels in developing and implementing machine learning algorithms tailored to genetic research, optimising processes, and driving impactful results. His passion for combining genetics and data science drives him to continuously innovate and contribute to advancements in the field.
