Viviana IZZO | Curriculum

prof. Viviana Izzo received her degree in Biology in 2000 (110/110 summa cum laude) and her PhD in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology in 2004 from the University Federico II of Naples (Italy). From 2004 to 2006 she was appointed as postdoctoral research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, USA), under the supervision of prof. S.J. Lippard, at the Department of Chemistry, where she has focused her attention on the spectroscopic characterization of reaction intermediates formed at the active site of Bacterial Multicomponent Monooxygenases, studying both wild type and mutant forms of these enzymes. In 2006, prof. Izzo was appointed as Assistant Professor in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Biotechnological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, where she has worked until December 2011 studying i) the structure-function relationship in Bacterial Multicomponent Monooxygenases with a special focus on their biotechnological application, both for biosynthetic and bioremediation purposes, ii) the biotechnological potential of metabolites, purified enzymes and whole cells for environmental, industrial and pharmacological applications, iii) the physiological and molecular determinants responsible for the solvent-resistance in gram negative bacteria adapted to environments polluted by mono- and polyciclic hydrocarbons. From 01/01/2012 to 29/02/2020, Dr. Izzo has been Assistant Professor in Biochemistry at the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry of the University of Salerno (Italy). Currently, prof. Izzo's research activities focus on the following topics: i) study of bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) in bacterial infection mechanisms and evaluation of their application as new tools for site-specific delivery of bioactive molecules, ii) analysis of the pharmacokinetic behavior of bioactive molecules in patients undergoing pharmacological therapies, iii) development and validation of bioanalytical methods in mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography and their application in the clinical field, and iv) biological and environmental monitoring of subjects professionally exposed to the use of toxic xenobiotics. Since 2012, Professor Izzo has been responsible for an healthcare activity project at the University Hospital San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona in Salerno where she holds the role of co-responsible for the Pharmacokinetics and Toxicology Laboratory of the Operative Unit of Clinical Pharmacology. She is a co-founding member of MaTOX s.r.l., an innovative startup founded in 2021 together with a research group belonging to the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry of the University of Salerno, whose mission is to develop innovative solutions for biological monitoring of healthcare workers exposed to toxic xenobiotics and for environmental monitoring of healthcare facilities. prof. Izzo benefits of national and international collaborations, is referee for several international scientific journals of biochemistry, pharmacology, biotechnology and applied microbiology, and is currently associate editor of the "Journal of Public Health Research", SAGE Press (ISSN 2279-9036). Since 2022 she has been vice-coordinator of the Study Group "Mass spectrometry: applications and diagnostic innovations" of the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology (SiBIOC).

Academic positions:

2023 to date: Coordinator of the Technical Organizing Committee of the CDS in "Biomedical Laboratory Techniques", Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry of the University of Salerno.

2024 to date: Member of the University Patent Commission, University of Salerno.

2021 to date: Member of the Organizing Committee of the School of Specialization in Clinical Pathology and Clinical Biochemistry of the University of Salerno.

2021-2024: Delegate for the Departments of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, and Pharmacy within the Scientific Technical Committee of the University Library Center of the University of Salerno.

2020 to date: Delegate to the "Third Mission" and President of the "Third Mission" Commission for the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry of the University of Salerno.

2018-2020: Member of the Commission with the task of proceeding with the comparative evaluation for the assignment of teachings and the evaluation of previous careers for the Degree Courses in:

-Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno;

-Techniques of Medical Radiology for Imaging and Radiotherapy, University of Salerno.

2018-2020: Member of the Joint Teacher-Student Commission of the Three-Year Degree Course in Medical Radiology Techniques for Imaging and Radiotherapy, University of Salerno.

2015-to date: Member of the teaching board of the doctorate in Translational Medicine of Development and Active Aging, University of Salerno cycles XXIX-XXIV and XXXVII-XXXX.

2012-2015: Member of the teaching board of the doctorate in Translational and Clinical Medicine, University of Salerno, XXVIII cycle.

2007-2011: Representative of the researchers of the degree course in Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology in the Faculty Council of Biotechnological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II.