Biographical Sketch: 

Loredana De Bartolo is Research Director at ITM-CNR and group leader of the research area “membrane systems in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and life science”. She received her PhD in Chemical Technologies and New Materials from University of Calabria and Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation Post doc performed at Leibniz Institute for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs, Medzinische Hochschule of Hannover (Germany). Her research experiences are in the fields of membrane science and engineering, bioartificial membrane systems including membrane bioreactors with special focus on the development of neuronal, liver, bone and skin system. Her main distinction and contribution in the field is her specific knowledge about cell/blood-membrane interaction, study of interfacial membrane properties, design and development of biocompatible membrane systems and devices to be used as bioartificial organs and in vitro platform. Dr. De Bartolo is scientific responsible of several European, national and international projects. She is involved in several international committees and in editorial board of prestigious scientific journals. She is associate editor of Cells Tissues & Organs and served as guest editor for special issues of Journal of Membrane Science, Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy, Current Pharmaceutical Design. She is author of over 155 papers published in international journals/books and encyclopedia and has made numerous invited and keynote lectures to scientific meetings. She received international scientific recognitions as International Fellow by WFPRM and other conference awards for her invaluable contribution.

Main fields of research:

• Design and development micro- and nano-structured membranes for health and life science applications
• Bioengineering of membrane bioreactors and development of bioartificial organs/tissues
• Fluid-dynamics and mass transfer of membrane bioreactors and microfluidic devices
• Blood/Cell-material interactions
• Study of membrane interfacial properties, biocompatibility and biodegradation.
  
  

1. Morelli, A. Piscioneri, E. Curcio, S. Salerno, C.-C. Chen, L. De Bartolo. Membrane bioreactor for investigation of neurodegeneration. Mater. Sci. Eng. C. 2019; 103: 109793, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2019.109793.
2. Piscioneri, H.M.M. Ahmed, S. Morelli, S. Khakpour, L. Giorno, E. Drioli, L. De Bartolo. Membrane bioreactor to guide hepatic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. J. Membr. Sci. 2018, 564: 832-841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2018.07.083
3. Khakpour, A. Di Renzo, E. Curcio, F. Paolo Di Maio, L. Giorno, L. De Bartolo. Oxygen transport in hollow fiber membrane bioreactors for hepatic 3D cell culture: a parametric study. J. Membr. Sci. 2017; 544:312-322. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2017.09.024
4. Ahmed, S. Salerno, S. Morelli, L. Giorno, L. De Bartolo. 3D liver membrane system by co-culturing human hepatocytes, sinusoidal endothelial and stellate cells. Biofabrication 2017; 9, 2: 025022. https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/aa70c7.
5. Morelli, A. Piscioneri, S. Salerno, C.-C. Chen, C.H. Chew, L. Giorno, E. Drioli, L. De Bartolo. Microtube array membrane bioreactor promotes neuronal differentiation and orientation. Biofabrication 2017; 9, 2: 025018. https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/aa6f6f.
6. Salerno, A. Messina, F. Giordano, A. Bader, E. Drioli, L. De Bartolo. Dermal-epidermal membrane systems by using human keratinocytes and mesenchymal stem cells isolated from dermis. Mater. Sci. Eng. C 2017; 71: 943–953. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2016.11.008
7. Piscioneri, S. Morelli, M. Mele, M. Canonaco, P. Pantano, E. Bilotta, E. Drioli, L. De Bartolo. Neuroprotective effect of human mesenchymal stem cells in a compartmentalized neuronal membrane system. Acta Biomaterialia 2015; 24: 297–308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2015.06.013.
8. Salerno, C. Campana, S. Morelli, E. Drioli, L. De Bartolo. Human hepatocytes and endothelial cells in organotypic membrane systems. Biomaterials 2011; 32: 8848-8859. DOI:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.08.004
9. Morelli, S. Salerno, A. Piscioneri, B.J. Papenburg, A. Di Vito, G. Giusi, M. Canonaco, D. Stamatialis, E. Drioli, L. De Bartolo. Influence of micropatterned PLLA membranes on the outgrowth and orientation of hippocampal neuritis. Biomaterials 2010, 31: 7000-7011. DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.05.079
10. L. De Bartolo, S. Salerno, E. Curcio, A. Piscioneri, M. Rende, S. Morelli, F. Tasselli, A. Bader, E. Drioli. Human hepatocyte functions in a crossed hollow fiber membrane bioreactor. Biomaterials 2009; 30:2531-2543. DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2009.01.011