Elena Ricci obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in chemistry at the University of Turin with a thesis on spectroscopy and its application in astronomy.
She joined NICO’s neuroendocrinology group in 2022 as a thesis student; during this period, her research focused on studying the organizational effects of estrogen and phytoestrogen treatment on anxiety behaviour and on the serotonergic system. After graduating in neurobiology from the University of Pavia, she became a research fellow with a special interest in the neural effects of phytoestrogen Genistein and bisphenols.
During these months, she learned to develop behavioural tests and various animal handling techniques, but also molecular analyses, especially rt-PCR.
Research focus
Elena Ricci during her master’s trainee at NICO and, under supervision of Dr. Marilena Marraudino, studied the effect of Genistein treatment on estrogen receptors and the serotoninergic (5- HT) system by immunohistochemistry assay in the postnatal period. In addition to working on her thesis, she has learned several skills concerning the handling of animals, particularly rats.
Today as a postgraduate research fellow at NICO she is studying the effects of exposure to a hypo protein diet with and without Genistein, a natural endocrine disruptor, on female rats and the exposure to a daily treatment with bisphenol A, S and PFOS (endocrine disruptors) on female mice, during pregnancy and lactation, and the effect that it might have on the neurodevelopment of offspring.
