Andrea Ballabio
Andrea Ballabio (born January 27, 1957 in Naples ) is an Italian human geneticist.
Ballabio studied medicine at the University of Naples with a specialization in pediatrics . As a post-doctoral student he was at Guy's Hospital, University of London and at the International Institute for Genetics and Biophysics in Naples. He was Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Co-Director of the Baylor Human Genome Center for several years. In 1994 he returned to Italy and was founding director of the Téléthon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM) in Pozzuoli and is professor of human genetics at the University of Naples.
He was visiting professor at Baylor College and Oxford.
Ballabio discovered a gene complex (CLEAR, Coordinated Lysosomal Enhancement And Regulation) and a transcription factor (TFEB) that controls the activity of the lysosomes and was able to prove that these are not only responsible for disposal and recycling in the cell, but also actively respond to signals from the Cell react. This led to a re-evaluation of the role of the lysosomes in the cell. Overexpression of TFEB leads to the creation of new lysosomes and increased breakdown of waste products in the cell. This also resulted in starting points for diseases that are connected to the function of the lysosomes (such as Huntington's disease ).
In 2016 he received the Louis Jeantet Prize . He was president of the European Society of Human Genetics and received its international award in 2007. In the same year he became Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy . In 2010 he received an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council.
Fonts
- with M. Sardiello a. a .: A gene network regulating lysosomal biogenesis and function, Science, Volume 325, 2009, pp. 473-477, PMID 19556463
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ballabio, Andrea |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian human geneticist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 27, 1957 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Naples |