People

Dr. Giulio Agnetti is an Assistant Professor at the University of Bologna and the founder of the Center for Research on Cardiac Intermediate Filaments (CRCIF). Originally established at Johns Hopkins University within the Division of Cardiology, the CRCIF recently relocated to Bologna and is dedicated to investigating the pathophysiological role of intermediate filaments in cardiovascular disease, with a particular focus on the protein desmin.

Desmin is the main intermediate filament protein in cardiac muscle and is essential for maintaining cardiomyocyte structural integrity. Its cleavage and misfolding are consistent markers of cardiac dysfunction across a range of experimental models and clinical samples. The accumulation of cleaved or misfolded desmin disrupts the highly organized architecture of the cardiac cell, contributing directly to contractile dysfunction. Moreover, protein misfolding is increasingly recognized as a key mechanism in cardiovascular pathology.

Dr. Agnetti’s research combines molecular and cellular biology, advanced biochemical techniques, experimental models of heart disease, and human tissue analysis to explore how desmin's functional loss and toxic gain-of-function can be therapeutically targeted. His team aims to leverage basic science to uncover strategies for preventing or mitigating cardiac dysfunction, while also using cardiac disease models as a “material lab” to better understand the fundamental biology of intermediate filaments.

Federico Bortolozzo is a Molecular and Cellular Biologist currently working as a Research Fellow at the Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM) at the University of Bologna. He joined the Agnetti Lab in June 2025, where his research focuses on the intermediate filament protein desmin and its role in cardiovascular diseases. Specifically, he investigates desmin aggregation and impaired protein homeostasis in the context of heart failure, aiming to better understand the underlying pathological mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets. 

Previously, he conducted research at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Council (IGM-CNR), where he studied morphological and functional alterations in mechanosensors (Primary Cilium) from tendon cells of patients with Collagen VI deficiency (Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy). He also contributed to a side project exploring the role of ANKRD2 in the proliferation and drug response of osteosarcoma cell lines.  

During his academic training, Federico carried out research internships at the Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT, University of Bologna), including: 
– a project using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism to study awd, the homolog of the human NME1 metastasis suppressor gene (master thesis), 
– a study of mitochondrial function in a mouse fibroblast model of Fabry disease, using α-galactosidase A knock-out cells (bachelor thesis). 

Through these experiences, Federico has developed strong technical skills in cell culture, microscopy (widefield and confocal), and a wide range of biochemical and molecular biology techniques, working with both human-derived systems and model organisms.