Alessandra della Torre

Alessandra della TorreAlessandra della Torre

Associate Professor in Parasitology

Dep. Public Health & Infectious Diseases
Università di Roma SAPIENZA
Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5
00185 Rome, Italy

Role and main activities in AIMCOST

Chair of AIM-COST ACTION CA17108

WG2 member

 

Short Bio:

A. della Torre is since >20 year the leader of the Medical Entomology group in SAPIENZA University (Rome, Italy). Her research interests are focused on mosquito vectors of human pathogens in Europe and in Sub-Saharan Africa. With reference to European mosquito species, she focuses mostly on Aedes albopictus, in particular on: i) the species bionomics in invaded and stably colonized regions; ii) understanding the major ecological determinants of the species distribution in urban areas; iii) development and testing of conventional and new tools for surveillance, monitoring and control; iv) the public health risk associated to the species presence in Europe.  With reference to Afrotropical malaria vectors, her major interest is the genetic sub-structuring within the Anopheles gambiae complex and its impact on malaria epidemiology. AdT had participated as coordinator, group leader or working group coordinator to several project funded by EU-FP7, NIH-USA, WHO, Istitut Pasteur Italy, Italian Ministries of Research, of Health and of Defence, and by SAPIENZA University.

 

Five recent and relevant publications

 

  1. Solimini A, Manica M, Rosà R, della Torre A, Caputo B (2018) Estimating the risk of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika outbreaks in a large European city. Scientific Reports, 8(1): 16435.
  2. Pichler V, Bellini R, Veronesi R, Arnoldi D, Rizzoli A, Lia RP, Otranto D , Montarsi F, Carlin S, Ballardino M, Antognini E, Salvemini M, Brianti E, Gaglio G, Manica M, Cobre P, Serini P, Velo E, Vontas J, Grigoraky L, Pinto P, della Torre A, Caputo B (2017)  First evidence of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in Italian Aedes albopictus populations after 26 years since invasion. Pest Management Science. doi: 10.1002/ps.4840.
  3. Caputo B, Manica M, D’Alessandro A, Bottà G, Filipponi F, Vitali M, Rosà R, della Torre A (2016) Assessment of the effectiveness of a seasonal-long insecticide-based control strategy aimed to reduce Aedes albopictus nuisance. PLoS Neglected Tropical Disease, 10 (3): e0004463.
  4. I Iovinella,  B Caputo,  E Michelucci,  FR Dani , A della Torre (2015) Candidate biomarkers for mosquito age-grading identified by label-free quantitative analysis of protein expression in Aedes albopictus females. Journal of Proteomics, 128: 272-9.
  5. Caputo, A Ienco, M Manica, V Petrarca, R Rosà, A della Torre (2015) New adhesive traps to monitor urban mosquitoes and with a case study to assess the efficacy of insecticide control strategies in temperate areas. Parasites & Vectors, 8:134.