The professor of the Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dr Patrizio Blandina has come to PUCRS as a Visiting Professor under the Institutional Project of Internationalization (PUCRS-PrInt). Blandina serves as the Director of the Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drugs and Child Health (NEUROFARBA) of the Italian institution and is internationally recognized in the area of neuropharmacology. Blandina is working on the cooperation project Biopsychosocial Aspects Associated with an Individual’s Health in Adult Life, coordinated by Dr Tatiana Quarti Irigaray, and associated with the priority area Health in Human Development .

The role of histamine in the brain

During his visit to the University, Blandina gave the lecture Role of Histamine in the Brain, and presented a number of studies on the role of histamine in the brain, one of his most relevant areas of interest. The lecture was delivered at Living 360º. The Italian researcher opened the conference and made a reference to Prof. Ivan Izquierdo and to the work that is being developed by researchers of the Memory Center, the Brain Institute of RS and the Italian institution.

In his presentation, Blandina talked about histamine – an endogenous amine found in various tissues and which is responsible for a large variety of biological activities – although he focused especially on its role in the brain. According to studies presented by him, not only does histamine promote wakefulness and orchestrate behaviors, but may also be involved in memory modulation and potential existential risk, that is, stressful situations that may cause anxiety and inhibitory responses.

Neurobiology and pharmacotherapy

Blandina has also been invited to teach the course on Pharmacotherapy of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders for graduate students, faculty and researchers of PUCRS. Topics covered include neurobiology and pharmacotherapy for important clinical conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, psychotic disorders and narcolepsy.

The professor will also attend a number of meetings to advance future collaborative activities focusing on the role of brain carbon dioxide enzymes in memory processing. The first results of this fruitful collaboration were addressed in the doctoral dissertation of student Scheila Schmidt. She was a student in the Graduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences and has recently visited the Italian institution. An article is to be published soon. This collaboration stresses the relevance of the cooperation activities between PUCRS and Università degli Studi di Firenze.