Maurizio De Pittà

Maurizio De Pittà is a scientist at the Krembil Research Institute and an assistant professor at the Department of Physiology at the University of Toronto. He got a Master's degree from the University of Pisa in Electronic Engineering and Bioengineering and holds a Ph.D. in Computational Bioelectronics from Tel Aviv University (Israel). Maurizio's postdoctoral training was between INRIA (France) and the University of Chicago, where he pioneered spiking neuron-astrocyte network models for cognition. He then moved to the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics in Bilbao (Spain) as a 'la Caixa' Junior Leader to work on neuron-glial interaction modeling in neurodegeneration. He joined the Krembil in August 2021. Maurizio is a pioneer of gliotechnologies, serving as Principal Investigator in the H2020 ASTROTECH European Training Network (2021--2024) and the Spanish Network for Clinical Systems' Neurosciences (CliSyNe, 2019—2023), and is an active member of the Organization for Computational Neuroscience, contributing regularly to workshops and tutorials on the Organization's Annual Meetings.

Scientist, Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network (UHN)
Assistant Professor, Department Physiology, University of Toronto
External Scientific Member, Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (Bilbao, Spain)
Research Professor, Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country (Leioa, Spain)

Dr. De Pittà’s long-term aim is to uncover neuron-glia interactions (NGIs) in the human brain at its multiple scales of organization and operation. In this framework, research at De Pittà’s group pursues three directions of investigation:

i. Computational modeling of NGIs. We use various mathematical and computational tools from nonlinear dynamics, statistical mechanics, topology, and information theory to build NGI models. In doing so, we bridge NGIs across different brain levels – from subcellular and molecular signaling, to synaptic transmission, from local neuron-glial ensembles to cortical networks and brain macrocircuits underpinning cognition.

ii. Development of digital twins of glial cells and NGIs circuits. We use connectomics in the human brain to reconstruct and model full-scale glial cells and neuron-glial ensembles digitally. In this framework, we collaborate with neurosurgeons and coordinate with local microscopy imaging facilities to develop protocols, algorithms and computational methods for handling and realistic 3D reconstruction of human neuron-glial tissue.

iii. Development of the technology to monitor NGIs in humans. collaborate with bioinformaticians, physicists and chemists to exploit genomics, drug design and bioengineering approaches to develop quantitative imaging of NGIs in humans.

Maurizio De Pittà

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