I trained an electronic engineer at Politecnico di Torino, Italy. After my MSc in 2006, in the lab of Henry Markram at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland), I became interested in neuroscience. In the same year I joined the lab of Paola Bezzi at UNIL (University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland), where I got a PhD in 2012. My research was focused in elucidating the physiological role of astroglial cells in the modulation of synaptic transmission. After one year as postdoctoral fellow in Graham Knott’s lab, where I enriched my skills in volume electron microscopy, I joined Pierre Magistretti’s lab in KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia). Here, I investigated the mechanisms of astrocyte-neuron metabolic coupling using morphological and 3D imaging particular, pioneered the use of VR in basic neuroscience. In 2020 I joined the University of Turin (Italy), where I am associate professor of Human Anatomy.
EDUCATION
I graduated in Biomedical Engineering in 2006 from Politecnico di Torino, following a undergraduate internship at EPFL. In 2012 I obtained a PhD in Neuroscience from the Lemanic Neuroscience School (University of Lausanne and University of Geneva). During this period, I was a visiting scholar in the laboratory of Vidar Gundersen in Oslo (Norway).
Ultrastructure of astrocytes using volume electron microscopy: A scoping review Vanessa Chiappini, Maria Fernanda Veloz Castillo, Francesco Biancardi, Ferdinando Di Cunto, Pierre J. Magistretti, et al. Journal of Physiology, 2026 The morphological features of astrocytes are crucial for brain homeostasis, synaptic activity and structural support, yet remain poorly quantified. As a result of the nanometre‐sized cross‐section of neuropil astrocytic processes, electron microscopy (EM) is the only technique availabe to date capable of revealing their finest morphologies. Volume EM (vEM) techniques, such as serial block‐face or focused ion beam scanning EM, enable high‐resolution imaging of large fields and allow more extensive 3‐D model analyses, revealing new astrocytic morphological features. This scoping review aims to summarize the state of the art of astrocyte ultrastructural analysis. This review included 45 of 439 non‐duplicated articles from a Pubmed search, categorizing studies by research focus, animal models, brain region, vEM techniques and segmentation methods. By answering classical questions such as volume, surface area, branching complexity and synaptic ensheathment reported in the literature, this work is a valuable resource for scientists working on structural biology or computational neuroscience. image
The Ultrastructural Properties of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Govern Microdomain Signaling in Perisynaptic Astrocytic Processes Audrey Denizot, Marı́a Fernanda Veloz Castillo, Pavel Puchenkov, Corrado Calì, Erik De Schutter GLIA, 2026 Astrocytes are now widely accepted as key regulators of brain function and behavior. Calcium (Ca 2+ ) signals in perisynaptic astrocytic processes (PAPs) enable astrocytes to fine‐tune neurotransmission at tripartite synapses. As most PAPs are below the diffraction limit, their content in Ca 2+ stores and the contribution of the latter to astrocytic Ca 2+ activity is unclear. Here, we reconstruct hippocampal tripartite synapses in 3D from a high‐resolution electron microscopy (EM) dataset and find that 75% of PAPs contain some endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a major calcium store in astrocytes. The ER in PAPs displays strikingly diverse shapes and intracellular spatial distributions. To investigate the causal relationship between each of these geometrical properties and the spatiotemporal characteristics of Ca 2+ signals, we implemented an algorithm that generates 3D PAP meshes by altering the distribution of the ER independently from ER and cell shape. Reaction–diffusion simulations in these meshes reveal that astrocyte activity is governed by a complex interplay between the location of Ca 2+ channels, ER surface–volume ratio, and spatial distribution. In particular, our results suggest that ER‐PM contact sites can act as local signal amplifiers if equipped with IP 3 R clusters but attenuate PAP Ca 2+ activity in the absence of clustering. This study sheds new light on the ultrastructural basis of the diverse astrocytic Ca 2+ microdomain signals and on the mechanisms that regulate neuron‐astrocyte signal transmission at tripartite synapses.
Buried Treasure? Overlooked and Newly Discovered Evolutionary Contributions to Human Brain Diseases Nico J. Diederich, Martin Brüne, John S. Allen, Nicole Bender, Emiliano Bruner, et al. Annals of Neurology, 2025 Clinical neuroscience focuses on the mechanisms of brain function, but this approach falls short of insights into how the central nervous system (CNS) evolved, both in health and disease. Here, we discuss evolutionary concepts relevant to understanding human brain diseases, on the genetic, subcellular, cellular, connectomic, behavioral, and cultural levels. By revisiting common neurological diseases, we discuss evolved residues from our ancestors, mechanisms of exaptation, antagonistic pleiotropy, and human longevity with the consequent outpacing of biological evolution by cultural evolution. An evolution‐based conceptual framework can propel transdisciplinary research targeting the constraints imposed by and compensatory adaptations involved in human‐specific neurological diseases. ANN NEUROL 2025;98:1178–1195
Tight Spaces, Tighter Signals: Spatial Constraints as Drivers of Peripheral Myelination Luca Bartesaghi, Basilio Giangreco, Vanessa Chiappini, Maria Fernanda Veloz Castillo, Martina Monaco, et al. Cells, 2025 Peripheral myelination is driven by the intricate interplay between Schwann cells and axons, coordinated through molecular signaling and the structural organization of their shared environment. While the biochemical regulation of this process has been extensively studied, the influence of spatial architecture and mechanical cues remains poorly understood. Here, we use in vitro co-culture models—featuring microfluidic devices and hydrogel-based scaffolds—to explore how extracellular organization, cellular density, and spatial constraints shape Schwann cell behavior. Our results show that (i) pro-myelinating effects triggered by ascorbic acid administration is distally propagated along axons in Schwann cell-DRG co-cultures, (ii) ascorbic acid modulates Neuregulin-1 expression, (iii) a critical threshold of cellular density is required to support proper Schwann cell differentiation and myelin formation, and (iv) spatial confinement promotes myelination in the absence of ascorbic acid. Together, these findings highlight how spatial and structural parameters regulate the cellular and molecular events underlying peripheral myelination, offering new physiologically relevant models of myelination and opening new avenues for peripheral nerve repair strategies.
Adding large em stack support Glendon Holst, Stuart Berg, Kalpana Kare, Pierre Magistretti, Corrado Cali 2016 4th Saudi International Conference on Information Technology Big Data Analysis Kacstit 2016, 2016
Optimized Focused-Beam Microwave Fixation Preserves Brain Integrity and Uncovers Sex-Specific Anesthetic Effects on Glycogen MF Veloz-Castillo, GH López, H Fiumelli, PJ Magistretti, C Calì Elsevier BV , 2026 2026
GraPHFormer: A Multimodal Graph Persistent Homology Transformer for the Analysis of Neuroscience Morphologies U Shah, M Agus, M Gamal, M Alzubaidi, C Cali, PJ Magistretti, ... arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.20970 , 2026 2026
PBM illumination across the range: from single cells to human heads T Cantat-Moltrecht, JH Kam, M Billères, C Calì, J Mitrofanis Mechanisms of Photobiomodulation Therapy XX, PC1382808 , 2026 2026
Custom Surgical Phantom Workflow with Radiographic Compatibility and Haptic Fidelity G Riberi, R Spagnulo, F Riberi, V Monasterolo, E Vezzetti, L Ulrich, ... 2026
The ultrastructural properties of the endoplasmic reticulum govern microdomain signaling in perisynaptic astrocytic processes A Denizot, MFV Castillo, P Puchenkov, C Calì, E De Schutter Glia 74 (2), e70091 , 2026 2026 Citations: 2
Ultrastructure of astrocytes using volume electron microscopy: A scoping review V Chiappini, MFV Castillo, F Biancardi, F Di Cunto, PJ Magistretti, ... The Journal of Physiology 604 (4), 1498-1517 , 2026 2026 Citations: 8
Advancements in Forensic Odontology: Anatomage Table and Metaverse Innovations C Cali, C Viteritti, E Nuzzolese Proceedings of the 78th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Academy of … , 2026 2026
Buried Treasure? Overlooked and Newly Discovered Evolutionary Contributions to Human Brain Diseases NJ Diederich, M Brüne, JS Allen, N Bender, E Bruner, JP Changeux, ... Annals of Neurology 98 (6), 1178-1195 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Deep learning for brain electron microscopy segmentation: Advances, challenges, and future directions in connectomics and ultrastructure analysis U Shah, M Alzubaidi, M Agus, C Calí, PJ Magistretti, M Househ Computers & Graphics, 104391 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Advancing open-source visual analytics in digital pathology: A systematic review of tools, trends, and clinical applications Z Ahmad, M Alzubaidi, K Al-Thelaya, C Calí, S Boughorbel, J Schneider, ... Journal of Pathology Informatics 18, 100454 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Tight spaces, tighter signals: Spatial constraints as drivers of peripheral myelination L Bartesaghi, B Giangreco, V Chiappini, MF Veloz Castillo, M Monaco, ... Cells 14 (12), 926 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
AI-guided immersive exploration of brain ultrastructure for collaborative analysis and education U Shah, M Agus, D Boges, H Aldous, V Chiappini, M Alzubaidi, ... Computers & Graphics 129, 104239 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Validation study on iatrogenic nerve damage reduction using augmented reality on elbow phantom G Riberi, A Cangelosi, P Titolo, E Dutto, M Salvi, F Molinari, L Ulrich, ... Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health 3 (2), 100221 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Augmented reality simulation framework for minimally invasive orthopedic surgery A Cangelosi, G Riberi, P Titolo, M Salvi, F Molinari, L Ulrich, E Vezzetti, ... Computers in Biology and Medicine 189, 109943 , 2025 2025 Citations: 14
Advances in volume electron microscopy for brain imaging: methods, applications, and affordability C Calì, X Wang Frontiers in Neuroscience 19, 1561852 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
NeuroShape: exploiting neural architectures for shape analysis of ultrastructural 3D neuroscience morphologies H Shaffique, U Shah, M Alzubaidi, J Schneider, PJ Magistretti, C Calí, ... The Eurographics Association , 2025 2025
Enhancing Forensic Dental Identification with Anatomge Table: a novel approach E Nuzzolese, C Calì, G Di Vella Balkan Academy of Forensic Sciences 16th Annual Scientific Meeting Abstract … , 2025 2025
SAM4EM: Efficient memory-based two stage prompt-free segment anything model adapter for complex 3D neuroscience electron microscopy stacks U Shah, M Agus, D Boges, V Chiappini, M Alzubaidi, J Schneider, ... Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern … , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Exploring current and future technologies to make sense of the biophoton phenomenon: a narrative review JH Kam, M Billeres, L Herault, C Cali, B Sarmiento, P Cassano, ... Advanced Technology in Neuroscience 1 (2), 201-210 , 2024 2024 Citations: 10
NeuroVerse: Immersive exploration of 3D ultrastructural brain reconstructions for education and collaborative analysis C Calì, M Agus Proceedings of the 29th international ACM conference on 3D web technology, 1-10 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Gliotransmission and the tripartite synapse M Santello, C Calì, P Bezzi Synaptic plasticity: Dynamics, development and disease, 307-331 , 2012 2012 Citations: 315
Dysfunction of homeostatic control of dopamine by astrocytes in the developing prefrontal cortex leads to cognitive impairments F Petrelli, G Dallérac, L Pucci, C Calì, T Zehnder, S Sultan, S Lecca, ... Molecular psychiatry 25 (4), 732-749 , 2020 2020 Citations: 139
Fast subplasma membrane Ca2+ transients control exo-endocytosis of synaptic-like microvesicles in astrocytes J Marchaland, C Calì, SM Voglmaier, H Li, R Regazzi, RH Edwards, ... Journal of Neuroscience 28 (37), 9122-9132 , 2008 2008 Citations: 138
Three‐dimensional immersive virtual reality for studying cellular compartments in 3D models from EM preparations of neural tissues C Calì, J Baghabra, DJ Boges, GR Holst, A Kreshuk, FA Hamprecht, ... Journal of Comparative Neurology 524 (1), 23-38 , 2016 2016 Citations: 132
The strategic location of glycogen and lactate: from body energy reserve to brain plasticity C Calì, A Tauffenberger, P Magistretti Frontiers in cellular neuroscience 13, 82 , 2019 2019 Citations: 130
Method, apparatus, and system for utilizing augmented reality to improve surgery C Calì, J Besuchet US Patent App. 15/564,347 , 2018 2018 Citations: 125
3D cellular reconstruction of cortical glia and parenchymal morphometric analysis from Serial Block-Face Electron Microscopy of juvenile rat C Calì, M Agus, K Kare, DJ Boges, H Lehväslaiho, M Hadwiger, ... Progress in neurobiology 183, 101696 , 2019 2019 Citations: 117
Augmented reality in medical practice: from spine surgery to remote assistance F Cofano, G Di Perna, M Bozzaro, A Longo, N Marengo, F Zenga, N Zullo, ... Frontiers in Surgery 8, 657901 , 2021 2021 Citations: 101
The effects of aging on neuropil structure in mouse somatosensory cortex—A 3D electron microscopy analysis of layer 1 C Calì, M Wawrzyniak, C Becker, B Maco, M Cantoni, A Jorstad, B Nigro, ... Plos One , 2018 2018 Citations: 100
Spatially-resolved in-situ quantification of biofouling using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and 3D image analysis in a spacer filled channel L Fortunato, S Bucs, RV Linares, C Cali, JS Vrouwenvelder, TO Leiknes Journal of Membrane Science 524, 673-681 , 2017 2017 Citations: 96
Norepinephrine stimulates glycogenolysis in astrocytes to fuel neurons with lactate JS Coggan, D Keller, C Calì, H Lehväslaiho, H Markram, F Schürmann, ... PLoS computational biology 14 (8), e1006392 , 2018 2018 Citations: 95
Emerging evidence for astrocyte dysfunction in schizophrenia EC de Oliveira Figueiredo, C Calì, F Petrelli, P Bezzi Glia 70 (9), 1585-1604 , 2022 2022 Citations: 94
NeuroMorph: a toolset for the morphometric analysis and visualization of 3D models derived from electron microscopy image stacks A Jorstad, B Nigro, C Cali, M Wawrzyniak, P Fua, G Knott Neuroinformatics 13 (1), 83-92 , 2015 2015 Citations: 92
Ultrastructural evidence for a role of astrocytes and glycogen-derived lactate in learning-dependent synaptic stabilization E Vezzoli, C Cali, M De Roo, L Ponzoni, E Sogne, N Gagnon, ... Cerebral Cortex 30 (4), 2114-2127 , 2020 2020 Citations: 91
SDF 1-alpha (CXCL12) triggers glutamate exocytosis from astrocytes on a millisecond time scale: imaging analysis at the single-vesicle level with TIRF microscopy C Calì, J Marchaland, R Regazzi, P Bezzi Journal of neuroimmunology 198 (1-2), 82-91 , 2008 2008 Citations: 88
Astrocyte structural heterogeneity in the mouse hippocampus JF Viana, JL Machado, DS Abreu, A Veiga, S Barsanti, G Tavares, ... Glia 71 (7), 1667-1682 , 2023 2023 Citations: 70
Abstractocyte: A visual tool for exploring nanoscale astroglial cells H Mohammed, AK Al-Awami, J Beyer, C Cali, P Magistretti, H Pfister, ... IEEE transactions on visualization and computer graphics 24 (1), 853-861 , 2017 2017 Citations: 65
CXCR4-mediated glutamate exocytosis from astrocytes C Calì, P Bezzi Journal of neuroimmunology 224 (1-2), 13-21 , 2010 2010 Citations: 63
Digital reconstruction of the neuro-glia-vascular architecture E Zisis, D Keller, L Kanari, A Arnaudon, M Gevaert, T Delemontex, ... Cerebral Cortex 31 (12), 5686-5703 , 2021 2021 Citations: 61
Metabolic reprogramming of astrocytes in pathological conditions: implications for neurodegenerative diseases C Calì, I Cantando, MF Veloz Castillo, L Gonzalez, P Bezzi International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25 (16), 8922 , 2024 2024 Citations: 56
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
I serve as Scientific Officer at the Clinatec Endowment Fund (Fonds Clinatec), one of the four members of Clinatec (Grenoble, France). Here, I lead a team of researchers working of Photobiomodulation (PBM), an innovative non-invasive approach based on the use of red and near-infrared light as a method for prevention of neuroinflammation. We cover all aspects, from basic science (in vitro) to preclinical (animal models), to clinical trials on human patients, on several neurodegenerative disaseases.
STARTUP
I am founder and president of Intravides SRL, a startup that develops Mixed Reality solutions for surgical simulation, planning and practise.