Francesca Santilli | Signal Transduction Mechanisms | Research Excellence Award

Prof. Francesca Santilli | Signal Transduction Mechanisms | Research Excellence Award

Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University of Chieti-Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”Chieti | Italy

Francesca Santilli, MD, PhD, is a leading physician-scientist whose work has substantially advanced the understanding of platelet biology, thrombo-inflammation, and cardio-metabolic disease. Her research focuses on mechanisms of platelet activation, interindividual variability in response to low-dose aspirin, and the interplay between inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic dysfunction. She has led major national and international projects, including studies on oxidative stress regulation in aspirin-treated diabetes, peripheral blood megakaryocyte maturation, and the effects of JAK inhibitors on thrombopoiesis in inflammatory disease. Her work has also contributed key insights into biomarkers—such as proteomic signatures, microRNAs, and extracellular vesicles—for cardiovascular and metabolic risk stratification. Additional research explores megakaryocyte biology, accelerated platelet turnover, and the impact of emerging therapies including GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, and PCSK9 inhibitors. Through extensive collaborations across molecular medicine, proteomics, rheumatology, cardiology, and infectious diseases, she has established interdisciplinary frameworks linking platelet function to diabetes, obesity, MASLD, and vascular disease. With over 160 high-impact publications and leadership roles in several scientific networks, her research continues to inform clinical translation and therapeutic optimization in thrombosis, hemostasis, and metabolic disorders.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus

Featured Publications: 

antilli, F., Vazzana, N., Liani, R., Guagnano, M. T., & Davì, G. (2012). Platelet activation in obesity and metabolic syndrome. Obesity Reviews, 13(1), 27–42.

Santilli, F., Rocca, B., De Cristofaro, R., Lattanzio, S., Pietrangelo, L., Habib, A., & Patrono, C. (2009). Platelet cyclooxygenase inhibition by low-dose aspirin is not reflected consistently by platelet function assays: Implications for aspirin “resistance.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 53(8), 667–677.

Rocca, B., Santilli, F., Pitocco, D., Mucci, L., Petrucci, G., Vitacolonna, E., … & Patrono, C. (2012). The recovery of platelet cyclooxygenase activity explains interindividual variability in responsiveness to low-dose aspirin in patients with and without diabetes. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 10(7), 1220–1230.

Caricato, A., Conti, G., Della Corte, F., Mancino, A., Santilli, F., Sandroni, C., … & Antonelli, M. (2005). Effects of PEEP on the intracranial system of patients with head injury and subarachnoid hemorrhage: The role of respiratory system compliance. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 58(3), 571–576.

Santilli, F., Vazzana, N., Bucciarelli, L. G., & Davì, G. (2009). Soluble forms of RAGE in human diseases: Clinical and therapeutical implications. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 16(8), 940–952.

Di Castelnuovo, A., Bonaccio, M., Costanzo, S., Gialluisi, A., Antinori, A., … Santilli, F., … & Iacoviello, L. (2020). Common cardiovascular risk factors and in-hospital mortality in 3,894 patients with COVID-19: Survival analysis and machine learning-based findings from the multicentre Italian study. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 30(11), 1899–1913.

Vazzana, N., Santilli, F., Cuccurullo, C., & Davì, G. (2009). Soluble RAGE in internal medicine. Internal and Emergency Medicine, 4(5), 389–401.

Davì, G., Santilli, F., & Patrono, C. (2010). Nutraceuticals in diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Cardiovascular Therapeutics, 28(4), 216–226.

Chiarelli, F., Santilli, F., & Mohn, A. (2000). Role of growth factors in the development of diabetic complications. Hormone Research in Paediatrics, 53(2), 53–67.

Davì, G., Chiarelli, F., Santilli, F., Pomilio, M., Vigneri, S., Falco, A., … & Basili, S. (2003). Enhanced lipid peroxidation and platelet activation in the early phase of type 1 diabetes mellitus: Role of interleukin-6 and disease duration. Circulation, 107(25), 3199–3203.

Manigrasso, M. R., Ferroni, P., Santilli, F., Taraborelli, T., Guagnano, M. T., … & Davì, G. (2005). Association between circulating adiponectin and interleukin-10 levels in android obesity: Effects of weight loss. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 90(10), 5876–5879.

Meenakshi | Signal Transduction Networks | Research Excellence Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meenakshi | Signal Transduction Networks | Research Excellence Award

Chandigarh University | India

Dr. Meenakshi Munjal is an active researcher in the field of wireless communication, contributing extensively to advancements in emerging communication technologies. Over the past several years, she has maintained a strong research trajectory, completing one funded research project and producing a substantial body of scholarly work. Her research output includes more than 30 Scopus-indexed publications and a total citation count of 100, reflecting the growing impact of her contributions within the scientific community. She has authored one book with an ISBN and has two patents published or under process, demonstrating her commitment to innovation and applied research in communication systems. In addition to her publications, she has published eight peer-reviewed journal articles across SCI and Scopus-indexed platforms, strengthening the scientific understanding of wireless networks, signal processing, and communication technologies. Her work aligns with contemporary challenges in wireless systems, contributing to enhanced network performance, reliability, and efficiency. She also holds three professional memberships, supporting collaborative engagement within the research ecosystem. Overall, her research contributions highlight a sustained focus on innovation, scholarly excellence, and the advancement of wireless communication technologies

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications: 

Munjal, M., & Singh, N. P. (2018). Utility aware network selection in small cell. Wireless Networks, 1–14.

Munjal, M., & Singh, N. P. (2019). Group mobility by cooperative communication for high speed railway. Wireless Networks, 25(7), 3857–3866.

Gupta, S. (2014). A review and comprehensive comparison of image denoising techniques. Proceedings of the International Conference on Computing for Sustainable Global Development, 1–6.

Munjal, M., & Singh, N. P. (2019). QoS and cost-aware protocol selection for next generation wireless network. Journal of Network and Systems Management, 27(2), 327–350.

Munjal, M., & Singh, N. P. (2017). Improved network selection for multimedia applications. Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies, 28(5), e3121.

Munjal, M., & Singh, N. P. (2016). A comparative study of cooperative and non-cooperative game theory in network selection. Computational Techniques in Information and Communication Technologies Conference Proceedings, 1–5.

Meenakshi, G., & Gupta, S. (2014). Advanced level cyclic gray codes with application. International Journal of Electronics Communication and Computer Technology, 1–6.

Munjal, M., & Singh, N. P. (2020). Low cost communication for high speed railway. Wireless Personal Communications, 111(1), 163–178.

Munjal, M. (2024). A comprehensive review of wireless body area network in medical applications. AIP Conference Proceedings, 3100(1), 040013.

Munjal, M., & Dev, S. (2021). Utility based handoff decision for Internet of Everything (IoE). Photonics & Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS) Proceedings, 1396–1405.

Singh, I., & Munjal, M. (2025). Intelligent network selection mechanisms in the Internet of Everything system. IEEE Access.

Munjal, M., Kaistha, K., Gupta, P., Sardana, L., Verma, R., & Verma, S. (2024). Handoff management using RSS in a heterogeneous system. AIP Conference Proceedings, 3072(1), 030003.