University

ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7382-0614

Prof. Paolo Pacca is and Associate Professor in Human Anatomy at Link Campus University. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery in 2009, specialized in Neurosurgery in 2016 and was awarded a PhD in Bioengineering and Medical-Surgical Sciences in 2021 from the University of Turin (UNITO). He was awarded a Research Fellowship in Surgical Neuroanatomy at the University of Pittsburgh (UPMC) in the United States in 2016.

His final dissertation focused on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation and normotensive hydrocephalus in older people, with particular attention to a membrane protein, aquaporin 4 (AQP4), which is involved in water transport and is localized in astrocytes. During his PhD, he focused his research on the development of anatomical models for training and educational purposes. Today, his research is mainly focused on the glymphatic system, neurodegeneration of the motor systems and the use of assistive robots in caring for older people.

From October 2023 to February 2024, he held the position of Adjunct Professor of Human Anatomy at UNITO, and from March 2024 to September 2026, he held the position of Type A University Research Fellow (RTD-A) in Human Anatomy at UNITO. He is a member of the brain development and pathology research group at the Cavalieri Ottolenghi Neuroscience Institute (NICO).

Research Area

Areas of expertise: Neuroanatomy and neurodegenerative diseases, the glymphatic system, robotics for elderly care.

Within the field of neuroscience, this research focuses on the study of the glymphatic system, which is a fluid transport system in the brain involved in the exchange between cerebrospinal fluid and interstitial fluid, and in the clearance of metabolites from the central nervous system. It has recently attracted interest due to its possible link with the onset and progression of various neurodegenerative diseases in the central nervous system.

The focus is on the relationship between the glymphatic system and two neurodegenerative diseases: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The aim is to understand how this system can be modulated in order to improve the reabsorption of fluids and the elimination of waste products during the development and progression of these diseases, thereby reducing and slowing down their progression.

Furthermore, a second main line of research focuses on the use of humanoid robots in caring for the elderly, through a study examining whether cognitive stimulation provided by robots can help maintain cognitive function in the elderly population.

The research also focuses on the study of the neuromuscular junction and muscle trophism, with the aim of identifying new strategies to combat sarcopenia in older people.

A further line of research forms part of the “D34Health – Digital Driven Diagnostics, Prognostics and Therapeutics for Sustainable Healthcare” project, in which the research aims to develop personalized biological twins using organoids to study individual responses in vitro and support precision diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. 

Curriculum Vitae