The major research interests are:1) the study of molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in experimental models in vitro and in vivo; 2) the study of agents which can inhibit the growth or selectively eliminate tumor cells by apoptosis. These studies involve northern and western blots, toxicological, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analysis. The long term goals are the elucidation of mechanisms of apoptotic cell death for the comprehension of its role in one of the major apoptosis-related disease, cancer, and the identification of novel therapeutical intervention to enforce cell death in tumor cells.

Gabriella Simbula has been Research Associate since February 2002. Prior to that she was a Post-doc at the Department of Anatomy and Cell Pathology at the Jefferson University of Philadelphia (1993-1995), and the Department of Toxicology at the University of Cagliari (1995-2002).

M.Pibiri, G.M.Ledda-Columbano, C.Cossu, G.Simbula, M.Menegazzi, H.Shinozuka, A.Columbano. Cyclin D1 is an early target in hepatocyte proliferation induced by thyroid hormone (T3). The FASEB J, 15, 1006-1013, 2001
T.Ishigami, T.Fujita, G.Simbula, A.Columbano, K.Kikuchi, A.Ishigami, T.Shimosawa, Y. Arakawa, N. Marayama Regulatory effects of senescence marker protein 30 on the proliferation of hepatocytes. Pathol Int. Jul 2001; 51(7):491-497
G.M.Ledda-Columbano, M.Pibiri, D.Concas, F.Molotzu, G.Simbula, C.Cossu, A.Columbano. Sex difference in the proliferative response of mouse hepatocytes to treatment with the CAR ligand, TCPOBOP. Carcinogenesis, 24: 1059-1065, 2003.
G.M.Ledda-Columbano, M.Pibiri. F.Molotzu, C.Cossu, L.Sanna, G.Simbula, A.Perra, A.Columbano. Induction of hepatocyte proliferation by retinoic acid. Carcinogenesis, 25: 2061-2066, 2004.
G.Simbula, M.Pibiri, L.Sanna, C.Cossu, F. Molotzu, A.Columbano, G.M.Ledda-Columbano The peroxisome proliferator BR931 kills FaO cells by p53-dependent apoptosis. Life Science, 75(3):271-286, Jun 4 2004
G.Simbula, A.Columbano, G.M.Ledda-Columbano, L.Sanna, M.Deidda,A.Diana, M. Pibiri ncreased ROS generation and p53 activation in alpha-lipoic acid-induced apoptosis of hepatoma cells. Apoptosis 12:113-123, 2007
Perra A, Pibiri M, Sulas P, Simbula G, Ledda-Columbano GM, Columbano A. {alpha}-lipoic acid promotes the growth of rat hepatic preneoplastic lesions in the choline deficient model. Carcinogenesis 2007 Sep 24; [Epub ahead of print]