MEET THE GUEST EDITOR

Dr. Beatrice Bocca is a researcher at the Bioelements and Health Unit of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health, ISS), Rome. She gained a degree, with laude, in Chemistry from the University of Rome in 1997 and after joined the ISS as a research chemist working primary in the spectroscopic areas (ICP MS and ICP OES) and separation sciences (HPLC and GC). More specifically, her research focuses on the development and application of analytical methods for the determination of trace elements and trace amounts of elemental species in environmental, biological and food matrices, in the assessment of reference values for elements in ecosystems and humans, and in the preparation of reference materials for quality control in analytical chemistry. She participated in several national and international research programs on the development of new analytical methodologies, on the monitoring and control of element pollution and on the role of metals in diseases. Current research projects promoted by the Italian Ministry of Health and by the European Commission are: 1) Biomonitoring of population: methodological and toxicological aspects of the exposure to neurotoxic metals; 2) Role of neurotoxic chemical elements in neurodegenerative diseases; 3) Predictive value of metals and oxidative stress in colorectal cancer; 4) Assessment of the occupational exposure to precious metals; 5) Evaluation of the amount of nickel in cosmetics and jewellery and tolerability in sensitized persons. She is speaker in courses on the quantification of metals of toxicological interest in food, biological and environmental matrices, and reviewer for some international journals. She is the author of ca. 130 original research publications in international journals and communications at national and international meetings.