Maria Moreno

Maria Moreno is a Full Professor of Physiology (BIO/09) in the Department of Science and Technology at the University of Sannio, Italy. She has held multiple leadership roles including Director of the Department (2016–2022) and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences. Her academic journey began with a PhD in Physiology from the University of Naples in 1995, followed by progressive appointments at the University of Sannio.

Her research centers on thyroid hormones, particularly 3,5-diiodothyronine (T2), and their impact on energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, and metabolic disorders. She has published extensively on T2’s ability to reduce adiposity, enhance metabolic rate, and reverse hepatic steatosis without thyrotoxicity. Her work integrates molecular, cellular, and whole-animal physiology, with applications in obesity and metabolic syndrome.

The most recent articles highlight her focus on mitochondrial adaptations in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, cold tolerance, insulin resistance, and inflammatory responses under high-fat diets. Her research consistently points to T2 as a potent, non-thyrotoxic modulator of energy metabolism.

She has received scientific recognition including the Beckman Coulter Award in Proteomics (2006). She serves as an associate editor for Frontiers in Thyroid Endocrinology, Frontiers in Physiology, and Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, and regularly reviews for top journals and national research projects.

Maria Moreno has supervised approximately 100 doctoral theses and is actively involved in PhD programs in Life and Earth Sciences and Environmental and Health Sciences at the University of Sannio. She has also served on multiple national and international academic evaluation committees.

She is a member of the Italian Society of Physiology and the European Thyroid Association, reflecting her active engagement in the scientific community.