• Ph.D. in Molecular and Life Sciences, Open University (United Kingdom)/Stazione Zoologica Dohrn (Italy)
• M.S. in Biological Sciences of Aquatic Organisms, Universita’ degli Studi di Napoli, Federico II (Italy)
• B.S. in Biological Sciences of Aquatic Organisms, Universita’ degli Studi di Napoli, Federico II (Italy)

• Molecular Biology
• Molecular Evolution
• Developmental Biology
• Evo-devo Biology

Professional Memberships:
- American Heart Association
- Society of Developmental Biology
- The Pan American Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Dr. Coppola is interested in interdisciplinary questions at the intersection of molecular, evolutionary, developmental biology. His research uses classic and cutting-edge molecular biology approaches, integrated with phylogeny and developmental analyses, to understand conserved developmental patterns. He works mainly on two chordate models, zebrafish (Danio rerio) and tunicates (Ciona robusta). However, he has also worked on non-model tunicates (Molgula, Phallusia) and cephalochordates (Branchiostoma lanceolatum). He is a member of Society of Developmental Biology (SDB), American Heart Association (AHA), The Pan American Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology (PAN-AM EvoDevo), Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE). For his interest in evolution, he is Review Editor Member for Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution).

Dr. Coppola’s research to date has involved multiple themes.

1. Evolutionary history of gene families in animals.
2. Evolution and development of pigment cells in chordates.
3. Gene regulatory networks in chordate nervous system development.
4. Conserved gene regulatory networks in vertebrate cardiac development.
5. Identification of new players in cardiac development and disease.

• PCB 3023C Cell Biology
• PCB 4522C Molecular Genetics
• PCB 4253C Developmental Biology
• PCB Heart Biology and Evolution

1. Coppola U, Annona G, D'Aniello S, Ristoratore F. (2016) Rab32 and Rab38 genes in chordate pigmentation: an evolutionary perspective. BMC Evol Biol. Jan 27;16:26. doi: 10.1186/s12862-016-0596-1. PMID: 26818140 Free PMC Article
2. Tammaro S, Simoniello P, Ristoratore F, Coppola U, Scudiero R, Motta CM. (2017) Expression of caspase 3 in ovarian follicle cells of the lizard Podarcis sicula. Cell Tissue Res. Feb;367(2):397-404. doi: 10.1007/s00441-016-2506-7. Epub 2016 Oct 7. PMID: 27718023
3. Racioppi C, Valoroso MC, Coppola U. et al. Evolutionary loss of melanogenesis in the tunicate Molgula occulta . EvoDevo 8, 11 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13227-017-0074-x
4. Coppola U, Nittoli V, Sepe RM, D'Agostino Y, De Felice E, Palladino A, Vassalli QA, Locascio A, Ristoratore F, Spagnuolo A, D'Aniello S, Sordino P. (2018) A comprehensive analysis of neurotrophins and neurotrophin tyrosine kinase receptors expression during development of zebrafish. J Comp Neurol. Apr 15;526(6):1057-1072. doi: 10.1002/cne.24391. (shared first authorship)
5. Coppola U, Caccavale F, Scelzo M, Holland ND, Ristoratore F, D'Aniello S. (2018) Ran GTPase, an eukaryotic gene novelty, is involved in amphioxus mitosis. PLoS One. Oct 9;13(10):e0196930. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196930. eCollection 2018. PMID: 30300344 (shared first authorship)
6. Coppola U (2018). Evolutionary and Developmental Survey of Genes Involved in Chordate Pigmentation. PhD thesis The Open University. (PhD thesis published online by Open University, available on Google Scholar).
7. Racioppi C, Coppola U, Christiaen L, Ristoratore F. (2019) Transcriptional regulation of Rab32/38, a specific marker of pigment cell formation in Ciona robusta. Dev Biol. Apr 15;448(2):111-118. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.11.013. Epub 2018 Nov 22. PMID: 30471267
8. Coppola U, Nittoli V, Fortunato AE, Fasano G, Gentile A, Maiella S, Langellotto F, Porreca I, De Paolo R, Marino R, Fiengo M, Donizetti A, Aniello F, Kondo T, Ristoratore F, Canzoniero LMT, Duboule D, Wilson SW, Sordino P. (2019) Characterization of paralogous uncx transcription factor encoding genes in zebrafish. Gene X. Jun;2:100011. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.100011. PMID: 31193955 (shared first authorship)
9. Coppola U, Ristoratore F, Albalat R, D'Aniello S. (2019) The evolutionary landscape of the Rab family in chordates.Cell Mol Life Sci. Apr 26. doi: 10.1007/s00018-019-03103-7. PMID: 31028425
10. Coppola U, Olivo P, D'Aniello E, Johnson CJ, Stolfi A, Ristoratore F. Rimbp, a New Marker for the Nervous System of the Tunicate Ciona robusta. Genes (Basel). 2020 Aug 27;11(9):E1006. doi: 10.3390/genes11091006. PMID: 32867148. (shared first authorship)
11. Coppola U, Kamal AK, Stolfi A, Ristoratore F. The Cis-Regulatory Code for Kelch-like 21/30 Specific Expression in Ciona robusta Sensory Organs. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2020 Sep 11;8:569601. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.569601. PMID: 33043001; PMCID: PMC7517041.
12. Caccavale F, Coppola U, Vassalli QA, La Vecchia C, Palumbo A, D'Aniello E, Locascio A, Ristoratore F, D'Aniello S. (2020) Transphyletic conservation of nitric oxide synthase regulation in cephalochordates and tunicates. Dev Genes Evol. Aug 24. doi: 10.1007/s00427-020-00668-3. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32839880.
13. Coppola U, Waxman JS. Origin and evolutionary landscape of Nr2f transcription factors across Metazoa (2021). PLoS One. 22 Nov: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254282
14. Raghavan R, Coppola U et al., Ristoratore F, Di Gregorio A. Parsimony of notochord gene expression: a study of gene families across the chordate phylum. BMC Ecol Evo 23, 63 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-023-02167-1 (shared first authorship).
15. Coppola U, Franco D. New trends in cardiovascular development, evolution and disease. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 12, 1392713.
16. Coppola U, Saha B, Kenney J, Waxman JS (2024) A Foxf1-Wnt-Nr2f1 cascade promotes atrial cardiomyocyte differentiation in zebrafish. PLoS Genet 20(11): e1011222. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011222.

Dr. Coppola is a regular at distinct (national, regional, zebrafish) meetings of Society of Developmental Biology (SDB) and, in light of his interest in cardiac biology, he presented his work at Weinstein Meeting, the most important conference on cardiovascular development. Moreover, for his interest in evo-devo biology he presented multiple times at evolutionary meetings (Tunicate Meeting, EuroEvoDevo). Recently, he has been an invited speaker at his Alma Mater (Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn) and at FGCU Water School.

• 2013 Travel Grant to Join the OWECS, OIST, Okinawa, Japan.
• 2018 Short-term Fellowship from The Company of Biologists, “Development” (DEVTF-171108) to visit the laboratory of Prof. Alberto Stolfi, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (USA).
• 2018 Short-term Fellowship from European Molecular Biology Organization, EMBO (7534) to visit the laboratory of Prof. Alberto Stolfi, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (USA).
• 2021-2023 American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship (831018)
• 2024-2025 WISER Fellowship, Florida Gulf Coast University.
• 2022 Award for Poster presentation: Heart Institute Annual Retreat, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Heart Biology and Evolution