Peter Mollica

Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, Old Dominion University, (2015)

Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, Old Dominion University, (2015)

Graduate Certificate in Molecular and Pathological Diagnostics, Old Dominion University, (2012)

B.S. in Biology, Old Dominion University, (2011)

High-complexity Clinical Laboratory Director (HCLD)

Sponsoring Organization: American Board of Bioanalysis

Date Obtained: 2022-12-01

High-complexity Clinical Laboratory Director (HCLD)

Sponsoring Organization: American Board of Bioanalysis

Date Obtained: 2022-10-01

American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board Certification in Molecular Biology

Sponsoring Organization: American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)

Date Obtained: 2016-01-01

MB(ASCP)CM

Sponsoring Organization: American Society of Clinical Pathology

Date Obtained: 2015-11-15

Expertise

Research Interests

Our laboratory focuses on mechanistic and translational research at the intersection of bioelectricity, molecular neuroscience, clinical diagnostics, and public health. We strive to advance a cohesive and interdisciplinary research program centered on understanding how picosecond pulsed electric fields (psPEF) modulate intracellular processes, neuronal excitability, and proteostasis in human iPSC-derived neural models, with particular relevance to neurodegenerative disease. In parallel, our laboratory maintains active clinical and population-based research efforts focused on molecular diagnostics, infectious disease outcomes, biomarker discovery, and healthcare disparities. These projects incorporate retrospective electronic health record analyses, translational biomarker studies, and collaborations with clinical and public health partners to better understand how healthcare access, social determinants, and diagnostic approaches influence patient outcomes within the Hampton Roads region and beyond.

Articles

Campbell, T., Reilly, N., Zamponi, M., Leathers, D., Mollica, P., Cavallario, J. and Martinez, J. (2023). Salivary microRNA as a prospective tool for concussion diagnosis and management: A scoping review.. Brain injury 37 (7) , pp. 588-595.

Silkuniene, G., Mangalanathan, U. M., Rossi, A., Mollica, P., Pakhomov, A. and Pakhomova, O. (2023). Identification of Proteins Involved in Cell Membrane Permeabilization by Nanosecond Electric Pulses (nsEP).. International journal of molecular sciences 24 (11).

Muratori, C., Silkuniene, G., Mollica, P., Pakhomov, A. and Pakhomova, O. (2021). The role of ESCRT-III and Annexin V in the repair of cell membrane permeabilization by the nanosecond pulsed electric field.. Bioelectrochemistry (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 140 , pp. 107837.

Rossi, A., Pakhomova, O., Mollica, P., Casciola, M., Mangalanathan, U., Pakhomov, A. and Muratori, C. (2019). Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields Induce Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Accompanied by Immunogenic Cell Death in Murine Models of Lymphoma and Colorectal Cancer.. Cancers 11 (12).

Mollica, P., Booth-Creech, E. N., Reid, J. A., Zamponi, M., Sullivan, S. M., Palmer, X. L., Sachs, P. and Bruno, R. (2019). 3D bioprinted mammary organoids and tumoroids in human mammary derived ECM hydrogels.. Acta biomaterialia 95 , pp. 201-213.

Reid, J. A., Palmer, X. L., Mollica, P., Northam, N., Sachs, P. and Bruno, R. (2019). A 3D bioprinter platform for mechanistic analysis of tumoroids and chimeric mammary organoids.. Scientific reports 9 (1) , pp. 7466.

Rossi, A., Pakhomova, O., Pakhomov, A., Weygandt, S., Bulysheva, A., Murray, L. E., Mollica, P. and Muratori, C. (2019). Mechanisms and immunogenicity of nsPEF-induced cell death in B16F10 melanoma tumors.. Scientific reports 9 (1) , pp. 431.

Reid, J. A., Mollica, P., Bruno, R. and Sachs, P. (2018). Correction to: Consistent and reproducible cultures of large-scale 3D mammary epithelial structures using an accessible bioprinting platform.. Breast cancer research : BCR 20 (1) , pp. 136.

Reid, J. A., Mollica, P., Bruno, R. and Sachs, P. (2018). Consistent and reproducible cultures of large-scale 3D mammary epithelial structures using an accessible bioprinting platform.. Breast cancer research : BCR 20 (1) , pp. 122.

Petrella, R. A., Mollica, P., Zamponi, M., Reid, J. A., Xiao, S., Bruno, R. and Sachs, P. (2018). 3D bioprinter applied picosecond pulsed electric fields for targeted manipulation of proliferation and lineage specific gene expression in neural stem cells.. Journal of neural engineering 15 (5) , pp. 056021.

Wu, V., Auchman, M., Mollica, P., Sachs, P. and Bruno, R. (2018). ALDH1A1 positive cells are a unique component of the tonsillar crypt niche and are lost along with NGFR positive stem cells during tumourigenesis.. Pathology 50 (5) , pp. 524-529.

Mollica, P., Zamponi, M., Reid, J. A., Sharma, D. K., White, A. E., Ogle, R., Bruno, R. and Sachs, P. (2018). Epigenetic alterations mediate iPSC-induced normalization of DNA repair gene expression and TNR stability in Huntington's disease cells.. Journal of cell science 131 (13).

Muratori, C., Pakhomov, A., Gianulis, E., Meads, J., Casciola, M., Mollica, P. and Pakhomova, O. (2017). Activation of the phospholipid scramblase TMEM16F by nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) facilitates its diverse cytophysiological effects.. The Journal of biological chemistry 292 (47) , pp. 19381-19391.

Sachs, P., Mollica, P. and Bruno, R. (2017). Tissue specific microenvironments: a key tool for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.. Journal of biological engineering 11 , pp. 34.

Mollica, P., Reid, J. A., Ogle, R., Sachs, P. and Bruno, R. (2016). DNA Methylation Leads to DNA Repair Gene Down-Regulation and Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion in Patient-Derived Huntington Disease Cells.. The American journal of pathology 186 (7) , pp. 1967-1976.

Reid, J. A., Mollica, P., Johnson, G. D., Ogle, R., Bruno, R. and Sachs, P. (2016). Accessible bioprinting: adaptation of a low-cost 3D-printer for precise cell placement and stem cell differentiation.. Biofabrication 8 (2) , pp. 025017.