Giulia Friso

Senior Research Associate/Senior Lecturer, School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Biology Section

Giulia Friso's research and teaching activities focus on the complexity of plant chemical compounds, exploring their potential for solutions to health, dietary and sustainability issues. In her classroom, online and eCornell courses, she makes the connections between food and health, introduces past and current plant-based natural remedies used around the globe, and explores their relationship with indigenous people, their traditional medicine systems, and their efficacy and modes of action.

By exploring plants pharmacological properties and toxicities, and comparing how plants consumed as food, herbal extracts, dietary supplements, and western medicines are used and regulated, her students not only acquire a deeper appreciation and respect for the natural world, but also a better understanding of the potential benefit and risk of plant-based medicine. Giulia uses a variety of active learning strategies to maintain student concentration, to teach skills such as critical thinking, to increase student retention and satisfaction and engage students in outreach activities with communities outside of the university.

Friso earned her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biology and her Ph.D in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Padua (Italy). She was a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Biochemistry at Imperial College, London (U.K.), and at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at U.C.S.F. in San Francisco. She was also a research scientist at the discovery unit of the Pharmaceutical Company AstraZeneca in Stockholm (Sweden). Giulia joined the Plant Biology Department at Cornell University in 2001, and is currently senior research associate and senior lecturer.

Visit Giulia Friso's Homepage for more information.

Interests

Ethnobotany, plants and health

Plant biochemistry and mass spectrometry

Cannabis

Recent Research

My current professional objective is to excel in mass spectrometry and the bioinformatics pipeline of data analyses applied to plant biology and in supervising, advising and training of others in the academic environment. I aim to work as close to the cutting edge of mass spectrometry, biochemistry, and bioinformatics and to follow and implement new developments and tools in plant biology. In that context I aim to be productive and contribute to efforts in obtaining federal funding.

Publications

Outreach and Extension Focus

Listen to my Podcast interview on Ethnobotany "Nature's prescription" from the Cornell series State of the pod,

2016 Faculty Institute on Community-Engaged Learning and Teaching (CELT)
2016 Institute and scholarship, C.U.
2016 Faculty Institute for Diversity, C.U.
2016 Global Learning Institute and workshops, C.U.
2017 Group Work Institute, C.U.
2018 Flipping the classroom workshop, C.U.
2018 Engaged Cornell Opportunity Grant - Bring a wide range of community engaged initiatives to life
2018 Chief Sam George of the Cayuga Nation in the Cornell Classroom
2022 Engaged Cornell Opportunity Grant - Nutrition & Longevity from Farm to Table, A collaboration with Harlem Grown and Dr. Michelle Loy (Weill Cornell)

Courses Taught

PLSCI 3100: Medicinal Botany and Drug Discovery
PLSCI 2100: Medical Ethnobotany
PLSCI 5045: Chemistry and Pharmacology of Cannabis
PLSCI 3400: Far Beyond Ithaca (FBI): Plant Explorations
PLSCI 3401: Far Beyond Ithaca(FBI): Winter Trip

More information about Friso's classroom courses.

My goal as a teacher is to inspire my students in the learning process, and engage them in the process of discovery, facilitate mastery of plant biology, help them integrate concepts of biochemistry, pharmacology, physiology, ethnobotany, indigenous knowledge and bioprospecting. I also aim to transmit my enthusiasm as a researcher and a teacher influencing my students to commit to my course and interest them in the field of medicinal plants and drug discovery. I am deeply interested to convey a knowledge and awareness of different cultural practices, values, and beliefs, and help my students gain an understanding of their own cultural perspective.

In the summer and winter semester Giulia offers an asynchronous online version of PLBIO 2100 Medical Ethnobotany through the Cornell School of Continuing Education Online Learning. This course is an accelerated course offered in the span of three weeks and was developed in collaboration with the Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) at Cornell University

Giulia also developed 2 independent eCornell Professional Certificate Programs (eCornell certificates): the Medicinal Plants and the Medical Cannabis certificates:

Medicinal Plants

Open to individuals and organizations around the world and offered multiple times per year.

The certificate includes 6 individual courses on plant and health, respectively:

Plant-based medicine
Plants for muscles, bones, and the reproductive system
Plants for mental health and pain relief
Plants to improve cardiovascular and respiratory health
Plants for promotive digestive and skin health
Boosting immunity with medicinal plants

Medical Cannabis

Open to individuals and organizations around the world and offered multiple times per year.

The certificate includes 5 individual courses on medical cannabis, respectively:

Medical cannabis: History, Legislation and Chemistry
Medical cannabis Extraction
The Role of the Endocannabinoid System
The Pharmacology of Medical cannabis
Developing Medical cannabis Products

Contact Information

609 Bradfield Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853

(607) 255-7127

gf32 [at] cornell.edu

More information
- Giulia Friso's Homepage