Short Biography
Dr. Madia Lozupone is a clinical researcher at the Psychiatric Unit, Department of Mental Health, ASL Bari, Italy. Since 2012, immediately after completing her psychiatric training, she has been involved in the PRIN2009E4RM4Z project (the GreatAGE Study), a population-based study on aging conducted in South-East Italy.
In October 2017, she obtained her PhD in Neurosciences and Translational Medicine at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy, with a thesis entitled “Late-Life Depression: The Contribution of Population-Based Studies. Assessment Methodologies, Prevalence, and Determinants.” Her primary research interest lies in the epidemiology of old-age psychiatry.
Within the GreatAGE Study—“Impact of Central and Peripheral Auditory Dysfunctions on the Risk of Onset of Subjective Cognitive Impairment, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, and Late-Onset Depression”—Dr. Lozupone has focused on the psychiatric assessment component, investigating determinants, correlates, and treatment adherence in common psychiatric disorders in older adults, particularly late-life depression. The project involves the Neurology, Geriatrics, Otolaryngology, and Psychiatry Units of the University of Bari Aldo Moro and is conducted at the Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the IRCCS “S. De Bellis.”
Her research activity has primarily centered on depressive disorders in older adults (≥65 years), with additional studies on anxiety disorders, psychosis, and adjustment disorders.
Since 2015, Dr. Lozupone has been actively involved in the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) Congress. Her contributions include:
2014: Free oral communication — “The GreatAGE Study: Prevalence of Late-Onset Depression in an Elderly Rural Community of Castellana Grotte (Italy)”
2015: E-poster oral presentation — “Prevalence of Anxiety Disorders and Comorbid Affective Disorders in the Elderly of Castellana Grotte (Italy)”
2016: Free oral communication — “Validity of the Geriatric Depression Scale-30 Against the Gold Standard Diagnosis of Depression in Older Age: The GreatAGE Study”
At EPA 2017, she presented additional data on swallowing disorders in elderly patients with psychiatric conditions and on variables influencing depression diagnosis in older adults. At EPA 2019, she presented two studies on suicidal ideation in older adults and the association between hearing impairment and late-life depression. In EPA 2022, she presented research on suicide risk factors in older age.
She is currently collaborating with Professor Brett Thombs (McGill University, Canada) and the DEPRESSD Project Steering Committee on a meta-analysis examining the diagnostic accuracy of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) for detecting major depression.
Since 2015, another key research interest has been pharmacogenetics, particularly the study of genetic polymorphisms, adverse drug reactions, and personalized treatment strategies in “revolving door” psychiatric patients, with specific focus on Cytochrome P450 2D6.
