Biography

Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum

LN graduated in Physics cum Laude at the University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy, and received his PhD in Physics at the University of Rochester, NY, USA. He is Associate Professor (since 2002) in Applied Physics at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (qualified for full Professor since 2013). He spent several periods of study and research abroad as Post Doctoral Fellow, University fellow EU mobility fellow or Visiting Professor: in the USA (University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA), in Finland (Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo, Finland), in Germany (German Space Agency, DLR,, Radiation Biology Department, Cologne, Germany). LN is Principal Investigator of several space projects regarding the development of cosmic radiation detectors, measurements and analyses of space ionizing radiation and its influence on humans, in particular on brain functions, both in the International Space Station and on ground. His responsibilities include the coordination of large interdisciplinary scientific collaborations, the definition of the science strategies, the organization of all the phases of realization and test of the new detectors and experimental apparatuses, the data analysis and the coordination with the different space Agencies involved in the space programs (Roskosmos, NASA, ESA and ASI). LN interests in interdisciplinary fields connecting physics to the life science disciplines is demonstrated by more than thirty years of team experience with medical doctors, biologists, chemists. Most recently LN has become the Italian Space Agency responsible for the sponsoring of the use of the ISS as a Mars flight simulator with the major space agencies (NASA, ESA, Roskosmos). LN is member of several national and international scientific committees and he is/has been chair of the Radiation for human exploration ASI working group, of the Radiation dosimetry EU-THESEUS Expert Group, of the Radiation Environment, Biology and Health COSPAR Sub-Commission F2. LN is peer reviewer for many international Journals and organizer or co-organizer of several Conferences and Symposia in the areas of radiation for human exploration. He is author of more than 140 publications on international peer-reviewed journals.

Research Activity

Expert in space radiation detectors (for human space exploration), measurements and analysis of space ionizing radiation, dosimetry, risk assessment, shielding methods, interactions between ionizing radiation and central nervous system function (with a specific focus on the visual system); measurements and analysis of electric potentials and magnetic fields from the bioelectrical currents in the brain.

LN has been also the key person for the signature of several International Agreements:

• 2008 (ASI – NASA) On Ground Segment Infrastructure and Joint Operations Support for the instrument – ALTEA)
• 2011 (ASI – NASA – ESA) Data Sharing Agreement between ESA’s Radiation Shielding Experiment (ALTEA Shield) and ASI’s ALTEA experiment with NASA Godard Space Flight Center Weather Laboratory
• 2018 (ASI – NASA) [Under definition] Use of ALTEA – LIDAL with a NASA REM detector (note: within this agreement a NASA REM detector is given to ALTEA team)

For more than 20 years Prof. Narici has been involved in space missions dedicated to monitor the ionizing radiation environment inside the MIR and the International Space Station (ISS). More in general to the study, with on board dedicated instruments, as well as on ground experiments, of the radiation risks for the crew during future deep space exploration with an initial focus on the phenomenon of the anomalous perceptions of Light Flashes.

Previous Space projects for which LN was PI

• Alteino (1998 – 2002) with INFN, ASI, Roskosmos, ESA and NASA
• ALTEA (1998 – 2012) with ASI, NASA
• MICE PT07 (2005 – 2008) ASI GSI (Germany)
• MICE S239 (2002 – 2005) ASI – GSI (Germany)
• MICE B66 (2001 – 2003) ASI – NASA – BNL (USA)
• ALTEA-shield (2004 – 2015) with ASI, ESA, NASA

He organized the training at NASA – MSFC of a few ALTEA team members and created in Rome a User Home Base which is now able to support directly on console the flight operations on the ISS of ALTEA, and also to real time receive, store and analyze the data from the payload. He has been/is contact point for Roskosmos, NASA and ESA, for the above projects, supporting also the interagency coordination. In the previous years (1979-1996) LN has worked on measurements and analysis of the ultra-low magnetic fields generated by bioelectrical currents in the brain, with superconducting magnetometers; models for brain functions; realization of ultra-sensitive magnetometers / gradiometers based on SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices); design development and construction of laser interferometers and electromechanical cryogenic transducers for gravitational waves detection.

Active Research Program

Selected Publications

• Narici, G. Reitz, C. Lobascio “Integrated Simulation of Mars Flights on the ISS” Adv. Space Res. 62:990-996, 2018, doi:10.1016/j.asr.2018.06.020
• Rizzo, L. Narici, R. Messi, P. Cipollone, C. De Donato, L. Di Fino, M. Iannilli, C. Latessa, C. Manea, G. Masciantonio, M.C. Morone, G. Nobili, D. Pecchi, P. Picozza, E. Reali, M. Rovituso, F. Tommasino, G. Vitali “A compact Time-of-Flight detector for space applications: the LIDAL system” Nucl. Instrum. and Meth. A 898:98-104, 2018, doi:10.1016/j.nima.2018.05.009
• Narici, A. Rizzo, F. Berrilli, D. Del Moro “Solar Particle Events and human deep space exploration: measurements and considerations” in Extreme Events in Geospace: Origins, Predictability, and Consequences, Ed Natalia Buzulukova, Elsevier, 1 Dec 2017, ISBN: 9780128127001
• Narici, T. Berger, S. Burmeister, L. Di Fino, A. Rizzo, D. Matthiä, G. Reitz “Exploiting different active silicon detectors in the International Space Station: ALTEA and DOSTEL galactic cosmic
radiation (GCR) measurements”, J. Space Weather Space Clim. 7, A18, 2017, doi: 10.1051/swsc/2017016
• Narici, M. Casolino, L. Di Fino, M. Larosa, P. Picozza, A. Rizzo, V. Zaconte “Performances of Kevlar and Polyethylene as radiation shielding on-board the International Space Station in high latitude radiation environment”, Scientific Reports 7 1644, 2017, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01707-2
• D Chuard, V Anthonipillai, R Dendale, C Nauraye, E Khan, C Mabit, L De Marzi, L Narici “Mechanisms of phosphene generation in ocular proton therapy” Life Sci. in Space Res. 10:23-28 doi: 10.1016/j.lssr.2016.06.002 (2016)
• Narici, M. Casolino, L. Di Fino, M. Larosa, P. Picozza, V. Zaconte, “Radiation survey in the International Space Station” J. Space Wea. And Space Clim. 5, A37, 2015, doi: 10.1051/swsc/2015037, 2015.
• Carozzo, S.L. Ball, N. Peachey, D. Schardt, L. Narici, W.G. Sannita “Interaction of ¹²C ions with the mouse retinal response to light” Neurosci. Lett. 598: 36-40 doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.04.048 (2015)
• Larsson, O, Benghin, VV, Berger, T, Casolino, M, Di Fino, L, Fuglesang, C, Larosa, M, Lund-Jensen, B, Nagamatsu, A, Narici L, Nikolaev, IV, Picozza, P, Reitz, G, De Santis, C, Zaconte, V, “Measurements of heavy-ion anisotropy and dose rates in the Russian section of the International Space Station with the Sileye3/Alteino detector” J. Phys G, 42, 025002, DOI:10.1088/0954-3899/42/2/025002, 2015 
• Di Fino, V. Zaconte, M. Stangalini, R. Sparvoli, P. Picozza, R. Piazzesi, L. Narici, M. Larosa, D. Del Moro, M. Casolino, F. Berrilli, S. Scardigli, “Solar Particle Event detected by ALTEA on board the International Space Station. The March 7^th, 2012 X5.4 flare” J. Space Wea. And Space Clim. 4 (2014) A19, doi: 10.1051/swsc/2014015
• Berrilli, M. Casolino, D. Del Moro, L. Di Fino, M. Larosa, L. Narici, R. Piazzesi, P. Picozza, S. Scardigli, R. Sparvoli, M. Stangalini, V. Zaconte “The relativistic solar particle event of May 17th, 2012 observed on board the International Space Station” J. Space Wea. And Space Clim. 4 (2014) A16, doi: 10.1051/swsc/2014014
• Narici , M. Casolino, L. Di Fino, M. Larosa, O. Larsson, P. Picozza, V. Zaconte ^“Iron flux inside the International Space Station is measured to be lower than predicted” Radiat. Meas. 47:1030-1034 (2012), doi: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2012.07.006
•  L.Di Fino, M.Casolino, C.De Santis, M.Larosa, C.La Tessa, L.Narici, P.Picozza, V.Zaconte “Heavy ions anisotropy measured by ALTEA in the International Space Station “ Radiat Res. 176(3):397-406 (2011), doi:  10.1667/RR2179.1 
• Larosa, F. Agostini, M. Casolino, C. De Santis, L. Di Fino, C. La Tessa, L. Narici, P. Picozza, A. Rinaldi, V. Zaconte “Ion rates in the International Space Station during the December 2006 Solar Particle Event” J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 38 095102 (2011)
• Zaconte, M. Casolino, L. Di Fino, C. La Tessa, M. Larosa, L. Narici, P. Picozza, “High Energy Radiation fluences in the ISS-USLab: ion discrimination and particle abundances”, Rad. Meas. 45:168-172 (2010)
• Narici, A. De Martino, V. Brunetti , A. Rinaldi , W.G. Sannita, M. Paci “Radicals excess in the retina: A model for light flashes in space” Rad Meas. 44:203-205 (2009)
• Narici “Heavy ions light flashes and brain functions: recent observations at accelerators and in spaceflight” New J. Phys. 10 (2008) 075010
• W.G. Sannita, N.S. Peachey, E. Strettoi, S.L. Ball, F. Belli, V. Bidoli, S. Carozzo, M. Casolino, L. Di Fino, P. Picozza, V. Pignatelli, A. Rinaldi, M. Saturno, D. Schardt, M. Vazquez, V. Zaconte and L. Narici “Electrophysiological responses of the mouse retina to ¹²C ions” Neurosci. Lett. 416: 231–235 (2007) 
• W.G. Sannita, L. Narici, P. Picozza “Positive visual phenomena in space: A scientific case and a safety issue in space travel”, Vis. Res. 2159-2165 (2006) 
• Casolino M., Bidoli V., Morselli A., Narici L., De Pascale M.P., Picozza P., Reali E., Sparvoli S., Mazzenga G., Ricci M., Spillantini P., Boezio M., Bonvicini V., Vacchi A., Zampa N., Castellini G., Sannita W.G., Carlson P., Galper A., Korotkov M., Popov A., Vavilov N.R., Avdeev S., Fuglesang C.  “Dual origins of light flashes in space” Nature 422: 680, 2003

Teaching – link to Didattica web

LN has taught several physics courses in the past 30 years:

• Medical Physics for Physics graduates (2003-present)
• Applied Physics for Biotechnology (2002-present)
• Introduction to Experimental Measurements for Biologists (2001-05)
• Physics Laboratory for Biologists (1996-2002)
• Signal Analysis for Biomedical graduate students (1995-96)
• Experimental Physics II for Geologists (1993-94)
• Experimental Physics I for Geologists (1992-96)