Director Laboratory Molecular Genetics
Professor Felice is a graduate of the University of Malta (M.D., 1971, M.Phil., 1975) and the School of Graduate Studies of the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta Georgia, U.S.A. (Ph.D., 1981) After several years as Program Director in the Veterans’ Administration, Medical Research Service (Hemoglobin Research) and on the Faculty of the Medical College of Georgia (School of Medicine and School of Graduate Studies; Associate Professor; Cell & Molecular Biology and Pediatric Hematology) both in Augusta Georgia, U.S.A, he returned to the University of Malta as Professor in 1992. His research in the U.S.A. was supported by awards of the VA and the US – National Institutes of Health
His main interest is in the epidemiology, genetics and gene control of human haemoglobin and thalassaemia, a rare congenital blood disorder. He has related interests in human genetics, epidemiology and medical biotechnology
At the University of Malta, and St. Luke’s / Mater Dei Hospitals, he directed the establishment of the Thalassaemia and Molecular Genetics services and the development of a Molecular Biotechnology Research Program including Human Genomics and the Malta BioBank. His research in Malta has been, in part, funded by competitive awards of the EU framework and other R & D programs.
Professor Felice lists just under 60 manuscripts and research abstracts and international presentations. He is the author of numerous research manuscripts on the genetic disorders of haemoglobin gene control, including thalassaemia, and human molecular genetics.
He is an elected member of several international societies in science, haematology and human genetics.
Research interest: Developmental Genetics of Haemoglobin & Thalassaemia
Selected Publications:
- Borg, J., Patrinos, G.P., Felice, A.E., and Philipsen, S. 2011, “Erythroid phenotypes associated with KLF1 mutations“, Hematologia, vol. 96, no. 5, pp. 635-638.
- Giardine, B., Borg, J., Higgs, D.R., Peterson, K.R., Philipsen, S., Maglott, D., Singleton, B.K., Anstee, D.J., Basak, A.N., Clark, B., Costa, F.C., Faustino, P., Fedosyuk, H., Felice, A.E., Francina, A., Galanello, R., Gallivan, M.V., Georgitsi, M., Gibbons, R.J., Giordano, P.C., Harteveld, C.L., Hoyer, J.D., Jarvis, M., Joly, P., Kanavakis, E., Kollia, P., Menzel, S., Miller, W., Moradkhani, K., Old, J., Papachatzopoulou, A., Papadakis, M.N., Papadopoulos. P., Pavlovic ,S,. Perseu, L., Radmilovic, M., Riemer, C., Satta, S., Schrijver, I., Stojiljkovic, M., Thein, S.L., Traeger-Synodinos, J., Tully, R., Wada, T., Waye, J.S., Wiemann, C., Zukic, B., Chui, D.H., Wajcman, H., Hardison, R.C., Patrinos, G.P. 2011, “Systematic documentation and analysis of human genetic variation in hemoglobinopathies using the microattribution approach.”, Nature Genetics, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 295-301.
- Borg, J., Papadopoulos, P., Georgitsi, M., Gutiérrez, L., Grech, G., Fanis, P., Phylactides, M., Verkerk A.J., van der Spek, P.J., Scerri, C.A., Cassar, W., Galdies, R., van Ijcken, W., Ozgür, Z., Gillemans, N., Hou, J,, Bugeja, M., Grosveld, F,G., von Lindern, M., Felice, A,E., Patrinos, G,P., Philipsen, S. 2010, “Haploinsufficiency for the erythroid transcription factor KLF1 causes hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin.”, Nature Genetics, vol. 42, no. 9, pp. 801-805.
- Capelli, C., Redhead, N., Romano, V., Calì, F., Lefranc, G., Delague, V., Megarbane, A., Felice, A.E., Pascali, V.L., Neophytou, P.I., Poulli, Z., Novelletto, A., Malaspina, P., Terrenato, L., Berebbi, A., Fellous, M., Thomas, M.G., Goldstein, D.B. 2006, “Population structure in the Mediterranean basin: a Y chromosome perspective.”, Annals of Human Genetics, vol. 70 (pt 2), no. 207, pp. 225.
- Neville, R.R.G., Parascandalo, R., Attard Montalto, S., Farrugia, R., and Felice, A.E. 2005, “A Congenital Dopa Responsive Motor Disorder: a Maltese Variant due to Sepiapterin Reductase Deficiency“, Brain, vol. 128, pp. 2291-2296.