Dottorato in BIOLOGIA UMANA E GENETICA MEDICA

Ricerca: Modeling of patient-specific drug response in cystic fibrosis via nasal organoids

1/11/2024- CURRENT Rome, Italy
PhD in HUMAN BIOLOGY AND MEDICAL GENETICS, Università La Sapienza
I conduct my research activity at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, within the Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine under the coordination of the dr. Adriana Eramo.
My project, titled ‘Modeling of patient-specific drug response in cystic fibrosis via nasal organoids’, aims to investigate individualized pharmacological responses in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), with a particular focus on rare pathogenic variants of the CFTR gene that are not yet eligible for approved effective therapies. The overall objective is to generate in vitro models of the respiratory epithelium derived from patients’ nasal epithelial stem cells and to test the efficacy of CFTR modulators in these models, in order to contribute to the development of personalized therapeutic strategies.

06/05/2024 – 31/10/2024 Rome, Italy
RESEARCH FELLOW, ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI SANITÀ
Translational research: Theratyping Cystic Fibrosis in vitro in ALI culture and organoid models generated from patient-derived nasal epithelial conditionally reprogrammed stem cells. Evaluation of the response to CFTR modulator drugs for the restoration of CFTR function in rare CFTR genotypes.
Department Oncology and Molecular Medicine

03/2023 – 03/2024 Rome, Italy
M.SC. INTERNSHIP ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI SANITÀ
Generation of cultures of conditionally reprogrammed stem cells of the airways from the nasal epithelium of patients with cystic fibrosis for evaluation of the response to CFTR modulator drugs and correlation with the genetic profile (theratyping).
Department Oncology and Molecular Medicine

04/2021 – 09/2021 Rome , Italy
B.SC. INTERNSHIP ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI SANITÀ
Translational research: in vitro expansion of conditionally reprogrammed airways stem cells generation of differentiated respiratory cell models (3D organoids and 2D cultures); analysis of CFTR expression, function and pharmacological correction.
Department Oncology and Molecular Medicine

EDUCATION
10/2021 – 03/2024 Verona, Italy
MASTER'S DEGREE IN MOLECULAR AND MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY Università degli studi di Verona
Final grade 110/110
Thesis: Nasal epithelial stem cells-based in vitro models for the study of Cystic Fibrosis: assessment of pharmacological response to clinically used and experimental drugs.

10/2018 – 06/2021 Ferrara, Italy
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN BIOTECHNOLOGY Università degli studi di Ferrara
Thesis: Respiratory stem cell-based in vitro models for assessing the effectiveness of personalized pharmacological therapies for Cystic Fibrosis.

ABROAD EXPERIENCES
2023 – 2024
Erasmus + Studio
Universidade Catolica Potuguesa (UCP), Porto, Portugal.
2016 – 2016
Comenius Project: Three- months scholar exchange; Michelstadt, Germany.
2014 – 2014
Comenius Project: Three-months scholar exchange; Chateau-Gontier, France.

LABORATORY TECHNICAL SKILLS
Primary cell cultures
Airways organoid generation and pharmacological assays
Preparation of protein lysates and immunoblot analysis
Differentiation of respiratory cells and drug treatment
Microscopy images acquisition and data analysis

Certifications
• Cambridge English Certificate (B2,First);
• French EsaBac Diploma.