Phd in MOLECULAR MEDICINE

email: valentina.silvestri@uniroma1.it
phone: 0649918266
building: Istituto di Patologia Generale

PRESENT POSITION:
Assistant professor (Researcher RTDB) MED/04

DEPARTMENT: Molecular Medicine

EDUCATION AND CAREER
2022 – Present: Assistant professor (RTDB) SSD MED/04 – Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome.
2019-2023: Residency in Medical Genetics, Sapienza University of Rome
2022: Fondazione Umberto Veronesi Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome
2021: National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor, SC 06/A2-MED/04
2020: National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor, SC 06/N1-MED/46
2016 – 2022: Research fellow, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome
2014: Visiting fellow, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge (UK)
2014: Postgraduate Course in Bioinformatics: biomedical and pharmaceutical applications cum laude, Sapienza University of Rome
2013: Advanced Training Course in Statistical Methods for biomedical research, Sapienza University of Rome 2013 – 2015: FIRC (Italian Founding for Cancer Research) fellow at Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome
2009 – 2012: Ph.D. in Dermatology, Anatomy, Plastic Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome
2007 – 2009: Second level Degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology cum laude, Sapienza University of Rome
2003 – 2007: First level Degree in Biological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome

MOST RELEVANT RESEARCH LINES
• Genomic screening of cancer patients by NGS (Next generation sequencing) for the identification of cancer susceptibility genes.
• Investigation of common genetic variants in the susceptibility of tumors by GWAS (Genome Wide Association Studies).
• Development of Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) models for accurate cancer risk prediction.
• Characterization of the cancer spectrum and risk estimates associated with cancer susceptibility genes, including BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2.
• Tumor profiling for the characterization of genetic and epigenetic signatures by genome, transcriptome and DNA methylome analysis.

COLLABORATIONS
• Italian Multicenter Study on Male Breast Cancer (PI: Laura Ottini, Sapienza University of Rome)
• Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA) (PI: Antonis C. Antoniou, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK, and Georgia Chenevix-Trench, Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Australia)
• PALB2 interest group (PI: Marc Tischkowitz, Department of Medical Genetics, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, and Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, University of Cambridge, UK)

FIVE SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1. Li S*, Silvestri V*, et al. Cancer Risks Associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 Pathogenic Variants. J Clin Oncol. 2022 Jan 25:JCO2102112. doi: 10.1200/JCO.21.02112 (*co-first authors).
2. Silvestri V, Leslie G, Barnes DR; and the CIMBA Group. Characterization of the Cancer Spectrum in Men With Germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 Pathogenic Variants: Results From the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA). JAMA Oncol. 2020 Aug 1;6(8):1218-1230. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.2134.
3. Lecarpentier J*, Silvestri V*, et al. Prediction of Breast and Prostate Cancer Risks in Male BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers Using Polygenic Risk Scores. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Jul 10;35(20):2240-2250. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2016.69.4935. (*co-first authors).
4. Silvestri V, Zelli V, Valentini V, Rizzolo P, Navazio AS, Coppa A, Agata S, Oliani C, Barana D, Castrignanò T, Viel A, Russo A, Tibiletti MG, Zanna I, Masala G, Cortesi L, Manoukian S, Azzollini J, Peissel B, Bonanni B, Peterlongo P, Radice P, Palli D, Giannini G, Chillemi G, Montagna M, Ottini L. Whole-exome sequencing and targeted gene sequencing provide insights into the role of PALB2 as a male breast cancer susceptibility gene. Cancer. 2017 Jan 1;123(2):210-218. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30337.
5. Silvestri V, Rizzolo P, Scarnò M, Chillemi G, Navazio AS, Valentini V, Zelli V, Zanna I, Saieva C, Masala G, Bianchi S, Manoukian S, Barile M, Pensotti V, Peterlongo P, Varesco L, Tommasi S, Russo A, Giannini G, Cortesi L, Viel A, Montagna M, Radice P, Palli D, Ottini L. Novel and known genetic variants for male breast cancer risk at 8q24.21, 9p21.3, 11q13.3 and 14q24.1: results from a multicenter study in Italy. Eur J Cancer. 2015 Nov;51(16):2289-95. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2015.07.020.