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Legenda
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
09/2023 - present Researcher, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences Mario Serio. University of Florence (Italy), and Visiting scientist in the Centre for Misfolding Diseases (Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge).
01/2019 – 08/2023 WaveBreak Therapeutics (UK): Principal Scientist of the Cell Platform. Built a team from scratch; lead a group of 7 researchers; developed cell systems derived from human stem cells to model neurodegeneration; established high throughput systems for drug discovery; delivered drug efficacy data packages for investors and regulators.
05/2014 – 01/2019 Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge (UK): Research Associate in the groups of Prof. Chris Dobson and Prof. Michele Vendruscolo. Developed a model of stabilized oligomers from the Amyloid-beta peptide; established cultures of immortalized cell line and induced pluripotent stem cell to model protein aggregation; supervision of students; set up collaborations with other academic groups; talk and poster presentations in international conferences.
09/2012 – 12/2012 and 10/2013 – 01/2014 CABIMER Andalusian Centre for Molecular Biology & Regenerative Medicine, CSIC-University of Seville (Spain): FEBS short-term fellowship and EMBO short-term fellowship in the lab of Prof. David Pozo Pérez and Dr Cintia Roodveldt. Investigated the immunogenicity of protein misfolded oligomers in microglia cells; expertise in immortalized cell cultures, ELISA, qPCR, proteomics.
02/2009 – 03/2013 University of Florence: Master’s student in Biological Sciences (highest distinction 110/110 cum laude) and PhD student in Biochemistry and Applied Biology in the lab of Prof. Fabrizio Chiti. Investigated the structure-activity relationship of protein misfolded oligomers; expertise in biophysics, biochemistry, protein purification; supervision of students; set up international collaborations; talk and poster presentations in international conferences.
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
09/2015 Winner of the SIB Medal Award 2015 from SIB (Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology).
12/2014 Winner of the 2nd edition of the Angelo Marai Award from ASIS (Associazione Studi sull’Industria della Salute) and Fondazione Carlo Erba for the most innovative contribution in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.
10/2013 – 01/2014 Winner of an EMBO scientific exchange grant (EMBO fellowship - ASTF 450–2013) for a three months project in the lab of Prof. David Pozo Pérez and Dr Cintia Roodveldt, CABIMER, Seville (Spain).
09/2012 – 12/2012 Winner of a FEBS short-term fellowship and of an EMBO short-term fellowship (EMBO fellowship - ASTF 393 – 2012- not used) for a three months project in the lab of Prof. David Pozo Pérez and Dr Cintia Roodveldt, CABIMER, Seville (Spain).
02/2010 – present Member of SIB (Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
TALKS AND CONGRESSES
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
05-07/2018 Consultant for the establishment of a cell platform for drug discovery at WaveBreak Therapeutics (United Kingdom).
11/2015 Organizer of the 3rd annual meeting of the Centre for Misfolding Diseases in Cambridge (United Kingdom)
02/2014 – 03/2014 Istituto Comprensivo Piero Cironi in Prato (Italy): intermediate school teacher of mathematics, geometry and science.
04/2013 – 05/2013 Liceo Scientifico Niccolò Copernico in Prato (Italy): high school teacher of natural sciences, chemistry, geography, microbiology.
12/2011 – 10/2012 University of Florence (Italy): web editor of the website of the Degree Course in Mathematics and assistant to the Head of Mathematics and Head of Computer Science.
01/2010 – present University of Florence (Italy) and University of Cambridge (UK): thesis supervision. Supervision of undergraduate and PhD students.
PUBLICATIONS AND LINKS
ORCID
Researchgate
Google Scholar
Centre for Misfolding Diseases, University of Cambridge
London Stem Cell Network
LinkedIn
Neuroscience; protein misfolding and aggregation linked to diseases; neurodegeneration; structure and biological activity relationship; iPSC-derived model systems; cell systems for drug discovery; translation to humans.