About me
I am a Molecular Cell Biologist devoted to bridge the 'translational gap' between basic and clinical research. I have joined the University of Leeds as part of the 250 Great Minds University Programme to lead the Cell Signalling and Cancer Research Group in the Leeds Institute of Medical Research, one of the biggest research institutes in the Faculty of Medicine and Health.
I have studied Molecular Biology and received my doctorate in Experimental Medicine from University of L'Aquila in Italy. During my doctoral training, I had the great opportunity to join the laboratory of Professor Guido Franzoso at Ben May Institute of Cancer Research at University of Chicago in USA and study the molecular mechanisms controlling cell death (also know as apoptosis). A subject that I was very passionate about during my master studies. I also enjoyed living in Chicago, where I spent eight years first as a graduate student and then as a postdoc. The city had so much to offer: walks, picnics and bike rides by the lake in summer; and sipping a hot cup of American coffee and watching Christmas lights and crowds of people by the Michigan Avenue during the freezing (-17°C) windy winters.
In 2009, I have been awarded a prestigious Brain-Gain Start-up Grant from the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC). This award was the step-stone to start my independent research career as Visiting Professor at Sapienza University Rome while establishing my own research group at Imperial College London first and then at the Institute of Hepatology London. In 2021, I was promoted to Associate Professor in the School of Medicine at University of Leeds.
I am driven by a passionate curiosity to understand the molecular basis of malignant disease to inform the search for clinical solutions. The discovery of novel molecular targets and innovative cancer therapeutics in areas where medical needs are greatest is therefore my primary research focus. Research expertise is in:
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Solid tumours, especially breast, liver-gastro and brain cancers;
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Onco-haematology, including lymphoma, leukaemia and especially myeloma.
By using interdisciplinary approaches combining pre-clinical, biochemical and structural methods we aim to identify novel targets that are responsible for cancer survival, spread and development.
In addition of being an active researcher, I a member of the editorial boards of several scientific journals to manage the publication of submitted manuscripts by selecting and inviting scientific reviewers, monitoring the work of the reviewers and taking final acceptance/rejection decisions.
Current Editorial appointments:
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Associate Editor, Cancer Gene Therapy (Nature Portfolio)
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Associate Editor, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental (Frontiers Media)
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Editorial Board Member, Oncogene (Nature Portfolio)
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Editorial Board Member, Oncogenesis (Nature Portfolio)
I am also serving on the committee review panels of charitable organisations (Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK) and governmental agencies granting research funding, including Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of the UK Research and Innovation funding agency investing in science and research
SHORT BIO
POSITIONS & APPOINTMENTS
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08/2021 - present Associate Professor in Cancer Research, University of Leeds, UK.
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05/2016 - 07/2021 University Academic Fellow (Assistant Professor) in Cancer Research, University of Leeds, UK.
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03/2016 - 01/2017 Consultant Biologist, Kesios Pharmaceutical Ltd, London, UK
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12/2010 - 04/2016 Group Leader, Institute of Hepatology, Birkbeck, University of London, UK.
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12/2010 - present Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, UK
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04/2008 - 11/2010 Senior Research Fellow, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK
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04/2004 - 03/2008 Senior Research Assistant, Ben May Institute for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, USA.
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04/2000 - 03/2003 Research Assistant, Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research, University of Chicago, USA
COMMITTEE REVIEW PANELS
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Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Pool of Experts. Learn More >>
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Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK, Research Review Committee. Learn More >>
MEMBER OF EDITORIAL BOARDS
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Cancer Gene Therapy, Associate Editor. Learn More >>
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ONCOGENE, Editorial Board Member and Receiving Editor. Learn More >>
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PLOS|ONE, Academic Editor. Learn More >>
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ONCOGENESIS, Editorial Board Member. Learn More >>
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American Journal of Cancer Research, Associate Editor. Learn More >>
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Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, Associate Editor in Molecular and Cellular Oncology and Signalling. Learn More >>
PERSONAL AWARDS
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2015 Award 'Best Oral Presentation', Digestive Disorders Federation (DDF) International Meeting, London, UK.
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2013 Award for Excellence in Basic Science, British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL) Meeting, London, UK.
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2009 Brain-Gain AIRC Start-up, Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC), host: 'Sapienza' University of Rome, Italy.
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2009 Cancer Researcher Award Lecture, European Association Cancer Research (EACR) Meeting, Cambridge, UK.
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2008 Grant-in-aid for Meeting Attendance, EMBO Workshop, Capri (Naples), Italy.
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2004 PhD studentship, Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR).
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2003 Award 'Best Oral Presentation', Committee on Immunology, The University of Chicago, Delaware, WI, USA.
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1997 Undergraduate Studentship, University of L’Aquila, Italy, Dean Office, Faculty of Science.
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1996 Undergraduate Studentship, University of L’Aquila, Italy, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science.
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1995 Undergraduate Studentship, University of L’Aquila, Italy, Dean Office, Faculty of Science.
PUBLICATIONS
click on Find out more to discover my full list of publications