Education & Training

2005: B.S. in Biomolecular Biotechnologies, University of Bologna, Italy

• Thesis: Chiron Vaccines, Siena, Italy (PI: Vincenzo Scarlato)

2007: M.S. in Biomolecular Biotechnologies, University of Bologna, Italy

• Thesis: Max Planck Institute, Goettingen, Germany (PI: Markus Zweckstetter / Christian Griesinger / Stefano Ciurli)

2011: Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, ETH Zuerich, Switzerland (Thesis co-advisors: Hans-Uwe Simon / Beat Meier)
2011-2016: Postdoc, UCLA, Los Angeles, US (PI: David Eisenberg)

Honors & Awards

2005: Bachelor Degree, cum Laude honors
2006: UNIBO Fellowship for Research Training in a Foreign Country
2006: IAESTE – DAAD fellowship
2007: Master Degree, cum Laude honors
2010: Chip Miller Memorial Junior Research Travel Award
2014: AACR-Millennium Fellowship in Prostate Cancer Research
2015: DGSOM Travel Childcare Award
2015: AACR-Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research Scholar-In-Training Award
2015: Hirshberg Foundation Seed Award
2017: Elife Ambassador
2018: Lynda’s Fund Pilot Study Award
2018: Scialog Fellow
2019: ISSNAF / AR-TER Visiting Junior Scientist

Upcoming Talks & Conferences

2020: 27th International Molecular Med Tri-Con, Precision Medicine Track (1-4th March), San Francisco (CA) – Invited Speaker

• Leveraging Tumor Organoids for Functional Precision Medicine Applications

2020: ALSF Virtual Childhood Cancer Lecture (8th May)  – Invited Speaker

• Pediatric Sarcoma Tumor Organoids for Functional Precision Medicine Applications 

Selected Recent Talks

​2012: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meeting: Mechanisms and Models of Cancer
2014: 13th International Summer School: Inflammation, Immunomodulation, Inspiration
2015: AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research: Exploiting Vulnerabilities
2017: NTAP Cutaneous Neurofibroma Investigator Meeting, Baltimore (MD)
2018: CCMT Seminar UPenn / CHOP, Philadelphia (PA)
2018: NF Surgical Meeting, Santa Monica (CA)
2018: Joint Global Neurofibromatosis Conference, Paris (France), November 2-6
2018: Annual ASCB-EMBO Meeting, San Diego (CA), December 8-12
​2019: CSUDH Biology Department Series, Carson (CA), March 14
2019: First Functional Precision Summit, Atlanta (GA), March 30
2019: 9th Global Health Conference: Innovative research, Global Solutions, Miami (FL), May 8
2019: University of Bologna, Bologna (Italy), June 7
2019: Symposium on High-Throughput Screening Technologies at UPenn, Philadelphia (PA), June 27
2019: Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation Innovation Summit, Philadelphia (PA),  24-27th September
2019: Pathology Research Lecture Series (PRLS), University of California San Diego, San Diego (CA), December 9
2020: Inaugural Precision Health Summit, UCLA (6th February), Los Angeles (CA) – Invited Speaker
2020: Research Seminar, CHLA (12th February), Los Angeles (CA) – Invited Speaker