Fixed-term researcher

My academic and professional path has been consistently guided by a strong interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), with the aim of identifying novel pharmacological targets and fostering innovative therapeutic strategies. During my PhD in Functional and Applied Genomics and Proteomics at the University of Bari, under the mentorship of Prof. Annamaria De Luca, I investigated the link between metabolic dysfunction and aberrant epigenetic regulation in dystrophic muscle, while actively contributing to preclinical
pharmacological studies and collaborating within the international TREAT-NMD network. In 2019, I spent nine months at Italfarmaco S.p.A., gaining valuable insight into the complementarity between academic and industrial research, while in 2020 I joined Leiden University Medical Center under Prof. Annemieke Aartsma-Rus, acquiring new technical skills before the COVID-19 pandemic forced my early return. As a postdoctoral fellow under Prof. Ornella Cappellari, I have focused on developing innovative 3D in vitro platforms, aligned with the 3Rs principle, to refine preclinical studies in
neuromuscular disorders. Currently, I am a researcher recruited for the MNESYS project at the Department of Pharmacy – Drug Sciences, UNIBA, expanding my expertise in in vivo and ex vivo models of rare neuromuscular diseases. Over time, I have acquired proficiency in a broad range of molecular and cellular techniques, from cell cultures (2D/3D) to protein and gene expression analysis, histological and immunohistochemical methods.
My contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the 29th Prix Galien (2022) for translational research on repurposed dasatinib in DMD, and multiple grants such as from the Duchenne Parent Project Netherlands (2022) and ERC Seeds (2023). With 22 publications, numerous conference contributions, and active mentoring of students, I remain committed to advancing translational research, fostering collaborations, and promoting scientific dissemination to both peers and the broader community.