Since June 2025, I am Associate Professor of General Pathology at Sapienza University of Rome.

I earned my BSc in 2004 and my MSc in 2007 at Sapienza University of Rome, qualifying as a Molecular Biologist. I completed my PhD in Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine in 2011. Following my doctoral training, I carried out my early postdoctoral activity with the support of fellowships from the Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti and the Italian Foundation for Cancer Research (FIRC). I subsequently held a postdoctoral position at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) from 2016 to 2019. From 2019 to 2025, I served as Assistant Professor, first as fixed-term (RTDA) and then as tenure-track (RTDB), at the Department of Molecular Medicine of Sapienza University of Rome.

My research aims to translate fundamental discoveries in DNA damage response and neuronal biology into innovative therapeutic strategies for cancer and genetic diseases. A major focus of my work has been the identification of clinically actionable vulnerabilities in MYCN-driven tumors. I have demonstrated that deregulated replicative stress is a key dependency of these cancers, providing a strong biological rationale for targeted and combinatorial treatments that selectively impair tumor growth.

Through my publications, I have shown that the MRN complex and NBS1 are essential for tumor cell proliferation, yet when partially insufficient, these proteins act as tumor suppressors. I have contributed to establish experimental lines to study neuronal progenitors (GCPs) and have acquired extensive expertise in generating murine models for both tumor development and human disease, including models of Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome. These platforms allow me to investigate neuronal biology, tumorigenesis, and the effects of therapeutic interventions in a physiologically relevant context.

My research interests now include:

• Investigation of non-canonical roles of DDR proteins (including the MRN complex) in primary ciliogenesis and cytoskeletal regulation.

• Exploration of the replicative stress response as a therapeutic target in MYCN-dependent neuronal tumors;

• Integration of clinical and molecular data to improve classification and management of “difficult-to-treat” Basal Cell Carcinoma.