Siena, Tuscany, Italy
I have always been a curious person. As a kid, the toys and TV shows that would catch my attention would be those that could teach me how a certain thing or process work. I would often attend courses out of pure curiosity, and my interests ranged from candle making and decoupage till the human body - what a fascinating well-oiled machine! Growing up, I chose a BSc that could make me understand well the human anatomy. In/Fun fact, I ended up doing an internship at a morgue doing autopsies, and that was probably one of the most exciting periods of my life. When the opportunity to choose a profession that suits my personality presented itself I immediately recognized it, and starting a career with Research was like landing on gold mine. I got to ask and answer questions, and get payed for it... What a dream! Having walked a path that provided me both maturity and expertise, I am now passionately dedicating my career to bridging critical gaps in the realm of vaccines for Global Health. By integrating strategic access considerations into early-stage research, I aim to ensure that life-saving vaccines are not only developed but also accessible to those who need them most, fostering a healthier and more equitable world. I am a very social, enthusiastic and energized person with clear communicative skills. I get stimulated by working with others to achieve common goals, and I am able to motivate and inspire people. I can be found working with projects that give me a sense of purpose, those with a positive impact on people, organizations, and society at large.
Expert in molecular biology and microbiology, dedicated to advancing preclinical research of innovative vaccines aimed at improving Global Health. I am a proud part of a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment to combat infectious diseases and enhance public health outcomes worldwide.
A two years programme that aims to build a pipeline of leading scientists with the right expertise and technical capabilities to drive the future of vaccines research and development at the GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH). I am the core contributor in a project to develop preclinical studies for innovative mRNA vaccines against viral pathogens affecting low and middle-income countries.
With a pioneer work, I identified and fully characterized the mechanism that the flavivirus TBEV evolved to escape the human innate immune response that involves stress granules formation. • Virus isolation, expansion and quantification in biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) environment; • I developed, executed and interpreted complex confocal microscopy assays; • Modulated cell gene expression using techniques like shRNA and production of stable cell lines overexpressing proteins of interest using lentiviruses; • Established protocol for RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization (RNA-FISH) and analyzed at single cell level the occurrence of specific mRNA at early time points of TBEV infection; • Implemented in the Lab the reverse genetic system for production of mCherry-labelled recombinant viruses; • I was elected and served as President of the student's board (2019-2021). I organized academic and extracurricular activities, intermediated negotiations with the different committees and unified a collection of PhD students with more than 25 nationalities. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, I: • Isolated and cloned hACE2 receptor and generated diverse cells lines overexpressing the protein to allow SARS-CoV2 infection of previously uninfectable cells lines. With this tool it was possible to perform collaborations with multidisciplinary groups in projects such as establishing a fluorescence-based high-throughput screening assay of antivirals for SARS-CoV-2, that yielded several peer-reviewed publications; • Characterized the in house generated anti-Spike monoclonal antibody with immunofluorescence and established the RNA-FISH protocol targeting SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid gene; • Evaluated viral load and cytoplasmatic distribution of viral proteins on different primary tissues of the respiratory tract of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients using RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization.
Mentoring program aimed at stimulating and supporting mobility of highly skilled professionals from academia to industry. "REBECA wants to facilitate that young researchers from all over Europe reflect on their options beyond academia. During 6 months, the mentoring programme will put in touch early stage researchers working in European academic institutions with highly skilled professionals working in Europe in industry, management, and other sectors beyond academia related with science, engineering, mathematics, social science and humanities disciplines to support these researchers in their professional career and personal growth."
Focus on selection and characterization of DNA aptamers for development of cheaper, yet specific and efficient, aptamer-based diagnostic kits for infectious diseases. • Performed protein design, expression and purification; • Identified various DNA aptamers using the SELEX method for diverse antigens of ie. Zika virus and MRSA; • Biochemically characterized aptamers, and validated their binding to target proteins, with techniques such as spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and surface plasmon ressonance; • I interacted with interdisciplinary research groups and departments to perform diverse assays; • Organized and directly reported results for internal and external collaborations; • Assisted on fundings prospection, resources management and acquisition of equipment, reagents and consumables, respecting budget and demands of Brazilian Ministry of Health and/or private funds. I had my first contact with Virology there and I decided to invest in a journey to study it abroad.
I proposed an awarded target-directed treatment to be used in synergy with radiotherapy against breast cancer, aiming at reducing the dose of radiation and improving the patient's quality of life. • Constructed a DNA aptamer-based drug complex; • Developed methodologies for characterization of binding and internalization of the complex in mammalian cell lines, with techniques such as flow cytometry and confocal microscopy; • Coordinated collaboration with a private company to perform gamma irradiation of living cells treated with the aptamer-based drug complex using a linear accelerator. During this experience, I interacted with a renowned Researcher working with DNA aptamers in Biomanguinhos/Fiocruz. He invited me to join his group by the end of my MSc.