Presenting Author
Drexel University
Education:
Alessia graduated with her BSc in Biological Sciences from “Sapienza” University of Rome (Italy) in 2013. She received summa cum laude her master’s in Biology for Molecular, Cellular and Pathophysiological Research from “Roma Tre” University of Rome (Italy) in 2016 and her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology in January 2020, also at “Roma Tre” University of Rome. Alessia joined the Lane Lab as a postdoc in March 2020.
Current research:
Building on her experience in human stem cells culture and cellular engineering, she is now studying cellular therapies for repair following spinal cord injury (SCI). SCI results in the loss of neurons and glia with accompanied reactive gliosis and tissue scarring, preventing significant endogenous repair. Using a rat model of cervical SCI, she is testing the hypothesis that activated resident astrocytes known to partition the cavity that develops after injury, can be reprogrammed directly into neurons by overexpression of neurogenic transcription factors. Also, based on the important role of the glial restricted progenitors (GRPs) to promote repair of the chronically injured phrenic network, she is working in the generation of human GRP (h-GRPs) from human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs).
Research interests:
Spinal cord injury, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), Embryonic stem cells (ESCs),Reprogramming, Cell Transplantation, Neurons, Neuroplasticity