PhD in CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

email: francesca.nazio@uniroma2.it
phone: 0672594242
building: SOGENE
room: 242

Education and training

2008-2011 PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology at University of Rome Tor Vergata

2006-2008 Master Degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology at University of Rome Tor Vergata

Employment

2022-to present Assistant Professor, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Department of Biology

2019-2022 Junior PI, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital

2017-2019 Post Doc, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

2016 Salary Grant at University of Rome Tor Vergata

2012-2015 Post Doc at Santa Lucia Foundation, Neuroembriology Unit

Teaching

2023-present Lecturer at University of Rome “Tor Vergata”- Department of Biology in "Developmental Biology"

BIO/06 (6 CFU)

2017-present Lecturer at University of Rome “Tor Vergata”- Department of Biology in "Post-translational

modifications of proteins in pathophysiology and oncology" BIO/06 (2 CFU)

2021 Lecturer at University of “Roma Tre” in “Molecular Neurobiology” BIO/06

2020 Lecturer for American students in “Human Anatomy II with laboratories” at “Lorenzo dei Medici Institute”

https://ldminstitute.com

Honours

2023-present Person in charge of the “Erasmus Programme” at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”;

2017-2027 Awarded of the National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor in “Anatomia comparata e

citologia” BIO/06 for the disciplinary field of 05/B2

2018 Invited as Discussant Leader in the Next Gordon Conference "Autophagy in Stress, Development and Disease

(GRS) Gordon Research Seminar, Lucca.

2008 Awarded FILAS S.P.A. fellowship for graduated students in the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.

2008 Prize for the "Best Graduated Students" of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.

Ongoing Research Supports:

2024-present Award from “Fondazione Roche per la Ricerca Indipendente” entitled “Unravelling new strategies for

boosting Natural Killer cell-mediated targeting of medulloblastoma”

2023-present Principal investigator in “My First AIRC Grant” (500000 euros) “Dissecting the role of mitochondria in

medulloblastoma stem cells dissemination and radiotherapy resistance

2023-present Principal investigator in PRIN PNRR from Italian Ministry of University and Research entitled “Exploiting

dysregulation of autophagy and RNA splicing to overcome the immune-suppressive microenvironment of

medulloblastoma”

2022-present Young Investigator Award in Pediatric Oncology Drug Development from “CureSearch for Children

Cancer” (225000 $) entitled “Targeting autophagy to boost the immune response against medulloblastoma”.

2021-present PI in “Giovani Ricercatori Starting Grant 2019” from Italian Ministry of Health (450000 euros)

“Autophagy manipulation as a novel strategy for stimulating the immune response in neuroblastoma”

Professional Responsibilities

Member of the Editorial Board of “Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research” (2023)

Review Editor on the Editorial Board of Cancer Molecular Targets and Therapeutics (specialty section of Frontiers in

Oncology and Frontiers in Pharmacology) from 2022.

Associate Guest Editor in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology - Molecular Medicine. Research Topic:

“Molecular Mechanisms of Selective Autophagy in Human Disease”

Research interests

During my PhD and postdoctoral studies, I have developed outstanding skills in cellular and molecular biology of autophagy. Actually, I am interested in studying the mechanisms regulating autophagy-related mechanisms and therapy-resistance in pediatric cancers such as medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma, by means of basic research methodologies, preclinical mouse models and CAR-T/NK technology.