Gli studenti PhD

Valentina Grossi
BSc Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Università della Calabria
Unit of Genomic Approaches to Membrane Traffic - Michele Sallese MSc, PhD.
I am a thourth year Ph.D. student. My research project has been recently funded by the Italian association for Cancer Research (AIRC). It is aimed at highlighting the role of a new traffic-induced signalling cascade, recently identified in our research unit, in the regulation of tumour cell invasion. At the end of my PhD, I would like to continue my scientific carrier in Italy or abroad working in the field of translational cancer research.

Kristyna Bicanova
Master in Biology, University of Prague
Laboratory of Tumour Cell Invasion - Roberto Buccione, MSc, PhD.
I arrived to Abruzzo thanks to Marie Curie Early Researcher Fellowship. I work on revealing the morpho-functional basis of the highly organized structure and function of invadopodia in tumour cells. Specifically, I will study the role of cholesterol-interacting protein caveolin 1 and membrane lipids in cytoskeletal organization and ECM degradation at invadopodia. In addition, I plan to extend the observed effects in other invasion-related cell behaviours, such as motility, and in 3D settings.

Paolo Ciufici
BSc Medical Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila
Laboratory of Tumour Cell Invasion - Roberto Buccione, MSc, PhD.
The purpose of my PhD project is to further elucidate the role in tumor progression of Fgd1, a RhoGEF with high specificity on the small GTPase Cdc42, involved in invadopodia formation and ECM degradation, by better understanding its cell biology, phosphorylation profile and potential interactors, thus contributing towards identifying regulatory connections.

Simone Di Paola
BSc Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples "Federico II"
Laboratory of G-Protein-Mediated Signalling, Dr. Maria Di Girolamo
My PhD project is focused on intracellular ADP-ribosylation, one of the several post-translational modifications of proteins. In particular, my project is aimed at the identification of novel intracellular ADP-ribosylated substrates and at the charactersation of the novel enzymes involved in this reaction. Once obtained my PhD I would like to continue my scientific career spending a period as a Post-Doc in the United States or in the UK.

Veronica Scurti
BSc Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Chieti
Laboratory of Pharmacoepidemiology, Dr. Marilena Romero
I work in the Laboratory of Pharmacoepidemiology in which I follow study of pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance with the main aim of monitoring drug use, with a particular attention to evaluate tolerability of drugs. My PhD programme objective is to involve directly patients in the evaluation of benefits/risks profile of drugs: patients have to be considered as “experts” of their diseases and of treatments received. They could describe effectiveness and real acceptability of eventual side effects.



