Born in 1997, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology at the University of Perugia, focusing my studies on the release of extracellular vesicles in lysosomal storage disorders using a lipidomic approach.

In 2019, I carried on my academic studies at the University of Florence in the biochemistry laboratory of the Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, where my research primarily centered on the dysregulation of tumor metabolism in prostate and breast carcinoma models. Furthermore, thanks to this experience I was able to extend my studies to the contribution of the immune component in tumor progression, defending a thesis titled “Stromal lactate polarizes macrophages to an adenosine-generating M2-like immunosuppressive phenotype”.

Subsequently, in 2022, I held a one-year research fellowship at the University of Florence, working on a research project titled “Contribution of the endocannabinoid system in the tumor/stroma metabolic symbiosis”. The main aim of this project was to identify the role of the endocannabinoid system in the progression of prostate and breast cancer.

My modest contribution to the world of research has both enthralled and intrigued me, inspiring me to continue to grow, learn, and explore. In this regard, in November 2023, I was selected as the recipient of a scholarship for enrollment in the Doctoral Research program in Biomedicine, Neurosciences, and Advanced Diagnostics (XXXIX Cycle) at the University of Palermo, funded by Ri.MED, under the guidance of Dr. Chiara Cipollina at the National Research Council of Palermo with a research project titled: “Cigarette smoking impact on chronic lung diseases: inflammation, macrophage pyroptosis and fibroblast activation”.

The project actively engaging me today in the laboratories of the Ri.MED Foundation primarily aims to comprehend the innate immune response of macrophages in the context of chronic pulmonary inflammation. Uncontrolled chronic inflammatory conditions represent an unmet clinical need due to various associated pathological aspects. More specifically, we pay particular attention to the study of inflammasomes, gasdermins, and cell death mechanisms. The characterization of these phenomena may promote the identification of additional molecular mechanisms involved, which could, in turn, become targets for new therapeutic approaches.