Role
Assistant Professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology - Research in the Department of Geniturinary Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; Director of the Bone Metastasis Laboratory.
Bio
He obtained a bachelor's degree in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and a master's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan.
In 2011, she moved to the United States to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where she continued her career until becoming an Assistant Professor. At the prestigious Texas institution, she is also a member of the Cancer Biology and Therapeutics and Pharmacology programs of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Since 2023, she has been an associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University. She has been a member of the American Association for Cancer Research since 2009.
The Bone Metastasis Laboratory, which she leads, focuses on the role of the tumor microenvironment in bone metastases from prostate and renal cell carcinomas. Her multidisciplinary and translational approach uses tissue-engineered models and two-photon intravital microscopy , three-dimensional organotypic in vitro systems, ex vivo sample analysis, and computational oncology . These strategies are combined and used to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying metastatic progression and resistance to current therapies, such as radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and kinase inhibition, in order to improve therapeutic options for these life-threatening diseases.