After graduating from the University of Milan in Italy, I completed my postdoctoral training at the Whitehead Institute at MIT and at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. I have been a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh since 2001, where I am currently Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology.
Teaching
I am the director of the Molecular Pharmacology course for graduate students. I teach in the Biology of Signal Transduction and Principles of Pharmacology courses for graduate students. I have mentored both undergraduate and graduate students.
- B.S. - University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Ph.D. - University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Post-doc – Whitehead Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA
- Post-doc – Albert Eistein College of Medicine, New York City, NY
Education & Training
My research interests center on understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive the development of cellular senescence and how this process contributes to age-related disease. In particular, I am interested in defining the signaling pathways and metabolic changes that promote the transition of stressed or damaged cells into a senescent state, with a focus on how these pathways alter tissue function over time. By studying the molecular events that initiate and sustain senescence, my goal is to identify mechanisms that may be targeted to prevent or modify disease progression.
I am especially interested in the role of cellular senescence in chronic diseases associated with aging, including cancer and lung disease. Senescent cells can influence the surrounding tissue microenvironment through the secretion of inflammatory and pro-tumorigenic factors, thereby contributing to impaired tissue repair, chronic inflammation, and cancer progression. Understanding how senescence shapes these pathological processes may provide new insights into the biology of aging and reveal therapeutic strategies for age-related diseases.