Throughout my academic journey, I have been fascinated by the molecular functions of RNA in neuronal cells. The idea that RNA is much more than a simple carrier of genetic information, that it actively regulates a wide range of cellular processes, has been a constant source of scientific curiosity and motivation. From this perspective, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play a pivotal role in controlling RNA metabolism and function. The strong association between mutations in RBPs and several neurological disorders further highlights their biological and clinical importance.

After earning a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology and a Master's degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology, I joined the PhD program in Genetics and Molecular Biology at Sapienza University of Rome. During my doctoral research, I investigated the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation in regulating the dynamics of physiological and pathological biomolecular condensates known as stress granules (SGs), with a particular focus on mutant FUS-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Hallegger Group, where I study the molecular interplay between the RNA-binding protein TDP-43 and RNA in neuronal cells. By developing novel iPSC-derived neuronal models of TDP-43-related ALS, we aim to investigate how different disease-associated variants exhibit distinct aggregation behaviours. More importantly, our work seeks to uncover how RNA influences these aggregation processes, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), in which TDP-43 aggregation is a defining pathological hallmark.