We gather grad and undergrad students in Biotechnology and Life Sciences from Sapienza University. Our research activity is focused on cardiovascular repair mechanisms and the cardiac stroma. In particular we study resident cardiac stromal cells in humans and rodents, and how the microenvironment and/or pathologic conditions can affect their phenotype. Our projects are aimed at cardiac regenerative medicine and tissue engineering approaches, as well as understanding paracrine and cytoprotective mechanisms in cardiac repair. We also study how Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal-Transition, dysmetabolic conditions, cardiovascular risk factors, and the microenvironment can affect stromal cells phenotype, in order to dissect their role in cardiac pathophysiology. Current lab members:
Isotta Chimenti - PI
Francesca Pagano - coPI (IBBC-CNR)
Vittorio Picchio - coPI assistant professor, tenure-track
Erica Floris - postdoc
Claudia Cozzolino - PhD student
Francesca Icolaro - PhD student
