Alessandro Bertero, PhD
Principal Investigator

Alessandro is an Associate Professor of Experimental Biology in the Dept. of Health Sciences and Biotechnology of the University of Torino. He first trained with the late Guido Tarone at the same institution, where he dissected the Melusin signalling pathway in cardiac hypertrophy and graduated for a BSci and an MSci. He then obtained an MRes and a PhD from the University of Cambridge by elucidating how TGF beta signalling controls the early differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells, working in the laboratory of Ludovic Vallier. Alessandro performed his postdoctoral training with Chuck Murry at the University of Washington, where he determined the role of 3D chromatin organization dynamics during human cardiogenesis and in dilated cardiomyopathy. He became a junior faculty member at UW in July 2019. In 2021 Alessandro received the Armenise-Harvard Career Development Award to establish his independent laboratory in Italy.

Elisa Balmas, PhD
​Senior Scientist

Elisa is a senior scientist and the manager of the single cell phenotyping hub (SChub@MBC). Her main focus is developing functional screening platforms based on scRNAseq for the study of congenital heart diseases.

Elisa studied Biotechnology (BSci, 2010) and Medical Biotechnology (MSci, 2013) at the University of Turin. She obtained her PhD at the University of Cambridge (2017) working with Francesco Colucci, and performed her postdoctoral training with Karen Cerosaletti at the Benaroya Research Institute in Seattle. Elisa moved back to Italy in 2021.

Matteo Sorge, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

Matteo Sorge is a postdoctoral scientist joint between the Brancaccio and Bertero labs. His research combines mouse and iPSC models to study the regulation of cardiac metabolism in health and disease.

​Matteo graduated in biotechnology at the University of Aquila and obtained a master in medical biotechnology at the University of Bologna. He performed his doctoral work with Mara Brancaccio at the University of Turin, obtaining his PhD in 2020 with a thesis on the role of Melusin in metabolic regulation of the heart. 

Federica Sozza, MSci
PhD Student

​Federica is a PhD student in Complex Systems for Quantitative Biomedicine. Her project aims to develop and deploy novel CRISPR techniques to understand and engineer cell fate decisions.

She studied at UniTO where she pursued a Bachelor Degree in Biology followed by a Master Degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology and a research fellowship at the IRCCS of Candiolo.

Sveva Bottini, MSci
PhD Student

Sveva is a PhD student in Complex Systems for Quantitative Biomedicine. Her project focuses on the development of an approach for cultured meat with massively lowered production costs.

Sveva studied Biotechnology in Camerino, and moved to UniTO for her Master degree in Molecular Biotechnology and an Advanced Master in Stem Cells, Regenerative medicine, & Cell Factories.

Elisa (Lilli) Hahn, MSci
Visiting Scholar

Lilli is a visiting scholar from Vienna establishing the Mendjan's lab protocol for the differentiation of 3D cardiac organoids from human iPSCs .

Lilli trained as a molecular biologist at the IMP in Vienna, performing her master thesis with Sasha Mendjan. She performed an ERASMUS with Angel Raya in Barcelona, then worked with Georg Winter’s group at the CeMM back in Vienna. 

Giulia Savorè, BSci
Master Student

Giulia is a Master student in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Her thesis project focuses on the role of Melusin in metabolism and mitochondrial function of hiPSC- derived cardiomyocytes.

She obtained her bachelor in Biological Sciences at UniTO.

Maria L. Ratto, BSci
​Master Student

Maria Luisa is Master student in Molecular Biotechnology. She is developing a bioinformatics thesis with Raffaele Calogero, working closely with the Bertero lab for collaborative data analyses.

She obtained her bachelor in Biotechnology at UniTO

Martina Terenzi
​Bachelor Student

Martina is a third year Bachelor student in Biotechnology. Her internship focuses on congenital heart disease modeling with iPSCs.

Michelle Guichardaz
​Bachelor Student

Michelle is a third year Bachelor student in Biotechnology. Her internship revolves on tech dev for both cell therapy & agriculture

You?

We are always eager to hear from interested applicants at all stages of training - check our "join us" page for specific opening

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Lab Alumni

​Gabrielle Nattenberg - Student Assistant & Research Scientist I, 11/19-04/21. Next role: Research Scientist I, University of Washington, USA

Heather Klug - Research Scientist I, 11/19-07/20. Next role: Doctor of Pharmacy Student, University of Colorado, USA