Alessandro Bertero, PhD
Principal Investigator
Alessandro leads the Harvard-Armenise Laboratory of Genome Architecting at the Molecular Biotechnology Center "Guido Tarone" and is an Associate Professor of Experimental Biology in the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences 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 in Seattle, where he determined the role of 3D chromatin organization dynamics during human cardiogenesis and in dilated cardiomyopathy. In 2021 Alessandro received the Armenise-Harvard Career Development Award to establish his laboratory in Italy.
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 in Seattle, where he determined the role of 3D chromatin organization dynamics during human cardiogenesis and in dilated cardiomyopathy. In 2021 Alessandro received the Armenise-Harvard Career Development Award to establish his laboratory in Italy.
Elisa Balmas, PhD
Senior Staff Scientist
Elisa is a senior staff scientist and the manager of the single cell phenotyping hub (scpHUB@MBC). She oversees the development and implementation of genomics method and the related bioinformatic pipelines, focusing on their application to study the molecular bases of congenital heart disease.
Elisa studied biotechnology (BSci, 2010) and medical biotechnology (MSci, 2013) at UniTo. 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 joined the Bertero lab in 2021.
Elisa studied biotechnology (BSci, 2010) and medical biotechnology (MSci, 2013) at UniTo. 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 joined the Bertero lab in 2021.
Kirsten Snijders, PhD
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Łukasz Truszkowski, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow 
Łukasz is a postdoctoral scientist investigating liquid-liquid phase separation in inter-chromosomal RNA factories using genome-edited iPSC models and super-resolution live imaging.
Łukasz studied biotechnology (BSci, 2012) and medical biotechnology (MSci, 2015) at the University of Warsaw in Poland, spending a year as trainee at the University of Chicago. He then pursued a PhD in developmental biology in the lab of Erez Raz at the University of Münster in Germany. |
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Elisabeth Wyart, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow |
Federica Sozza, MSci
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Elisabeth is a postdoctoral scientist investigating 3D chromatin structure dynamics using super-resolution live imaging applied to genetically engineered hiPSC models.
Elisabeth studied cell and molecular biology (BSc, 2014) and biotechnology (MSc, 2016) at the University of Lille in France. She then pursued a PhD in the lab of Paolo Porporato at the UniTo. |
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
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Giulia Savorè, MSci
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Sveva is a PhD student in complex systems for quantitative biomedicine. Her project focuses on the development of an approach for cultivated meat with massively lowered production costs.
Sveva studied biotechnology in Camerino, and moved to UniTO for her master degree in molecular miotechnology and an advanced master in stem cells, regenerative medicine, & cell factories. |
Giulia is a PhD student in molecular medicine. Her project focuses on dissecting the structural bases for the cardioprotective functions of the muscle specific protein Melusin.
She studied at UniTO where she pursued her bachelor degree in biological sciences followed by a master degree in cellular and molecular biology, graduating with an experimental thesis on the metabolic function of Melusin. |
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Silvia Becca, MSci
PhD Student |
Maria L. Ratto, MSci
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Silvia is a PhD student in molecular medicine. Her project aims to model congenital heart defect in organoid models in order to understand the underlying mechanisms at the chromatin topology level.
She studied at the University of Bologna, obtaining a bachelor degree in biotechnology and a master degree in pharmaceutical biotechnology, performing an internship at the University of Cambridge with Ludovic Vallier. |
Maria Luisa is a PhD student in complex systems for quantitative biomedicine. She is co-supervised by Raffaele Calogero, and is developing bioinformatics methods for single cell genomics.
She obtained her bachelor degree in biotechnology and master degree in molecular biotechnology at UniTo, graduating with an experimental thesis on single cell genomics analytical methods. |
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Francesca Amodeo, MSci
Research Associate 
Francesca is a pre-doctoral research associate focusing on the optimization of inducible overexpression methods to program stem cell fate.
Francesca studied biotechnology and medical biotechnology at UniTo, graduating with a thesis on the regenerative effects of bone marrow MSCs on cholangiocyte organoids in a model of cholestatic induced-injury. |
Nicole D'Elia, MSci
Research Associate 
Nicole is a pre-doctoral research associate focusing on the implementation of combinatorial CRISPR approaches to program cell fate
Nicole studied biological sciences at University of Oriental Piedmont and experimental and applied Biology at University of Pavia, graduating with a thesis on the effect of chronic β-adrenergic stimulation in hiPSC-CMs. |
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Sara Bianchi
Bachelor Student 
Sara is a Bachelor student in Biotechnology. She is training in genomics and bioinformatic methods to study chromatin structure-function.
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Irene Ricca, BSci
Bachelor Student 
Irene is a Bachelor student in Biotechnology. She is training in genetic screens using hiPSC models
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You?
We are always eager to hear from interested applicants at all stages of training - check our "join us" page for specific opening
Lab Alumni
Marilù (Lù) Casini - Postdoctoral Fellow, 05/24-08/25, Next role: Medical Science Liaison, Chiesi Farmaceutici, IT
Giuseppe Giannino - Clinical Cardiology Resident, 01/24-12/24, Next role: Clinical PhD Student, UniTo, IT
Michelle Guichardaz - Bachelor and Master Student, 10/21-9/24, Next role: PhD Student, RBM/Merck - UniTo, IT
Martina Terenzi - Bachelor and Master Student, 10/21-9/24, Next role: Research Associate, RBM/Merck, IT
Matteo Sorge - Postdoctoral Fellow (co-mentored with Mara Brancaccio), 2/22-7/24, Next role: Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, UniTo
Martina Arricale - Bachelor Student, 9/23-7/24. Next role: Master Student, University of Firenze, IT
Borislav Hristov - Postdoctoral Fellow (co-mentored with Bill Noble), 1/23-4/24, Next role: Assistant Professor, Cal Poly, USA
Elisa Maria Hahn - Pre-doctoral Research Associate, 2/23-9/23. Next role: PhD Student, Trivedi Lab, EMBL Barcelona, ES
Marilù (Lù) Casini - Postdoctoral Fellow, 05/24-08/25, Next role: Medical Science Liaison, Chiesi Farmaceutici, IT
Giuseppe Giannino - Clinical Cardiology Resident, 01/24-12/24, Next role: Clinical PhD Student, UniTo, IT
Michelle Guichardaz - Bachelor and Master Student, 10/21-9/24, Next role: PhD Student, RBM/Merck - UniTo, IT
Martina Terenzi - Bachelor and Master Student, 10/21-9/24, Next role: Research Associate, RBM/Merck, IT
Matteo Sorge - Postdoctoral Fellow (co-mentored with Mara Brancaccio), 2/22-7/24, Next role: Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, UniTo
Martina Arricale - Bachelor Student, 9/23-7/24. Next role: Master Student, University of Firenze, IT
Borislav Hristov - Postdoctoral Fellow (co-mentored with Bill Noble), 1/23-4/24, Next role: Assistant Professor, Cal Poly, USA
Elisa Maria Hahn - Pre-doctoral Research Associate, 2/23-9/23. Next role: PhD Student, Trivedi Lab, EMBL Barcelona, ES