Biographical Sketch
Marta is a PhD student on Fabiola Terzi’s team at the University of Paris. Originally, she is from Milan (Italy) where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from Milano-Bicocca University. During her studies, she had the opportunity to move to Spain for a semester to study at University of Castilla La-Mancha. As part of the experimental work of her Bachelor’s thesis, she did an internship in the Experimental Neurology Unit at Milano-Bicocca University where she practiced basic cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, and histology.
This first research experience ignited her keen interest in the researcher path and moved by her curiosity in medical science, she enrolled in a Master’s program in Medical, Molecular, and Cellular Biology at San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan. This course enabled her to develop advanced training in biotechnology, widening her understanding of biotechnological platforms and their applications in biomedical research. During her Master’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Carla Taveggia (Division of Neuroscience at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy), she worked for a year and a half on a project focused on the investigation of the molecular mechanisms involved in Peripheral Nervous System Myelination. Specifically, her thesis aimed to understand the divergent role of L-PGDS in Schwann cells and in neurons.
After graduation in 2020, she decided to pursue further her training by embarking on a PhD. She was accepted in one of the TrainCKDis projects on Fabiola Terzi’s team at Institut Necker Enfants Malades (INEM) in Paris. Here, her current research focuses on the molecular mechanism underlying Chronic Kidney Disease. The complexity of biochemical pathways and genetic networks that account for the increasing susceptibility to disease intrigue her to the point that she decided to investigate further. Notably, it has been already demonstrated that the activation of EGFR mediated by TGF-alpha has a key role in the development of renal lesions. In addition, the Lab has identified Kinase I as a specific partner of EGFR upon TGF-alpha stimulation. The goal of Marta’s study will be the evaluation of Kinase I as a new therapeutic target in Chronic Kidney Disease.