Assunta Cirella, Ph.D Email & Phone Number

Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Pamplona, Spagna

My PhD was part of the Tumor-Treg-Targeting project founded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network within the Horizon 2020 Programme of the European Commission. This dynamic and competitive program, uniting academia and industry, focused on groundbreaking therapies for cancer immunotherapy. During those years I have had the opportunity to: • Design and generate recombinant proteins, specifically bispecific antibodies linked to cytokines (immunocytokines) (University of Navarra – Aduro Biotech, Europe). • Exploit the mRNA technology to formulate cytokine-based treatments in cancer immunology. My role involved the design and production of mRNAs encoding cytokines and recombinant constructs with bispecific antibody fragments. Such constructs were based on the cytokine IL-12 which is a potent antitumoral agent but also prohibitively toxic when systemically administered. For this reason, we strategically pursued a local intratumoral treatment approach. This work led to two impactful publications (A. Cirella et al. Cancer immunology research. 2023; A. Cirella, et al. Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids,2023) and to fruitful collaboration in different projects within the laboratory.Key Achievements during PhD: - Acquired extensive knowledge of cancer immunotherapy - Proficient in mRNA design and production - Effective management of research projects and resources - Collaborative contributions to multiple high-impact publications. - Actively contributed to a team-oriented research environment, fostering open communication - Development of communication skills with national and international congresses participation - Acquisition of extensive experience with animal models - Actively contribute in weekly lab meetings and ITN meetings, showcasing proficiency in presenting and critically discussing data - Adaptation to unexpected challenges - Building and maintaining a positive working relationship

Naples, Campania, Italy

Research fellowship at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies in Prof. Gerolama Condorelli’s laboratory, working as a graduate student on extracellular and cellular micro-RNA governing the aggressive phenotype of human breast cancer.

Naples, Campania, Italy

Lab training and master dissertation at University “Federico II”, Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, under the mentorship of Prof. Gerolama Condorelli. I contributed to a research project focused on investigating the role of microRNA-216a as an oncosuppressor gene in breast cancer stem cells by conducting experiments on both human cell lines and primary cells obtained from patient biopsies. The outcomes contributed to a paper published in 2020 (G. Roscigno et al. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020). Additionally, I actively participated in a project dedicated to the development of 3D cultures as an innovative tool for personalized therapy in breast cancer. The results of this endeavor were showcased in a poster presented at the AACR Annual Meeting of 2018. This comprehensive internship not only enhanced my technical skills but also provided me with insight into research methodologies and collaborative contributions to publications and presentations.

Napoli, Italia

Lab training and bachelor dissertation at University “Federico II”, Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, within the laboratory of Prof. Gerolama Condorelli. I contributed to an ongoing project under the supervision of a postdoctoral mentor. The project centered on exploring the role of microRNA-24 and its implications in chemotherapy resistance and the hypoxic advantage in breast cancer.

Boston, Massachusetts, Stati Uniti

This competitive program provided me with a unique opportunity to have research experience in the laboratory of Stephanie Dougan at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology (Harvard Medical School). I contributed to a project focused on exploring the immune dynamics in the progression of pancreatic cancer-associated cachexia. The objective was to evaluate the immune profile of adipose tissue undergoing wasting during the development of cancer-associated cachexia. The results obtained during this period were part of a poster presentation at the AACR Cancer and Metabolism conference in 2018, and culminated in a paper published in 2021 (P.J. Lenehan et al., Immunotherapy Advances, 2021). In addition to my laboratory work, I attended bi-weekly seminars at the Harvard Immunology summer program organized by Stephanie Dougan, as well as weekly seminars at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. As a part of the Armenise Summer fellowship program, I attended weekly seminars featuring insightful discussions with scientists from academia and industry, exploring with them education and career choices. The program culminated for all the summer fellows in a compelling opportunity to present their findings in an oral presentation, an experience that not only allowed me to share and elucidate the obtained results but also gave me the opportunity to learn about the scientific topics on which the other fellows had been working on. I consider that this multifaced experience has significantly contributed to my professional growth.

Master'S Degree, Biotechnology, 110/110 Summa Cum Laude With Special Distinction

Fellowship

Armenise-Harvard Summer Fellowship. 2 months of laboratory activity at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, "Department of Cancer Immunology.

Bachelor'S Degree, Biotechnology, 110/110 Summa Cum Laude With Special Distinction

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Applied Medicine And Biomedicine