Santa Clara University

I began my journey at “La Sapienza” in Rome, where I had the chance to study and teach genetics, fueled by a deep curiosity about molecular biology. My next step led me to Rockefeller University in New York, where I explored the mysteries of eukaryotic transcription and learned how BMP and WNT signaling help shape the vertebrate dorsoventral axis and trigger neural induction.

After working on gene technology at two biotech startups in Cambridge, MA, I moved to Tufts University as an Assistant Professor. There, I focused on TGFß and BMP signaling in vascular health, resulting in more than a dozen publications. Later at UCSF, I shifted my research to miRNAs in cell signaling, aiming to uncover potential therapies for conditions like Fragile X Syndrome and pulmonary hypertension.

I’ve been fortunate to receive recognition along the way—including the American Heart Association’s “Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award” and support from multiple NIH/NHLBI grants—and to share my work in journals like Nature, Cell, and EMBO Journal. More recently, I’ve turned my attention to modern teaching methods—experimenting with active learning, flipped classrooms, problem- and team-based learning, and AI tutoring—to better navigate our changing academic landscape.

I remain passionate about exploring the crossroads of molecular biology, medicine, and education, and I look forward to learning from and collaborating with colleagues and students alike.