Dr. Francesca Antonaros
RTD-a
DIBINEM
University of Bologna
Personal Statement
My research focuses on Down syndrome (DS) and I have been involved in a project led by Prof. Pierluigi Strippoli with the goal of identifying the genetic determinants involved in the main symptoms of DS. Through a systematic analysis of partial trisomy 21 cases with or without DS, our group identified a minimal region called the highly restricted Down syndrome critical region (HR-DSCR), whose duplication is shared by all DS subjects and is absent in all non-DS subjects. This region is only 34 kb long and it is located on distal 21q22.13. The bioinformatic analysis of this region is integrated with molecular biology experiments and metabolome analysis. Through genome editing experiments, as Crispr/Cas 9 technique, we want to obtain trisomic human cell models with a specific deletion of one copy of the HR-DSCR. Supernatants and cell lysates obtained from edited and non-edited T21 cells as well as from euploid cells will be analysed and their metabolic profiles could shed light on the function of the HR-DSCR.
Education
PhD student in “Oncology, Hematology and Pathology” cycle XXXV A.A. 2019/2020-2023, University of Bologna, Italy. Period of 9 months as Phd visitor at Prof. Niklas Dahl’s laboratory, Biomedical Centre (BMC) Uppsala (Sweden).
Qualification as a professional Biologist, Senior Biologist, University of Aquila, 2018.
Master's degree in Medical Biotechnologies LM- 9 with a final grade of 110/110 with honors at University of Bologna (17/12/2015).
Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology L-2 with a final grade of 100/110 University of Teramo (08/07/2013).
Academic career
2022/2023
Postdoctoral fellow in the project “Study of intellectual disability in children with Down syndrome (trisomy 21): integrated analysis of clinical and molecular data for the identification of new therapeutic-care pathways” University of Bologna, Italy.
2018/2019
Research fellow in the project " "Omics" approaches for the study of trisomy 21" University of Bologna, Italy.
2016/2017
Fellowship in the project "Genotype-phenotype correlation in trisomy 21” University of Bologna, Italy.
Teaching
From A.A. 2018/2019 to date.
Tutor of 7 contracts for support activities and teaching assistance for laboratory courses in "Biology and Genetics" Course in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Bologna and at the Ravenna Campus.
From A.A. 2021/2022 to date.
Member of the examining board for the teaching of "Biology and Genetics" Course in Medicine and Surgery (University of Bologna, Forlì Campus, Ravenna Campus).
From A.A. 2016/2017 to date.
Co-supervisior for 6 thesis dissertations.
Scientific production
Author of 27 full papers in peer-reviewed ISI journals. Speaker at 3 national and 2 international congresses, and poster presentation at 2 international and 1 national congress.
Total IF=96; average IF=3.6; citations=580; H-index= 12
