Affiliation(s):

• Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University
• Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University

I have a BS and MS in Biology, and a PhD in Molecular Bio-patology from The University of Calabria, in Southern Italy.

Most human traits, including common diseases, are the result of both environmental and genetic factors. My research interest is in understanding the genetic basis of inter-population and inter-individual differences in common disease risk and complex traits of biomedical interest. I have established an independent and extramurally funded research program on understanding the genetic and environmental components of human variation using molecular traits, such as gene expression. In my research, I develop and apply high-throughput experimental approaches followed by computational analysis to identify DNA variants that regulate cellular responses to specific environmental stimuli and, hence, may account for human variation in complex traits. For example, we study genetic and environmental factors that modify gene expression in cells of the heart and of the vascular system, to understand why certain individuals have higher cardiovascular disease risk. We are also studying how psychosocial factors affect immune cell function and ultimately modify asthma risk in children living in Detroit. These projects are also examples of very successful interdisciplinary collaborations, in particular with Roger Pique-Regi (Computational Biology) and Samuele Zilioli (Psychology).

My background is in population genetics and during my PhD I became interested in studying how humans adapted to live in very different environments throughout human evolution and history. During my postdoc in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Chicago, I had the opportunity to venture into the field of Functional Genomics to study how genetic variation modifies an individual’s response to glucocorticoids (stress hormone). My postdoctoral research was one of the first studies in this field. Leveraging this experience, I decided to investigate genetic and environmental factors in molecular and complex traits in humans, thus expanding and developing that initial concept into an entire research program for my own lab here at Wayne State University.

There are two main emerging areas that I am really interested in. One is the study of host-microbiome interactions in humans using functional genomics approaches. We have pioneered research using the gene-environment interaction approach to study the complex interplay between our commensal microbes and human health. We are now conducting pilot studies to venture into the field of human colonic organoids to study host-microbiome interactions. The second field investigates the function of the DNA segments that we have inherited from other archaic humans, including the Neanderthal and the Denisovans. This is an emerging and fascinating area, which brings me back to my origins of using genetics to learn about human history. Thanks to the Career Development Chair that I was awarded by the Wayne State President in 2019, I have been able to explore this field and our very first study “A signature of Neanderthal introgression on molecular mechanisms of environmental responses”, led by Anthony Findley, a former graduate student in the lab, was just published in PLOS Genetics (Findley et al, 2021).

Genes, Peoples and Languages by Cavalli-Sforza – I am not sure if it is my favorite book, but it is certainly the most important book in my career. When I read it in 2001, I was deciding whether I should do my master thesis in the fields of microbiology or population genetics. After reading the book, I became fascinated with population genetics, and I am positive that if it hadn’t been for that book, my scientific and personal history would be much different today.

I don’t have a single role model, but I look up to several scientists that I have met during my science journey and try to model various aspects of their mentoring and research style. I am deeply inspired by scientists and especially women scientists of the past. It is humbling to think about the great discoveries that were made with what today we would call rudimental tools. Women like Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Rita Levi-Montalcini broke the ceiling in their fields and are a constant reminder of how much work there still is to do for women in science, but also how far we have come. As we approach Halloween, while we decorate our house and prepare for treat-or-treating, in my family every year we also discuss the story of some of the first women scientists, who were left anonymous but labeled as witches in the past, and had to face horrible tortures and unjust trials. I always tell my children that if I was born at that time, I would probably have faced the same destiny. It is crucial to raise a new generation of empowered women scientists and of men who will support them and acknowledge their role in science

I carry out experiments… in my kitchen! I love cooking and baking. During the pandemic I took on the challenge of making sour dough bread and I even had a lab notebook that I used to optimize the “protocol”. I am a proud mom of two children and I spend all my time with them and with my husband, when I am not working. We enjoy gardening together, doing arts and crafts, and going for walks/hikes.