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Cellular Stress Biology and Translational Pathophysiology

Dipartimento di Medicina, Sperimentale Università Sapienza

Prof. Marco Tafani is Associate Professor of General Pathology (MED/04) in the Department of Experimental Medicine at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. A biologist by training with rich experience in cellular and molecular pathology, he has held research and academic positions in both Italy and the U.S., including Thomas Jefferson (Philadelphia) and IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana.

His research focuses on hypoxia and inflammation in tumour progression, the role of sirtuins in cellular physiology and pathology, and the mechanistic interplay between mechanoreceptors and sirtuins with applications even in space biomedicine. He collaborates internationally with groups at Johns Hopkins University, University of Oklahoma, University of Dublin and other leading institutions.

Through his combined expertise in molecular pathology, tumour biology, and translational research, Prof. Tafani is recognised as a leading figure in exploring how cellular stress, metabolic regulation, and environmental factors drive cancer progression.

Main Areas of Interest

· Cancer Cell Biology—Hypoxia & Sirtuins: Focused expertise on the interplay between tumor hypoxia, redox balance, and NAD⁺-dependent sirtuins, with emphasis on their roles in HIF signaling, metabolic reprogramming, EMT, autophagy/mitophagy, and therapy resistance.

· Microgravity & Cellular Senescence: Research into how altered gravity induces oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, mechanotransduction defects, and DNA damage, accelerating senescence pathways and offering insights into aging biology and astronaut health.

· Fabry Disease: Specialized interest in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of glycosphingolipid accumulation, secondary inflammatory and vascular pathology, and translational approaches including enzyme replacement, and novel biomarkers.

Specialties

Oncology

Cancer

Cell Biology

Pathology

Molecular Biology

Techniques You Will Learn

· Hypoxia & Sirtuin Assays: Training in cell culture under hypoxic conditions, HIF stabilization assays, sirtuin activity/deacetylation assays, and measurement of redox state (ROS, NAD⁺/NADH ratios).

· Molecular & Imaging Methods in Cancer Biology: Hands-on exposure to Western blotting, qPCR, confocal microscopy, and metabolic flux analysis to study hypoxia-driven tumor adaptation and EMT.

· Microgravity Simulation Platforms: Use of clinostats, rotating wall vessels, and microfluidic organ-on-chip systems to model altered gravity and assess cellular responses.

· Senescence Profiling: Application of senescence-associated β-gal staining, p16/p21 expression assays, mitochondrial function tests, and SASP cytokine profiling.

· Fabry Disease Models & Biomarker Analysis: Training in enzyme activity assays (α-galactosidase A), lysosomal storage modeling in patient-derived cells, and quantification of Gb₃ using confocal microscopy.

· Translational Therapeutic Approaches: Exposure to evaluation of enzyme replacement therapy, and biomarker-driven outcome measures in Fabry disease research.

Curriculum

Foundations & Core Methods

Orientation & Background
· Overview of cancer cell biology, hypoxia, and sirtuin signaling
· Introduction to microgravity biology and senescence models
· Clinical overview of Fabry disease and translational therapies
Cancer Cell Biology Techniques
· Cell culture under hypoxia chambers / chemical mimetics
· HIF stabilization and sirtuin activity assays (Western blotting, qPCR)
· ROS and NAD⁺/NADH measurement
Molecular & Imaging Applications
· Confocal microscopy for EMT and mitochondrial markers
· Metabolic flux analysis and autophagy/mitophagy assays

Applied Research & Translational Focus

Microgravity & Senescence Models
· Training in simulated microgravity platforms (clinostat/rotating wall vessels)
· Senescence assays: SA-β-gal staining, p16/p21 profiling, SASP cytokine analysis
Fabry Disease Research
· Enzyme activity assays (α-Gal A) in patient-derived cells
· Gb₃ by confocal microscopy
· Discussion of therapeutic strategies (ERT, gene therapy)
Integration & Presentation
· Small group data interpretation and case-based discussions
· Translational perspectives: linking basic assays to clinical outcomes
· Fellow presentations on findings and proposed next-step research questions
Final mentor-led reflection, feedback, and certificate of completion.

Accommodation

Try airbnb.com

Prof. Tafani has several Ph.D. and post doc fellows that can be contacted for help in finding an accomodations.

Fees and Program Logistics

This program has the following durations available:

Duration	Fee
2 weeks	$1,063.00
6 weeks	$1,594.00
12 weeks	$2,750.00

Who Can Apply

Biologists

Biotechnologists

Pathologists

Medical trainees

Medical doctors

Host Details

Host Name: Marco Tafani

Affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina, Sperimentale Università Sapienza

Address: Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale Università Sapienza Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Roma

Website URL: https://www.uniroma1.it/it/pagina-strutturale/home

Disclaimer:It is mandatory that all applicants carry workplace liability insurance, e.g., https://www.protrip-world-liability.com (Erasmus students use this package and typically costs around 5 € per month - please check) in addition to health insurance when you join any of the onsite Trialect partnered fellowships.

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