CURRICULUM VITAE
CURRENT APPOINTMENTS
2022 - to date
Moorfields Eye Charity Career Development Fellow at the Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL (UK).
2019 - to date
Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL (UK).
2020 - to date
Lead of the post-graduate teaching assistants for the UCL Bioscience Entrepreneurship MSc and the Research Pathways in Advanced Therapeutics MSc.
EDUCATION
2010 - 2014
University of Pavia (IT)
PhD in Vascular Physiology
Title of the thesis: “Calcium signals in endothelial progenitor cells: their biological consequences and perspective therapeutic applications”. Supervisor: Prof. Francesco Moccia.
2012
University of Cambridge (UK)
Visiting PhD Student
Supervisor: Prof. Colin Taylor.
2008 - 2010
University of Pavia (IT)
Master degree in Experimental and Applied Biology
Title of the thesis: “Calcium signals induced by VEGF in endothelial progenitor cells”. Advisor: Prof. Franco Tanzi.
2005 - 2008
University of Pavia (IT)
Bachelor degree in Biological Sciences
Title of the thesis: “Calmodulin regulates the proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein in human platelets”. Supervisor: Prof. Mauro Torti.
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
2015 - 2019
Research Associate at the Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL, UK.
Projects: AMP-activated protein kinase is a key regulator of acute neurovascular permeability.
Endothelial MAPKs direct ICAM-1 signaling to divergent inflammatory functions.
2014 - 2015
Post-doc fellow at the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell (MA), USA.
Project: A weapon against cardiovascular diseases and cancer: controlling the differentiation of endothelial colony forming cells.
PRIZES, AWARDS AND OTHER HONOURS
Poster prize - London Vascular Biology Forum, London, 13 December 2023.
Poster prize - UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Early Career Researcher Symposium, London, 29 June 2021 .
Associate Fellowship: Higher Education Academy - May 2020.
Promotion to Senior Research Fellow – UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences, July 2019.
Best lay abstract prize - UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Early Career Researcher Symposium, London, 11 June 2019.
Poster prize - UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Early Career Researcher Symposium, London, 11 June 2019 .
“Young Investigator” 2011. XVIII National Meeting of the Italian Society for Cardiovascular Research (SIRC), Imola (BO), Italy, 2011 October 21-22.
GRANTS
2022 - 2024: Moorfields Eye Charity Career Development Award: £103,342. Principal Applicant. The role of calcium signals in VEGF-induced permeability in the retina.
2022 - 2023: Moorfields Eye Charity Springboard Award: £20,902. Principal Applicant. The role of calcium signals in VEGF-induced permeability in the retina.
2017 - 2020: Diabetes UK Project Grant: £216,421.69. Co-Applicant. VEGF receptor 2 signalling and retinal vascular leakage.
2016 - 2017: Moorfields Eye Charity Bridging Funds: £14,323. Principal Applicant. A novel model to study retinal vascular leakage.
2014-2015: Fondazione Umberto Veronesi Post-doc fellowship: €27,000. Principal Applicant. A weapon against cardiovascular diseases and cancer: controlling the differentiation of endothelial colony forming cells.
INVITED TALKS
IoO lates, 28 June 2022, Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL (UK). A journey into the retina: discovering the mechanisms of vascular permeability.
VascBio Retreat Uppsala University, 2-3 September 2019, Villa Aske (SE). AMPK as a novel regulator of vascular leakage.
28th UK Adhesion Society Meeting, 22 September 2016, London (UK). Endothelial cell MAP kinases induce an inflammatory state and mediate VE-cadherin internalization during lymphocyte transmigration.
1st SIRC Workshop on New Roads in Cardiovascular Research, 23-24 November 2012, Milan (Italy). Canonical transient receptor potential channel 3 as a novel target for cell-based therapy in endothelial colony forming cells.
Cantabria Nobel Campus, 11-15 June 2012, Santander (Spain). VEGF-induced Ca2+ signals in ECFCs: their biological consequences and perspective therapeutic applications.
ACADEMIC SUPERVISION
1st supervisor of BSc student Sujan Siva for the for the Biomedical Sciences PHOL0013 literature project Oct 2023 - to date (UCL).
Co-supervisor of MSc student Yuting Zou for the Cardiovascular Science research project module Jan-Aug 2023 (UCL).
1st supervisor of MSc student Jana Jiang for the dissertation library project in Clinical Ophthalmology Apr-Aug 2019 (UCL).
1st supervisor of MSc student Hakim Navid for the dissertation library project in Clinical Ophthalmology Apr-Aug 2019 (UCL).
Lab supervisor of PhD student Bruna Caridi January 2018 to 2022 (UCL).
2nd supervisor of MSc student Anna Saitta Oct 2012 – Dec 2013 (University of Pavia).
2nd supervisor of MSc student Marianna Tolve Mar 2011 – Feb 2012 (University of Pavia).
TEACHING CAREER SUMMARY
2020 - to date: Lead of the post-graduate teaching assistants for the UCL Bioscience Entrepreneurship and the Research Pathways in Advanced Therapeutics MSc.
24th Feb 2020: Lecture on Platelet biology and anti-platelet agents for the MSc of Cardiovascular Science.
25th Nov 2019: Lecture on Cancer and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition for the Ocular Cell Biology module (UCL).
7th Oct 2019: Lecture on Vascular Signalling for the Ocular Cell Biology module (UCL).
2008 - 2010: Tutor of human anatomy for BSc students at the University of Pavia, Italy – 20 hours of teaching/year.
ENTERPRISE/EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT
2023 - to date: Member of the European calcium society.
2021 - to date: Topic editor for Cells MDPI.
2019 - to date: Member of AISUK (association of Italian scientists in the UK).
2020 - 2021: London Chapter Manager for Pint of Science UK.
2019 - 2020: Guest editor for the special issue of Cells MDPI on Vascular Signalling.
2016 - 2020: UCL coordinator for Pint of Science UK.
2015 - 2016: Event Manager for Pint of Science UK.
INSTITUTIONAL CITIZENSHIP
5th Sept 2023: talk “Case study: MEC Career Development Award” in the event “Introduction to Fellowship Applications”.
2020 - to date: talk once a year about my experience with the promotion application process.
2020 - to date: mentor for the UCL Arena mentoring scheme.
2017 - to date: member of FullStop IoO, part of the Equality Challenge team.
2018 – 2019: member of the Early Career Researcher Committee at UCL.
2018 - 2021: manager for the joint lab meetings.
PUBLICATIONS
FIRST AUTHOR PUBLICATIONS
1) Dragoni S., Moccia F. and Bootman M.D. The roles of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels and aberrant calcium signalling in blood-retinal barrier dysfunction. https://oro.open.ac.uk/94035/ Sent to peer-review.
2) Dragoni S., Brash J.T., Fantin A., Burridge C., Denti L., Turowski P. and Ruhrberg C. Targeting NRP1 with EG00229 induces neurovascular permeability. bioRxiv 2023.11.07.564946; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.07.564946. Sent to peer-review.
3) Dragoni S., Turowski P. Vascular Signalling. Cells. 2023 Aug 10;12(16):2038.
4) Dragoni S., Caridi B., Karatsai E., Burgoyne T., Sarker M.H., Turowski P. AMP-activated protein kinase is a key regulator of acute neurovascular permeability. J Cell Sci. 2021 Mar 12:jcs.253179; doi: 10.1242/jcs.253179.
5) Dragoni S., Papageorgiou A., Araiz C., Greenwood J., Turowski P. Endothelial protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1) signalling is required for lymphocyte transmigration across brain microvascular endothelial cells. Cells. 2020 Dec 21; 9(12): E2723. doi: 10.3390/cells9122723.
6) Dragoni S., Caridi B., Karatsai E., Sarker M.H. and Turowski P. AMP-activated protein kinase is a key regulator of retinal vascular permeability. Preprint. bioRxiv 802033; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/802033.
7) Dragoni S., Turowski P. Polarised VEGFA Signalling at Vascular Blood Neural Barriers. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 May 5;19(5).
8) Dragoni S., Hudson N., McKenzie J.A., Kenny B., Gill Y., Blaber R., Adamson P., Greenwood J. and Turowski P. Endothelial MAPKs direct ICAM-1 signaling to divergent inflammatory functions. J Immunol. 2017 Apr 3.
9) Dragoni S., Reforgiato M., Zuccolo E., Poletto V., Lodola F., Ruffinatti F.A., Bonetti E., Guerra G., Barosi G., Rosti V., Moccia F. Dysregulation of VEGF-induced proangiogenic Ca2+ oscillations in primary myelofibrosis-derived endothelial colony forming cells. Exp Hematol. 2015 Sep 30.
10) Dragoni S., Turin I., Laforenza U., Potenza M.D., Bottino C., Glasnov T.N., Prestia M., Ferulli F., Saitta A., Mosca A., Guerra G., Rosti V., Luinetti O., Ganini C., Porta C., Pedrazzoli P., Tanzi F., Montagna D, Moccia F. Store-operated Ca2+ entry does not control proliferation in primary cultures of human metastatic renal cellular carcinoma. Biomed Res Int. 2014; 2014: 739494.
11) Dragoni S., Guerra G., Pla A.F., Bertoni G., Rappa A., Poletto V., Bottino C., Aronica A., Lodola F., Cinelli M.P., Laforenza U., Rosti V., Tanzi F., Munaron L., Moccia F. A functional transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channel is expressed in human endothelial progenitor cells. J Cell Physiol. 2015 Jan; 230(1): 95-104.
12) Dragoni S., Laforenza U., Bonetti E., Reforgiato M., Poletto V., Lodola F., Bottino C., Guido D., Rappa A., Pareek S., Tomasello M., Guarrera M.R., Cinelli M.P., Aronica A., Guerra G., Barosi G., Tanzi F., Rosti V., Moccia F. Enhanced expression of Stim, Orai, and TRPC transcripts and proteins in endothelial progenitor cells isolated from patients with primary myelofibrosis.PLoS One. 2014 Mar 6; 9(3): e91099.
13) Dragoni S., Bonetti E., Bottino C., Lodola F., Guerra G., Borghesi A., Stronati M., Laforenza U., Tanzi F., Rosti V. and Moccia F. Canonical transient receptor potential 3 (TRPC3) channel triggers VEGF-induced oscillation in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and proliferation in endothelial progenitor cells isolated from umbilical cord blood. Stem Cells Dev. 2013 Oct 1; 22(19): 2561-80.
14) Dragoni S., Laforenza U., Bonetti E., Lodola F., Bottino C., Bongio G.C., Berra Romani R., Guerra G., Pedrazzoli P., Rosti V., Tanzi F. and Moccia F. Vascular endothelial growth factor stimulates endothelial colony forming cells proliferation and tubulogenesis by inducing oscillations in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Stem Cells. 2011 Nov; 29(11): 1898-907.
15) Dragoni S., Bonetti E., Laforenza U., et al. VEGF induces human endothelial progenitor cells to proliferate by eliciting oscillations in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Angiogenesis. 2011; 14: 94.
CO-AUTHORED PUBLICATIONS
16) Zuccolo E., Dragoni S., Poletto V., Catarsi P., Guido D., Rappa A., Reforgiato M., Lodola F., Lim D.,Rosti V., Guerra G., Moccia F. Arachidonic acid-evoked Ca2+ signals promote nitric oxide release and proliferation in human endothelial colony forming cells. VasculPharmacol. 2016 Sep 12; pii: S1537-1891(16)30025-8.
17) Poletto V., Dragoni S., Lim D., Biggiogera M., Aronica A., Cinelli M., De Luca A., Rosti V., Porta C., Guerra G., Moccia F. Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca(2+) Handling and Apoptotic Resistance in Tumor-Derived Endothelial Colony Forming Cells. J. Cell Biochem. 2016 Oct; 117(10): 2260-71.
18) Mazzucchelli I., Lisini D., Garofoli F., Dragoni S., Angelini M., Pozzi M., Bonetti E., Tzialla C., Kramer B.W., Spinillo A., Maccario R., Rosti V., Moccia F., Borghesi A., Stronati M. Expression and function of toll-like receptors in human circulating endothelial colony forming cells. Immunol Lett. 2015 Oct 8; 168(1): 98-104.
19) Moccia F., Dragoni S., Cinelli M., Montagnani S., Amato B., Rosti V., Guerra G., TanziF.How to utilize Ca²⁺ signals to rejuvenate the reparative phenotype of senescent endothelial progenitor cells in elderly patients affected by cardiovascular diseases: a useful therapeutic support of surgical approach?BMC Surg. 2013; 13 Suppl 2: S46.
20) Moccia F., Dragoni S., Poletto V., Rosti V., Tanzi F., Ganini C., Porta C. Orai1 and transient receptor potential channels as novel molecular targets to impair tumor neovascularization in renal cell carcinoma and other malignancies. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2014 Feb; 14(2): 296-312.
21) Lodola F., Laforenza U., Bonetti E., Lim D., Dragoni S., Bottino C., Ong H.L., Guerra G., Ganini C., Massa M., Manzoni M., Ambudkar I.S., Genazzani A.A., Rosti V., Pedrazzoli P., Tanzi F., Moccia F., Porta C. Store-operated Ca(2+) entry is remodelled and controls in vitro angiogenesis in endothelial progenitor cells isolated from tumoral patients. PLoS One. 2012; 7(9): e42541.
22) Moccia F., Lodola F., Dragoni S., Bonetti E., Bottino C., Guerra G., Laforenza U., Rosti V., Tanzi F. Ca2+ Signalling in Endothelial Progenitor Cells: A Novel Means to Improve Cell-Based Therapy and Impair Tumour Vascularisation. Curr Vasc Pharmacol. 2014 Jan; 12(1): 87-105.
23) Moccia F., Dragoni S., Lodola F., Bonetti E., Bottino C., Guerra G., Laforenza U., Rosti V., Tanzi F. Store-dependent Ca2+ entry in endothelial progenitor cells as a perspective tool to enhance cell-based therapy and adverse tumour vascularisation. Curr Med Chem. 2012 Sep 3.
24) Moccia F., Bonetti B., Dragoni S., Fontana J., Lodola F., Berra Romani R., Laforenza U., Rosti V. and Tanzi F. Hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells circulate by surfing on intracellular Ca2+ waves: a novel target for cell-based therapy and anticancer treatment? Current Signal Transduction Therapy. 2012, Vol.7, No 2.
25) Moccia F., Bertoni G., Florio Pla A., Dragoni S., Pupo E., Merlino A., Mancardi D., Munaron L. and Tanzi F. Hydrogen sulfide regulates intracellular Ca2+ concentration in endothelial cells from excised rat aorta. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2011 Apr 20.
26) Sánchez-Hernández Y., Laforenza U., Bonetti E., Fontana J., Dragoni S., Russo M., Avelino-Cruz J.R., Schinelli S., Testa D., Guerra G., Rosti V., Tanzi F., and Moccia F. Store-operated Ca2+ entry is expressed in human endothelial progenitor cells. Stem Cells Dev. 2010 Dec; 19(12):1967-81.