Francesca M. Spagnoli
Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC)
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10
13125 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 30 9406 2553
FAX: +49 30 9406 2110
francesca.spagnoli@mdc-berlin.de
Objectives & Background
Research interest – Mechanisms controlling regional specification of the anterior endoderm, early development of the pancreas in vertebrates, role of post-transcriptional mechanisms in pancreatic development, stem cell analysis to define lineage-specific differentiation towards endodermal tissues, including hepatic and pancreatic lineages.
Education & Professional experience.
Helmholtz young investigator |MDC-Berlin
From 2008 junior group leader
Research Associate | Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University
2001 - July 2008
Doctoral training | Pasteur Institute, University Paris 6
1996-2001
Medical Training | University of Rome
1996, MD degree – highest honors
Undergraduate Research | University of Rome
1993-1995
Post Degree MD | University of Rome
1996, Hospital Policlinico Umberto I
Publications
Selected (2005-2009)
Francesca M. Spagnoli, Rosa*, A, Ali H. Brivanlou (2009). Mesendodermal lineage specification in embryonic stem cells is under the control of a conserved microRNA family. Developmental Cell 16, 517-27. *co-first authors
Francesca M. Spagnoli and Ali H. Brivanlou (2008). The Gata5 target, TGIF2, defines the pancreatic region by modulating BMP signals within the endoderm, Development, 135, 451-461.
Francesca M. Spagnoli (2007). From endoderm to pancreas: a multistep journey. The CMLS Journal 64, 2378-2390.
Gopal Sapkota, Claudio Alarcón, Francesca M. Spagnoli, Ali H. Brivanlou and Joan Massagué (2007). Balancing BMP signaling through integrated inputs into the Smad1 linker, Molecular Cell, 25, 441–454.
Francesca M. Spagnoli and Ali H. Brivanlou (2006). The RNA Binding Protein, Vg1RBP, is Required for Pancreatic Fate Specification, Developmental Biology, 292, 442-456.
Francesca M. Spagnoli and Ali H. Brivanlou (2006). Guiding embryonic stem cells towards differentiation: lessons from molecular embryology, Current Opinion Gen. Developm., 16, 469-475.
Carla Cicchini, Daniela Filippini, Sabrina Coen, Alessandra Marchetti, Claudio Cavallari, Ilaria Laudadio, Francesca M. Spagnoli , Tonino Alonzi, and Marco Tripodi. (2006). Snail controls differentiation of hepatocytes by repressing HNF4α expression, Journal of Cell Physiology, 209, 230-238.
Francesca M. Spagnoli and Ali H. Brivanlou (2005). A full menu for stem-cells research, Genome Biology, 6, 311.
Teaching
- Supervision of 6 PhD students (2004 – present)
Miscellaneous
Honors & Awards
- ERC StG 5 years grant (2009-2014)
- Marie Curie IRG 4 years grant (2009-2013)
- Emerald Foundation Award, 2005-present
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Long-Term postdoctoral fellowship, 2003-2005
- Women & Science, Rockefeller University postdoctoral fellowship, 2002-2003
- Ph.D. Degree with honors (Mention très honorable avec félicitations du Jury), 2001
- Ministry of Italian Research, Ph.D. fellowship, 1998-2001
- CNR (Italian National Center of Research), fellowship 1996-1997
- M.D. Degree with honors (Summa cum laude), 1996
Membership Society/Organization
- Member of the New York Academy of Science, since 2002
- Member of the Society for Developmental Biology, since 2003
- Member of the Committee of organization of the Post-doctoral Retreat of The Rockefeller University