Universita di Genova

Chiara Africano

Post-doctoral fellow in Genetics and Neuroscience
IRCCS Giannina Gaslini

Chiara Africano

“Nothing is created, nothing is lost, everything is transformed.” Antoine Lavoisier

  • Rare Disease Genetics

    Study the genetic and molecular mechanisms of rare neurological diseases, disease modelling and therapeutic target identification.

  • Neuronal Differentiation

    Stem-cell-based neuronal models, including dental pulp stem cell-derived neurons, to investigate disease mechanisms in human systems.

  • Transcriptomics and Genomics

    Transcriptomic, single-cell and genomic approaches to identify dysregulated pathways, molecular signatures and therapeutic opportunities.

About me

I am an early-career researcher with a background in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Pediatric Sciences (Genetics). My research focuses on rare genetic diseases, combining human cellular models and multi-omic approaches to investigate disease mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets.

Highlights

What’s I’m up to:

Archive

Bio & resume

I received my Master’s degree in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and my Ph.D. in Pediatric Sciences (Genetics) from the University of Genoa, Italy. My research experience spans regenerative medicine and the genomics of rare diseases. During my Ph.D., I spent a research period at the IPNP in Paris, gaining international research experience. I subsequently continued my research at Tulane University in New Orleans, USA, where I focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying rare genetic disorders. My current research at IRCCS Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy, focuses on understanding disease mechanisms and identifying potential therapeutic targets using human cellular models and multi-omic approaches.

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Research

My research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying rare genetic diseases, with particular emphasis on PHOX2B-related disorders and Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS). I use complementary human cellular models, including dental pulp stem cell-derived neurons and engineered cells carrying specific genetic constructs, to investigate disease-associated mechanisms. My work integrates transcriptomics, proteomics, single-cell RNA sequencing, and functional validation to identify disease-relevant pathways and potential therapeutic targets. My research experience also includes regenerative medicine and the molecular characterization of other rare genetic disorders.

Research topics | Research projects | Publications | Conferences and talks | Awards and honors

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Portfolio

A visual gallery of my research

Research projects and collaborative experiments

    Network

    The people I collaborate with:

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