Francesca Baldini

Francesca Baldini

Francesca was born and raised in La Spezia, a charming coastal city in Liguria, Italy, famous for its stunning Gulf of Poets, vibrant waterfront, and pleasant old town. Since high school, she developed a deep interest in biology, fascinated by the intricate processes that sustain life. This passion led her to pursue a degree in Biology, culminating in a Master’s in Molecular and Health Biology at the University of Genova, Italy.

She continued her academic journey with a Ph.D. in Physiology at the University of Genova under the supervision of Prof. Laura Vergani. Her research focused on unraveling the complex mechanisms behind metabolic dysregulation, particularly lipid over-accumulation in various cell types, including hepatocytes, endothelial cells, and adipocytes. As part of her Ph.D., she joined the group of Prof. Hans Zischka at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, where she investigated oxygen consumption related to mitochondrial respiration. She also collaborated with the Biophysical Department at the CNR of Genova, where she was introduced to the fascinating world of biophysics and microscopy.

Inspired by this new field, Francesca decided to deepen her expertise in advanced imaging techniques. After earning her Ph.D. in 2020, she joined the Nanoscopy Department at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genova as a postdoctoral researcher. There, she applied cutting-edge super-resolution microscopy to study the role of non-coding RNA in neuroblastoma retro-transformation. Alongside her research, she enhanced her communication skills through teaching activities and student supervision at the University of Genova.

She recently joined Delarue’s team at LAAS-CNRS, to explore the relationship between mechanical stress, genomic instability, and macromolecular crowding.

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Current members

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Alumni