Person
Villani, Ambra
|
|
Biography and Research Interest
Ambra was born in Milan, Italy. She studied medical biotechnology at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) and completed her Master’s thesis at Yale University (USA), where she continued working as a Postgraduate Associate. At Yale, she investigated the molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of different genetic cholangiopathies by combining approaches utilizing primary cultures in vitro with in vivo pharmacology in mice.
In 2015, Ambra started her PhD at EMBL Heidelberg (Germany). She specialized in molecular biology and in vivo microscopy, employing the transparent zebrafish embryo as her model system of choice. By studying the clearance of apoptotic neurons by microglia in the developing brain, she uncovered the existence of the gastrosome, a new compartment in the phagocytic pathway.
In December 2018, she moved to the University of Zürich (Switzerland), where she keeps investigating microglial dynamics in contexts of development and disease. In 2020, as a senior scientist, Ambra started working on the setup of a new model system to investigate the role of the gastrosome in human iPSc-derived microglia.
In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hanging out with friends and travelling.
In 2015, Ambra started her PhD at EMBL Heidelberg (Germany). She specialized in molecular biology and in vivo microscopy, employing the transparent zebrafish embryo as her model system of choice. By studying the clearance of apoptotic neurons by microglia in the developing brain, she uncovered the existence of the gastrosome, a new compartment in the phagocytic pathway.
In December 2018, she moved to the University of Zürich (Switzerland), where she keeps investigating microglial dynamics in contexts of development and disease. In 2020, as a senior scientist, Ambra started working on the setup of a new model system to investigate the role of the gastrosome in human iPSc-derived microglia.
In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hanging out with friends and travelling.
Non-Zebrafish Publications
Villani A, Peri F. (2018) Microglia: Picky Brain Eaters. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.12.013
Spirli C, Mariotti V, Villani A, Fabris L, Fiorotto R, Strazzabosco M. (2017) Adenylyl cyclase 5 links changes in calcium homeostasis to cAMP-dependent cyst growth in polycystic liver disease. Journal of Hepatology 66, 571–580
Fiorotto R, Villani A, Kourtidis A, Scirpo R, Ameduni M, Geibel PJ, Cadamuro M, Spirli C, Anastasiadis PZ, Strazzabosco M. (2016) The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Controls Biliary Epithelial Inflammation and Permeability by Regulating Src Tyrosine Kinase Activity. Hepatology 64, 2118–2134
Spirli C, Villani A, Mariotti V, Fabris L, Fiorotto R, Strazzabosco M. (2015) Posttranslational regulation of polycystin-2 protein expression as a novel mechanism of cholangiocyte reaction and repair from biliary damage. Hepatology 62, 1828–1839
Scirpo R, Fiorotto R, Villani A, Ameduni M, Spirli C, Strazzabosco M. (2015) Stimulation of Nuclear Receptor Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor-g Limits NF-kB-Dependent Inflammation in Mouse Cystic Fibrosis Biliary Epithelium. Hepatology 62, 1551–1562