Ilda Theka

I obtained my PhD in Biomedicine from the University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, and I successfully completed my MSc degree in Pharmaceutical Biotecnology at the University of Milan. I developed my PhD and MSc thesis projects at the Centre for Genomic Regulation and San Raffaele Hospital, respectively. During my PhD I was working in the stem cell biology field. In particular, I was dissecting molecular mechanisms controlling embryonic stem cells, which represent an important resource for potential therapeutic approaches. In parallel, already during my MSc, I focused my attention in understanding the somatic cell reprogramming process. This process, indeed, allows obtaining embryonic stem cell-like cell starting from somatic cells, such as fibroblasts, by overcoming many ethical issues and technical problems. In particular, during my MSc I was applying somatic cell reprogramming techniques to fibroblasts derived from Parkinson’s disease patients to further investigate causes and phenotypes of this disorder. During my academic training I could challenge myself in several projects and I could expand my knowledge on many different biological areas and topics. Since my PhD program was part of a European network with important scientists I had the opportunity to directly interact with many experts on the field of Stem cells and Epigenetics. Indeed, I was involved in different collaborations among research group and I could develop independent critical thinking and grow professionally during the last years. During my academic traning I also was involved in events and courses more oriented towards start-up companies building, which form a bridge between academia, industry and society.