Biography
Biography
In 1998 I was awarded my master’s degree with honours in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology by the University of Padua, where I specialized in biotechnology (this is equivalent to a combined BPh and MPh in the UK system). After a brief period of undergraduate research, externally funded, I moved to work as a researcher at the Siena vaccine-hub – Research Center of the Chiron Vaccines (now GSK’s research centre). I was involved in vaccine and antimicrobials discovery and development, including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. After this company experience, I obtained my PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathology at the University of Padua, working on host-pathogen interactions and microbial virulence factors regarding Helicobacter pylori. For my post-doctoral formation I joined Prof D Goldberg’s lab in Washington University in St Loui, MO, working on malaria, field where my lab then specialized. Awarded an ERC-Reintegration Grant I moved back to Europe, where, after a brief experience at the University of Perugia, I moved to the University of Manchester in 2013 supported by a transition-to independence bursary. I was then offered an Assistant professorship position back in USA in 2017, where I was enabled to perform cutting-edge research regarding cerebral malaria onset using the in vitro BBB and the animal model in collaboration with Prof Goldberg. While considering the possibility to establish my research in USA, in 2018, I was appointed Lecturer in the School of Medicine at Keele University where, since 2019, I am trying (despite the difficulties of COVID19-pandemic) to start up my independent lab in the UK, working on Plasmodium cell biology and host-pathogen interaction.
I have actively worked in medical research, focusing on infectious diseases, encompassing both lab basic research and outreach field activities. I have expertise in vaccines, drugs and targets intersecting the fields of malaria, haematology, bacteriology, virulence factors, and immunology. Expertise in these areas where matured working in top class laboratories in both academics and companies under the direction of exceptional scientists: A Fontana (organic chemist); E De Filippis (protein chemist); E Di Cera (master of enzymology); R Rappuoli (pioneer of reverse vaccinology); C Montecucco (PhD supervisor); DE Goldberg (a world-wide renowned malariologist); C Thompson, I Roberts and M White (in Manchester).
My major contributions are the characterization of two novel antimalarial targets Calpain and PlasmepsinV that disclosed new pieces of parasite biology, followed by numerous other discoveries and the establishment of a set of biotechnology tools to move forward genetic, enzymology and immune research in malaria and immunology. My published work is in top rated journals such as Science, PNAS, Molecular Microbiology, Nature.
My current research regards the study of Plasmodium species, causative agents of human malaria studying their cell biology aiming to:
- validating targets for novel therapeutic options;
- enabling innovative vaccination strategies: and
- dissecting the virulence factors affecting the immune responses and haematology barriers, that are mostly affected by malaria infection, such as the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB).
Strong expertise in the lab, always devoted in pushing the boundaries of biotechnology solutions to the study of Plasmodium, underpins all the projects and preferentially uses in-vitro models. Recently, I joined efforts with the Goldberg lab to study Plasmodium virulence factors involved in the development of cerebral malaria. Via collaboration with DRC-doctors and scientists, I am also leading small projects with impact on health and social benefit in the remit of infection diseases’ interventions in the area of Katanga (DRC).
I have been an ordinary member of the council for the British Society of Parasitology starting from 2019, a member of the editorial board for Enliven: Immunology and Immunotechniques and Advances in Infectious Diseases & Therapy. I am also a member of CAEP, Midland Immunology group, as well as, the Academic Women Network @Washington University in St. Louis; the Expert Women in Life Sciences – WILS database; the Italian Malaria Network – CIRM; the Marie Curie Fellows Association – MCFA; (the former) Outreach Evimalar task-force; the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB); and the WiM (Woman in Malaria network).
For more information, please, feel free to email me for a chat or visit my webpages at:
- ORCIDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2269-7078
- ResearcherID D-4674-2014
- Scopus Author ID 35861853300
- Research gate Ilaria Russo
- Linked-in Ilaria Russo
- FdS org Ilaria Russo (for extra-academic outreach activities)
School of Life Sciences,
Huxley Building,
Keele University,
Staffordshire,
ST5 5BG
Tel: +44 (0) 1782 734414
Enquiries:
Tel: +44 (0) 1782 734414
Email: lifesciences.office@keele.ac.uk