Gritti Angela Professore AssociatoMedicineBIO/17 - BIOS-13/A - ISTOLOGIA ED EMBRIOLOGIA UMANA

Angela Gritti graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Milan, next specializing in Toxicology. After an experience in Canada, she returned to Italy and obtained a PhD at the University of Turin.
Currently, Angela Gritti is an associate professor of Human Histology at the Vita Salute San Raffaele University and coordinates a research unit at the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan (SR-Tiget) dedicated to the development of effective gene and cell therapy strategies for the treatment of genetic neurodegenerative diseases, including Leukodystrophies and GM2 gangliosidosis.
During her career, she gained substantial scientific knowledge and international recognition in Neural Stem cell (NSC) biology and CNS-directed gene/cell therapy and the benefit of a 25-year-long experience and a strong publication record. Her initial studies on the biology of murine and human NSCs contributed to defining these cells as ideal experimental tools to model CNS development and treat neurodegenerative diseases. Besides being essential for translational applications, her work contributed to unravelling early pathogenic events in the CNS of leukodystrophy murine models and paved the way for developing and refining protocols to obtain human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cell populations to model the diseases of interest and test cell/gene therapy approaches. The scientific contribution to the field is documented by original papers, national and international collaborations, engagement in networks of global experts and patients’ organizations, and securing funding from national and international funding schemes.

 

Scopus Author ID: 7004129522
ORCID ID:  0000-0002-9845-0370
Researcher ID: K-2729-2016

 

Education

1990   Master degree in Biological Sciences (summa cum laude), University of Milan, Italy           

1991   Qualification to practice as a biologist

1996   Specialty in Toxicology (70/70), University of Milan, Italy

2006   PhD in Basic Sciences and Veterinary Biotechnology (XVIII cycle), University of Turin, Italy (Topics: Neuroscience, comparative neurogenesis, neural stem cells)

2018   National Academic Qualification as Associate Professor (05/H2 – Histology)

 

Professional Experience

Current positions

01.05.2024-present   Associate Professor of Human Histology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy

2006-present   Group Leader, Unit of Gene/neural stem cell therapy for lysosomal storage diseases, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), Ospedale San Raffaele (OSR), Milan, Italy

Past positions

2016-present   Adjunct professor, Human Histology (course coordinator from 2019/2020), School of Medicine, Master’s degree in Medicine and Surgery and International MD Program, Univ. Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.

2001-2005   Research Scientist, Stem Cell Research Institute (SCRI), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy

2002-2003   Adjunct Professor, Biology, University of Milan, Faculty of Psychology

2001-2002   Adjunct Professor, Cell Biology, University of Milan, Faculty of Biological Science

1997-1999   Level I biologist manager, National Neurological Institute “C.Besta”, Milan, Italy

1991-1997   Senior fellow, Neuropharmacology, National Neurological Institute “C.Besta”, Milan, Italy

1992   Visiting scientist, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Supervisor Prof. S. Weiss).

 

Professional Activities

Scientific committees (member): AFM-Telethon, Strategic and Therapeutic Orientation Committee (2015); Italian Telethon Foundation, Patent Committee (2015-2016); ASGCT Neurologic & Ophthalmic Gene & Cell Therapy committee (2022-2025; chair for the year 2024).

Grant reviewer: ERC starting grants, LS7 panel member (2022); Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association; Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) charity, UK; European Leukodystrophy Association (ELA), FR; The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); Health Research Board (HRB), IR; Sparks Children Medical Research, UK; AUSTRIAN Science Fund; Vaincre Les Maladies Lysosomales (VML), FR; AFM Telethon, FR; Istituto Superiore di Sanita’ (ISS), IT; UK Research and Innovation (UKRI); Israel Science Foundation (ISF).

Abstract reviewer: American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGST), European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT), International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR)

Journal Reviewer: Exp. Neurology; Hum Gene Ther; Eur J. of Neurosci.; J. of Neurosci; J. of Neurochem.; Mol. Cell. Neurosci.; Stem Cells; Stem Cells Dev; Cell Death and Differ.; Dev. Neurosci.; Glia; Mol Genetics and Metab; Mol. Therapy; Mol. Therapy Meth. Clin. Dev.; Mol. Ther. Nucleic Acids; Neurobiol. of Disease; PNAS; Brain; Stem Cell Rep; Science; Cell Stem Cell; Science Transl Med; J. of Clin. Investigation (JCI); Sci. Rep.

Academic supervision: Advisor/Mentor of master students (22, including 1 student within the Erasmus+ program), Ph.D. students (12), Post-Laurea fellows (11), and project leaders (1).

Conference organization:

2017   Member of the organizing committee, SR-Tiget Scientific Retreat, Camogli, Italy

2015   Member of the organizing committee, ELRIG Drug Discovery Meeting, Telford, UK, responsible for Track 3-Cell & Gene Therapy

2014   Member of the organizing committee, Course "Cellular and animal models in Neuroscience Research", Ph.D. Section of Neuroscience and Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy

2011-12   Member of the organizing committee, San Raffaele Scientific Retreat.

 

Major Fields of Interest

Regenerative medicine, Gene therapy, Neural Stem Cells, Pluripotent stem cells, Genetic diseases

 

Scientific memberships

From 2024   Collegio dei Docenti di Istologia ed Embriologia

2021-present    International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR)

2010-present   European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT)

2007-present   American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT)

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Research funding

In the last 10 years Angela Gritti has been the principal or co-principal investigator of 10 grants (active grants in bold): two from the Italian Telethon Fundation (TTAGD0222TT; TGT16D02), one from the Italian Ministry of Health (RF-2016-02362404), four from the European Leukodystrophy Association (ELA; ELA 2022-009C2; ELA 2022-006C2; ELA 2019-015I2; ELA 2020-011I2), one from the patient’s association Vaincre les Maladies Lysosomales (VML), one from the European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP RD; project NG4leuko), one from the Bespoke Gene Therapy Consortium (BGTC; FNIH RFP NUMBER: 2022-BGTC003).

Outreach activities:

2019, 2022   Annual Telethon Marathon (interviews with families, videos)

2019  Contribution to the project Pearson Italia: editorial contents (video+inteview) realized in collaboration with Fondazione Telethon for the Biology volume (Campbell - I e II biennio)

2015-2018  Frontal lessons/discussions with high school students on gene therapy and the role of the researcher in society—educational activities sponsored by Fondazione Telethon.

2016  Invited speaker, Unistem Day. “Terapie con le cellule staminali: a che punto siamo” – Fondazione INGM “Romeo ed Enrica Invenizzi” Milan