Physiopathology of neural stem cells

Share on

Group leader:  Annalisa Buffo 

Physiopathology of neural stem cells
Valentina Cerrato

Valentina Cerrato

PostDoc

Contacts:

Tel  + 39 011 6706632
Fax + 39 011 6705449
e-mail:  valentina.cerrato@unito.it

Born in Turin on 21.07.1988 - Italian.

Education
2018. PhD in Neuroscience cum laude, University of Turin, Italy
2012. Master’s Degree in Medical Biotechnology (summa cum laude and honorable mention), University of Turin, Italy
2010. Bachelor Degree in Biotechnology (summa cum laude), University of Turin, Italy

Current position
Post-doc fellow

Previous positions
2018 - up to now. Post-doc Fellow, Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini and Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, Italy. PI: Prof. Annalisa Buffo
February 2015. Visiting Scholar in the laboratory of Prof. Laura López-Mascaraque, Instituto Cajal, Madrid.
2014-2017. PhD student, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Italy. PI: Prof. Annalisa Buffo
2013. Post-lauream apprentice at the Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, PI: Prof. Ferdinando Rossi.
2007–2012. Undergraduate student, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Italy. PI: Prof. David Lembo.

Main research interest and expertise
My research focuses on the mechanisms of cerebellar development. Specifically, I am interested in elucidating the ontogenesis of glial heterogeneity in this brain region, through high throughput clonal and molecular analyses. In the past ten years of research activity in both the virology and neuroscience field, I acquired basic abilities in molecular biology (DNA and RNA isolation, PCR, qRT PCR, bacterial transformation, plasmids purification, lentiviral vector production) and culture of both immortalized and primary lines of different CNS cell types (mainly astrocytes and neurospheres of neural stem cells).

Moreover, I gained a deep expertise in the technique of in utero and postnatal electroporation in the mouse brain and a good dexterity in other in vivo surgical procedures in mice, like injection of lentiviral vectors in utero (in the lateral and fourth ventricles), early postnatally, and in adult animals, cell transplantation experiments, perfusion and brain tissue collection. I also acquired extensive ability in behavioral tests to assess both motor and anxiety-like behaviors in distinct mutant mouse lines. Moreover, I gained expertise in histological and cytological procedures as well as in the use of bright-field, fluorescence and confocal microscopy. Beside that, I took advantage of novel in vivo clonal analysis techniques to investigate the fate potency of single precursor cells and trace their progenies in the CNS.

Role in research
Responsible of research on astrocyte heterogeneity and cerebellar development; expert in clonal analyses

> Curriculum Vitae

Publications:

>   PubMed.gov

News

SPACER: A single cell SPAtiotemporal transcriptomic atlas to unveil CERebellar development and function in mouse

SPACER , conceived by Prof. Annalisa Buffo and by the post doc Valentina Cerrato from the Physiopathology of neural stem cells group , is among the projects selected as winners of a highly competitive call of the European consortium EASI Genomics, in the frame of the Horizon 2020 program. In total, 143 research groups from 27 countries all over the world applied in response to this call, but only 33 projects were selected.

10 November 2021

Cerebellar Astrocytes: Much More Than Passive Bystanders In Ataxia Pathophysiology

Journal of Clinical Medicine , 11 March 2020
Review - V. Cerrato

17 March 2020

Multiple origins and modularity in the spatiotemporal emergence of cerebellar astrocyte heterogeneity

Plos Biology , 27 September 2018
V Cerrato, E Parmigiani, M Figueres-Oñate, M Betizeau, J Aprato, I Nanavaty, P Berchialla, F Luzzati, C de’Sperati, L Lopez-Mascaraque, A Buffo

10 October 2018