Valentina Cerrato

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