Neuroepigenetics
Alessandro Sessa
Email: sessa.alessandro@hsr.it
Location: DIBIT1 C1, Floor 4, Room 49A
Group leader, Neuroepigenetics Unit
Alessandro (Varese, 1981) received his Cellular and Molecular Biology Degree from the Insubria University (2005). He moved to Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan (I) (Dr. Vania Broccoli’s laboratory) where obtained his PhD (2012), studying mechanisms underlying the cerebral cortex development. During this phase of his academic pursuit, Alessandro also enriched his scientific experience by spending six months in the laboratory of Dr. Francois Guillemot at the Medical Research Council (MRC) in London (UK). As post-doctoral fellow first and then as senior scientist within the group of Dr. Broccoli, he focused on the role of epigenetic players in the physiological development of the brain as well as the impact of disease mutations for the establishment of pathological conditions. Alessandro started as Group leader of the “Neuroepigenetic Unit” in Division of Neuroscience, Ospedale San Raffaele, in 2023.
During his career, Alessandro has made notable contributions to the understanding of the cellular and molecular aspects governing cerebral cortex development. His work has encompassed diverse areas, ranging from elucidating the significance of specific cell populations to unraveling the role of cell polarity in neural stem cell differentiation, and investigating the importance of various signaling pathways in corticogenesis. Moreover, his research endeavors have extended to the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, including microcephaly, epilepsy, and rare syndromes. Beside pure biological investigations he has contributed to methodological papers on important technical advancement or refinements of molecular/cellular tool at the basis of the current biological research as cell reprogramming, viral delivery, and generation of synthetic epigenetic repressors.
Alessandro is contract professor at San Raffaele Vita e Salute University (since 2011), he serves as ad hoc external peer reviewer for scientific journals and funding agencies. He is scientific founder and consultant at Repron Therapeutics (since 2023).