Laura Cancedda

Laura Cancedda graduated in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Genoa in 1999, with a thesis on the role of neurotrophic factors on neurotransmitter release. She received her Ph.D. in neurophysiology from Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa, Italy) in 2003, under the supervision of Dr. Lamberto Maffei. In Pisa, she investigated the molecular and environmental basis of experience-dependent plasticity in the rat brain. In 2003, she moved to University of California at Berkeley in Dr. Poo’s laboratory where she focused her studies on molecular mechanisms of GABAergic-transmission modulation. Starting in 2006, she has also started a collaboration on a project aimed at studying early determinants of neuronal polarization.

Currently, she holds a team-leader position at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa and a scientist position at the Telethon Dulbecco Institute. Laura is also a scholar of the FENS KAVLI network of excellence. Her research focuses on the role of extracellular factors such as GABA in neurogenesis, migration and morphological maturation of cortical neurons under physiological as well as pathological conditions.

In 2021, Laura launched the start-up IAMA Therapeutics, based on her research.

Laura comes from a neurophysiological and neuropharmacological background. The techniques applied in her laboratory include, among others,in vitroelectrophysiology on brain slices and cell cultures,in vivotransfection of nucleic acids (in uteroelectroporation),in vitroandin vivopharmacology, immunohistochemistry, and confocal imaging. She also has experience in rodent behavioral testing.

Honors and Awards

2022    Founder and scientific advisor for IAMA therapeutics.

Scientific responsible and member of the steering committee for Clinical trial EudraCT 2015-005780-16 at the Bambino Gesù Hospital based on my research.

2019    Program Committee officer member for the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)  (proposed by Italian Society for Neuroscience).

Proposed for the IBRO-Kemali Prize 2019

2018    National habilitation as full professor of Pharmacology

National habilitation as full professor of Physiology

2017- Scientific advisory board member of the Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza

2017    Selected among the best 100 young Italian scientists operating in Italy or abroad (Cartaditalia magazine)

2016    Awarded the European Research Council (ERC) consolidator grant.

The project was featured in the press release (7 projects featured out of 314 funded) for announcing the results of 2016 ERC CoG by the communication unit of the ERC.

Appointed scholar of the FENS-KAVLI network of excellence. https://fenskavlinetwork.org/ 

Young researcher award, memorial Mario Mai.

2015    Appointed assistant scientist at the Dulbecco Telethon Institute, Italy

2014    National habilitation as assistant professor of Physiology.

TRADECOM society adopted Telethon Project on Rett syndrome for communication to the lay public.

2013    Mention of honor, poster award, Convention Telethon, Italy.

Finalist at the scientific picture award “Beyond science”, Genova, Italy.

2011    Best poster award, Molecular Mechanisms in Neuroscience meeting, Rome, Italy.

2009    Young investigator award, Italian Society of Physiology (SIF), Italy.

2008    Best speaker award, Italian Society for Neuroscience (SINS), Milan, Italy.

2003    Ph.D. earned with Honors, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy.

2001    Travel award for participation to summer course “Structure, Function and Development of the Visual System”, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), U.S.A.

1999    Graduation with Honors and Distinction in Major, University of Genoa, Italy.

1997    Scholarship for extracurricular departmental activities, University of Genoa, Italy.