We are proud to celebrate Italian excellence in science with the accomplishments of our Miami Scientific Italian Community members Dr. Laura Bianchi, PhD, and Dr. Roberta Brambilla, PhD, who have been elected Directors of the graduate programs in Cellular Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, and Neuroscience, respectively, at the University of Miami.
Dr. Bianchi and Dr. Brambilla share a remarkably parallel career path, which has led them to Miami to establish their research laboratories at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where Laura is Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and Roberta is Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery and faculty of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
Dr. Bianchi and Dr. Brambilla were both born and raised in Lombardia, Dr. Bianchi is originally from Como and Dr. Brambilla from Milan, and both begun their academic journey with bachelor and masters degrees from the University of Milan. After obtaining her Ph.D. in Human Physiology at the University of Florence, Dr. Bianchi pursued postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She then obtained a faculty position at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and finally joined the University of Miami in 2006. Dr. Brambilla obtained her Ph.D. in Toxicology at the University of Milan, then joined the University of Miami, first as a postdoctoral fellow, then as faculty in 2011.
Dr. Bianchi and Dr. Brambilla are both neuroscientists and focus their work on understanding the function of glial cells in nervous system in health, disease, and aging. More specifically, Dr. Bianchi has been working on models of epilepsy, pain, and neurodegenerative conditions using the model organism C. elegans, focusing on glia/neuron crosstalk. Dr. Brambilla works on understanding the role of neuroinflammation and neuroimmune interactions in the context of neurodegenerative and neurotraumatic disorders such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.
Both Dr. Bianchi and Dr. Brambilla are committed to training the next generation of scientists through graduate teaching and mentoring graduate students in their laboratories. Because of their expertise and experience they were recognized by their peers who voted to elect them as graduate program directors.
