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Onelia Gagliano

Principal Investigator

Onelia Gagliano leads a laboratory that studies human embryonic development using stem cells and three-dimensional models created in the lab. After training at the University of Padua and gaining significant international experience at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London (UCL), she received a prestigious European grant (ERC Starting Grant) to explore how cells organize during the earliest stages of life. Her research contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying human development and the causes of certain genetic diseases, with the long-term goal of identifying new strategies for prevention and treatment.

Group members

Francesca Tomatis

  • Post-Doc

Daniela Salas Troncoso

  • Post-Doc

Giulia Turlon

  • Ricercatore

Chiara Ravazzolo

  • studente

Research

Onelia Gagliano’s research investigates how human stem cells — which can differentiate into any type of tissue — self-organize to form structures resembling the earliest stages of an embryo. Her laboratory uses advanced techniques to observe and manipulate these cells in order to understand their developmental processes. The aim is to uncover the mechanisms that regulate the formation of the first tissues and reproductive cells, and to better understand the defects that can cause developmental disorders. Through a major European project, she is developing laboratory models that replicate the shape and early organization of the human embryo.

Publications

  1. Cellular population dynamics shape the route to human pluripotency.

    Panariello F*, Gagliano O*, Luni C*, Grimaldi A*, Angiolillo S, Qin W, Manfredi A, Annunziata P, Slovin S, Vaccaro L, Riccardo S, Bouche V, Dionisi M, Salvi M, Martewicz S, Hu M, Cui M, Stuart H, Laterza C, Baruzzo G, Schiebinger G, Di Camillo B, Cacchiarelli D, Elvassore N. Nat Commun. 2023 May 17;14(1):2829. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37270-w.

  2. NGN2-based neuronal programming of hiPSCs in an automated microfluidic platform

    Angiolillo S, Micheli S, Laterza C, Gagliano O. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023 Jul 23:666:52-60. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.04.104. Epub 2023 May 5.

  3. Timely delivery of cardiac mmRNAs in microfluidics enhances cardiogenic programming of human pluripotent stem cells.

    Contato A, Gagliano O, Magnussen M, Giomo M, Elvassore N. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2022 Aug 10;10:871867. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.871867. eCollection 2022.

  4. Derivation and Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in Microfluidic Devices.

    Luni C, Gagliano O, Elvassore N. Annu Rev Biomed Eng. 2022 Jun 6;24:231-248. doi: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-092021-042744. Epub 2022 Apr 4.

  5. Synchronization between peripheral circadian clock and feeding-fasting cycles in microfluidic device sustains oscillatory pattern of transcriptome.

    Gagliano O, Luni C, Li Y, Angiolillo S, Qin W, Panariello F, Cacchiarelli D, Takahashi JS, Elvassore N. Nat Commun. 2021 Oct 26;12(1):6185. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26294-9.

Curriculum

2014

Visiting Researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA.

2015

PhD in Industrial Engineering

2015-2017

PostDoc - Università degli Studi di Padova

2016 - 2017

Scientific Director uSTEM company

2017-2018

PostDoc - Università degli Studi di Padova

2020- 2021

Junior Principal Investigator (Supporting Talent in ReSearch (STARS)

2021 - present

Senior Researcher - University College London (UCL), London, UK.

2022-2024

Fixed-term Researcher - Università degli Studi di Padova

2024 - present

Associate Professor - Università degli Studi di Padova

2025 - present

Principal Investigator - VIMM

Selected Awards

2020

Fondazione Umberto Veronesi Award

2018

Travel Grant - EMBL Symposia - Germany.

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