Dana Branzei, research manager of the ‘Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza’ Institute of Molecular Genetics of the National Research Council (Cnr-Igm) of Pavia and of the ‘Dna Repair’ research program at the Ifom-Firc Institute of Molecular Oncology of Milan, obtained an Advanced Grant from the Fis (Italian Science Fund, 2021) of the Ministry of University and Research. Her project is about the mechanisms underlying cancer progression.
Born in Romania, educated in Japan and currently residing in Italy – inform Ifom and Cnr – Branzei has demonstrated “extraordinary competence and dedication in her field of research. Her international career has earned her several prestigious awards, as well as two previous ERC grants “, of the European Research Council, “and the appointment as a member of Embo, the European elite of molecular biologists”. The scientist’s research, which boasts publications in journals such as “Nature Communications and Nature Structure Molecular Biology, Cell, Molecular Cell, Pnas and Genes and Development”, focuses “on understanding the origins of chromosomal instability in eukaryotic cells following stress replication and how genome replication is linked to the spatial organization and compaction of DNA in the cell nucleus. Specifically, this project funded by Fis “intends to shed light on the complex pathways of cohesion and recombination, in particular on their role in cancer progression”. Entitled ‘Replication-associated Cohesion and Recombination’, it “constitutes an excellence of scientific innovation in the ERC Life Sciences sector”.
“I am excited to embark on this landmark project – says Branzei – and confident of the potential impact our findings could have on the design of more effective anticancer therapies. Our goal is to understand the synergy and compensation that occurs in these pathways, during the cell cycle This knowledge is critical to designing potential therapies targeting these processes.” The funding received by the scientist, recalls a note, “is part of a highly competitive funding program. With a success rate of just 2.5%, only 47 of the 1,912 projects submitted have been approved. Such a rigorous selection process makes Dr. Branzei’s achievement a significant testament to the merit of her work and the potential impact her project could have on understanding the genetic processes and treatment of cancer.”
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