R. (Roberto) Narcisi PhD

Education and career 

I graduated in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in 2007 and completed my PhD in Biotechnology in 2011 (University of Genova, Italy). Subsequently, I moved to the Netherlands after accepting a postdoc position in the group of Prof. van Osch (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam). After a secondment at the Stanford University (2015), in 2018 I became Assistant Professor at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. Since 2014 my work is mainly supported by personal grants including a VENI from NWO, a ZonMW (TAS), and 2x ReumaNederland (Dutch Arthritis foundation), and by consortia projects including the iCELL Flagship-Convergence (WP1 leader), LoaD from NWA (WP3 co-leader) and the OAinject Perspectief from NWO (WP6 co-leader). My research line is mainly focused on: - using stem cells for skeletal disease modelling approaches; - determining the influence of senescence, inflammation and genetics during cartilage generation and degeneration; - modulating intracellular signaling pathways to generate articular cartilage. Since 2018 I am board member and secretary of the Dutch society for matrix biology (NVMB) and associate editor for Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. In 2022 I become a member of the communication and outreach committee of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS). 

Science communication 

I am involved in different science communication activities. In 2017 I won the Dutch FameLab event, a science communication competition for young scientist, and in 2019 I was invited to participate to a TEDx event in Alkmaar. Since 2017 I regularly participate to career events organized by high-school and PhD students talking about science, resilience in science and career opportunities in academia.

“In 2022 I become a member of the communication and outreach committee of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), and since 2023 I’m associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Sport Medicine.”