R. (Roberto) Narcisi PhD

Education and carreer 

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). I became Associate Professor at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam in 2023. Since 2014 my work has been 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: 
(1)    using stem cells for skeletal disease modelling approaches;
(2)    determining the influence of senescence, inflammation and genetics during cartilage generation and degeneration;
(3)    modulating intracellular signaling pathways to generate articular cartilage.

In 2022 I became a member of the communication and outreach committee of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), and in 2024 I concluded my 6-year experience as board member and secretary of the Dutch society for matrix biology (NVMB).
 

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.