Anna Gambetta

Anna earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biotechnology at the University of Padova, Italy. During her Master's, she conducted research on plant reproduction and evolutionary genomics at the Global Institute for Food Security in Canada. After her Master's, she secured a scholarship at the Laboratory of Genomics for Breeding at the University of Padova. In 2019, she joined the Martello lab, completing her Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine. Anna is dedicated to researching therapeutic targets for gene therapy in Huntington's disease, optimizing delivery through AAVs and mRNA nanoparticles. In addition to her research, Anna actively engages in Third Mission activities, focusing on technology transfer and Innovative Entrepreneurship. She co-founded DNAswitch, along with Prof. Graziano Martello, a biotech startup offering R&D services for neurodegenerative disease therapies. Beyond the lab, Anna enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, snowboarding, and capturing moments through photography.

annamaria.gambetta@unipd.it

Giada Rossignoli

Giada obtained her PhD in Molecular Medicine, curriculum Biochemistry, at the University of Verona. She then moved to University College London (London, UK) to study neurometabolic disorders using induced pluripotent stem cells-derived models. She joined Martello's lab as a postdoctoral researcher in 2022, and shortly after in 2013 she won a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship to explore how metabolism affects gene expression in human pluripotent stem cells. She likes travelling and reading novels, but eating good food is her greatest passion.

giada.rossignoli@unipd.it

Rachele Ghirardo

Rachele obtained her bachelor's degree in Biology and her master's degree in evolutionary biology, both at the University of Padova.Then, she earned a post master fellowship where she studied regeneration in zebrafish. She joined Martello Lab in 2023 as a PhD student in Biosciences where she studies gene therapy approaches against poly glutamine disorders, such as Huntighton's disease, in brain organoids. In her spare time she likes vintage markets and analog photography.

rachele.ghirardo@studenti.unipd.it

Davide Benvegnù

Davide earned his master’s degree in industrial Biotechnologies at the University of Padova. In 2022, he joined Martello lab as a post-graduate fellow. Then, in 2023, he began his PhD in Biosciences, with a project focused on characterizing the metabolism during mouse early embryo development using a 3D in vitro model. During his free time, Davide enjoys playing sports and spending time in nature during his free hours.

davide.benvegnu@studenti.unipd.it

Giorgia Panebianco

Giorgia obtained her Master's degree in Molecular biology, at the University of Padua. She joined Martello lab in 2023 for her master thesis studying the role of LIF in human naive pluripotent stem cells. From November 2023, she started her PhD project on the mechanisms regulating human naive pluripotency and placental differentiation. In her free time, she likes to go on excursions with her closest friends, grow plants and eat good food.

giorgia.panebianco@studenti.unipd.it

Nicolò Magri

Nicolò obtained his bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of Padova. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Industrial Biotechnologies at the University of Padova. In February 2024, he joined the Martello lab to conduct his internship investigating the role of the JAK/STAT pathway in human naive pluripotency. Beyond a deep passion for early music, he enjoys reading, traveling, and eating (not cooking!) great food.

Federica Bertelli

Federica earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology at the University of Padova and she is currently attending her Master’s Degree in Molecular biology. In 2024, she joined Martello’s lab for her master’s thesis, where she is investigating the metabolic shifts occurring during the implantation stages of human embryos using embryo-like structures generated from pluripotent stem cells. In her spare time she enjoys practising ballet and travelling with her closest friends.

federica.bertelli@unipd.it

Daniele Di Biagio

Daniele earned a PhD in Molecular Medicine at the University of Padova. He then moved to University College London, where he focused his studies on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, investigating the signaling pathways involved in cardiac morphogenesis and genetic diseases using a 3D tissue-engineered model of heart development derived from iPSCs. He subsequently joined Queen Mary University of London to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying inter-tissue communication. In 2025, he joined Martello’s lab, where he studies the molecular mechanisms underlying Huntington’s disease and also contributes to lab management. Outside the lab, he enjoys cooking and eating good food, spending time with friends, and listening to music.

Angela Toffano

Angela earned her Bachelor’s degree in Genomics from the University of Bologna and her Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology from the University of Trento. She then undertook a post-graduate research fellowship at the University of Cambridge, where she investigated Parkinson’s disease and explored potential cellular therapy approaches.In 2024, she joined Martello Lab as a research fellow, focusing on neurodevelopmental aspects of Huntington’s disease through in vitro models, and on possible gene therapy strategies.In her spare time, she enjoys going to the cinema, spending time with friends and taking part in local cultural and social events.

Gaia De Rigo

Gaia obtained her Master’s degree in Molecular Biology at the University of Padua. In 2025, she joined the Martello lab for her master’s thesis, where she investigated the role of biological compounds in Huntington’s disease. Starting in January 2026, she continued this research through a master’s fellowship, focusing on the effects of different biological compounds in mouse embryonic stem cells. Outside the lab, she enjoys cooking, has a keen interest in fashion, loves romantic comedies and likes spending time with her closest friends.