I am a Research Associate at the University of Pennsylvania. For my entire scientific career, I have been oriented in translational research in the field of vascular biology focused on thrombosis and hemostasis. Initially, I did my PhD on the study of pulmonary embolism and the usage of red blood cells as thromboprophylactic carriers for fibrinolytics. For my first post-doc, I moved to France to study stroke, molecular imaging (thrombotic and hemorrhagic), and the implications of tPA in blood brain barrier leakage using different murine models of stroke. That work has been critical in my career as a young scientist, because it exposed me to a variety of aspects of research and helped me obtain multi-disciplinary expertise. I realized and was subsequently intrigued by the fragile equilibrium in the hemostatic system. To further extend my expertise in hemostasis I was trained in gene therapy for congenital hemorrhagic disorders. Realizing that systemic effects may increase the unwanted side effects, I wanted to explore the possibility of combining my previous experience, in thrombotic/hemorrhagic disorders and gene therapy, with the advances in drug targeting for local delivery. So, since 2016, I decided to continue my training in drug carriers and drug delivery systems in the cardiovascular field. Since then I am building a scientific career (to move to faculty positions) combining: thrombosis, hemostasis, drug targeting and gene therapy approaches. Despite all the lab-work I have a life outside the lab, with 2 kids and the photography and scuba diving as hobbies.
