Valentina Castagnola
Valentina Castagnola is a chemist by training, but her research has consistently embraced a multidisciplinary approach, working at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and physics.
After graduating in Photochemistry and Molecular Materials at the University of Bologna, she earned her PhD from the University Paul Sabatier of Toulouse, conducting research at the French National Center for Scientific Research (LAAS-CNRS). Her work focused on developing highly biocompatible neuroprosthetics for chronic implantation in brain-machine interfaces. In recognition of her contributions, her thesis was awarded the Best Thesis Prize by the GEETS – École Doctorale Génie Électrique, Électronique, Télécommunications et Santé in 2014.
To deepen her understanding of molecular mechanisms at the interface between nanostructures and biological environments, Dr. Castagnola joined the Centre for BioNano Interactions (CBNI) at University College Dublin, a leading research center directed by Prof. Kenneth Dawson. As a postdoctoral fellow from 2015 to 2019, she contributed to various Irish and EU-funded projects, particularly investigating the biological interactions of carbon-based nanomaterials (EU Graphene Flagship Project) and plasmonic nanomaterials (EU Future NanoNeeds FP7 Project), focusing on the role of the biomolecular corona.
In 2020, she joined the Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN) at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), located at IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, under the leadership of Prof. Fabio Benfenati as a Senior Researcher. Here, she established her own research program, exploring the physiopathology of the blood-brain barrier and the interactions between functional nanomaterials and the nervous system.
Among others, she received the Roche for Research grant in 2020, followed by the FPS Vassili Fotis grant in 2024. With this grant, in 2025 she joined Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS as a tenure-track researcher, where she is developing biomimetic nanocarriers for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-castagnola-6a348454/
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8651-5958
Nanoscale Emerging Investigators Series
Exploring the interaction of 2D materials and biological systems
