Lucia Stefanini
Associate Professor
lucia.stefanini@uniroma1.it
Academic Appointments
- 2012-2013 Research Assistant Professor Biochemistry and Biophysics University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
- 2013-2015 Senior Research Fellow Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
- 2016 – 2019 Assistant Professor Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- 2019 – present Associate Professor Translational and Precision Medicine Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- 2023-2024 Visiting Professor Immunology Boston Children’ Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
Honors and Awards:
- 2009 Best Presentation American Society of Hematology Research Presentation at ASH Annual Meeting
- 2009 Travel Award American Society of Hematology Travel Award
- 2009 Best Presentation Thomas Jefferson University Research Presentation at Postdoctoral Symposium
- 2009 Travel Fellowship Thomas Jefferson University Travel Fellowship
- 2010 Best Presentation Thomas Jefferson University Research Presentation at Postdoctoral Symposium
- 2011 New Investigator Travel Award for International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis Travel Award
- 2013 Research Council Spring Award University of North Carolina Research
- 2013 Young Investigator Award International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research
- 2013 Kenneth M. Brinkhous Young Investigator Prize in Thrombosis America Heart Association Research
- 2015 Young Investigator Award International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research
Scientific interests
Immunothrombosis, crosstalk between platelets and immunity, role of platelets in modulating local and systemic inflammation, pathophysiological mechanisms of tissue repair and fibrosis.
Contribution to Science
– Dissection of the signaling pathways controlling integrin activation in platelets and their relationship to the kinetics of platelet adhesion and aggregation in the presence of flow
– Identification of RASA3, the molecule that controls sustained platelet activation downstream of P2Y12 receptor, the main target of currently used anti-thrombotic drugs
– Identification of a platelet-B cell crosstalk after vaccination
– Identification of a platelet-NK crosstalk in the gut-brain axis that controls memory.
5 Selected Publications
1. Garofalo S, Mormino A, Mazzarella L, Cocozza G, Rinaldi A, Di Pietro E, Di Castro MA, De Felice E, Maggi L, Chece G, Andolina D, Ventura R, Ielpo D, Piacentini R, Catalano M, Stefanini L, Limatola C. Platelets tune fear memory in mice. Cell Rep 2025, Feb 25;44(2):115261.
2. Distinct platelet crosstalk with adaptive and innate immune cells after adenoviral and mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Lombardi L, Maiorca F, Marrapodi R, Sabetta A, Scafa N, Pallucci D, Miglionico M, Romiti GF, Corica B, Piconese S, Polimeni A, Pulcinelli F, Cangemi R, Visentini M, Basili S, Stefanini L. J Thromb Haemost. 2023 Jun;21(6):1636-1649.
3. Stefanini L, Paul DS, Robledo RF, Chan ER, Getz TM, Campbell RA, Kechele DO, Casari C, Piatt R, Caron KM, Mackman N, Weyrich AS, Parrott MC, Boulaftali Y, Adams MD, Peters LL, Bergmeier W. RASA3 is a critical inhibitor of RAP1-dependent platelet activation. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2015 Apr;125(4):1419-32.
4. Stefanini L, Ye F, Snider AK, Sarabakhsh K, Piatt R, Paul DS, Bergmeier W, Petrich BG. A talin mutant that impairs talin-integrin binding in platelets decelerates αIIbβ3 activation without pathological bleeding. Blood. 2014 Apr 24;123(17):2722-31.
5. Stefanini L, Roden RC, Bergmeier W. CalDAG-GEFI is at the nexus of calcium-dependent platelet activation. Blood. 2009, Sep 17; 114(12): 2506-14.
On-going Grants
| Project Title | Funding Source | Amount (Euros) | Period | Role of the PI |
| Implementing new technological platforms to monitor the thrombotic risk of patients with infectious disease. | Sapienza University of Rome | 48,000 | 2024-2026 | PI (10% of time) |
| Characterization of the platelet inflammatory response in NAFL and NASH. | Merck Sharp & Dohme Llc | 96,000 | 2021-2025 | Scientific Coordinator (20% of time) |
| Programmed platelet death in Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. | Istituto Pasteur Cenci Bolognetti | 40,000 | 2025-2027 | PI (20% of time) |
Complete list of published work in MyBibliography:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=stefanini+lucia&sort=date
KEYWORDS
Platelets, immunothrombosis, fibrosis, inflammosome
