Prisca Liberali
{{Short description|Italian chemist}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Prisca Liberali
| image = Prisca Liberali at the Human Cell Atlas Computational Methods meeting.jpg
| caption = Liberali presents at the Human Cell Atlas Computational Methods meeting in 2017
| birth_place = Belgium
| prizes = EMBO Gold Medal (2022)
EMBO Member (2022)
| workplaces = Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research
ETH Zurich
University of Basel
| alma_mater = Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research
Sapienza University of Rome
Open University (PhD)
| thesis_title = Mechanisms regulating the dual function of CtBP3/BARS in mammal cell membrane fission and transcription
| thesis_url = https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.446099
| thesis_year = 2008
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}
Prisca Liberali is an Italian chemist who is a senior group leader at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research.{{EuropePMC}} Her research takes a systems biology approach to understand the behaviour of multi-cellular systems. She was awarded the EMBO Gold Medal and EMBO Membership in 2022.
Early life and education
Liberali was born in Belgium, and grew up between Belgium and Luxembourg.{{cite journal |title=Cell scientist to watch – Prisca Liberali |journal=Journal of Cell Science |date=15 May 2020 |volume=133 |issue=10 |pages=jcs246272 |doi=10.1242/jcs.246272 |s2cid=219200956 |doi-access=free }} Her parents worked for the European Union. She attended the Sapienza University of Rome, where she studied physical organic chemistry. She moved to the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, where she worked toward a doctorate in cell biology with Daniela Corda. Her doctorate looked at the mechanisms that regulate the function of the carboxy-terminal binding protein 3/brefeldin A-ribosylated substrate (CtBP3/BARS) in the membrane fission of mammal cells and was awarded by the Open University.{{Cite thesis |degree=PhD |last1=Liberali |first1=Prisca |title=Mechanisms regulating the dual function of CtBP3/BARS in mammal cell membrane fission and transcription |date=2008 |language=English |publisher=Open University |id={{EThOS|446099}} {{ProQuest|301737291}} |oclc=500299520 }} Her PhD used high-contrast screening and mapping of genetics interactions.
Research and career
After her PhD, Liberali then worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology at ETH Zurich.{{cn|date=July 2022}}
In 2015, Liberali was made an assistant professor at the University of Basel. She was simultaneously appointed a group leader at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, where she was made Senior Group Leader in 2021.{{Cite web |last=FMI |title=FMI - Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research - Prisca Liberali |url=https://fmi.ch/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=fmi.ch}}
Liberali makes use of a systems biology approach to understand tissue organisation. She is interested in the collective properties of multi-cellular systems and how their properties arise from the behaviour of individual cells.{{Cite web |title=Green light for 321 projects on self-chosen topics |url=https://www.snf.ch/en/xmVlpMqog1IAvuQX/news/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) |language=de}} With this information, Liberali looks to understand cell reprogramming and disease.{{Cite web |last=FMI |title=FMI - Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research - Prisca Liberali |url=https://fmi.ch/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=fmi.ch}} Her early work considered intestinal organoids{{Cite web |title=Leaders of the Field Discuss Advances in Organoid Applications |url=https://www.stemcell.com/nature-research-roundtable-organoid-applications |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=stemcell.com |language=en}} and how they develop from stem cells.{{Cite web |date=2021-02-11 |title=Don't be afraid, be bold - Interview with Prisca Liberali |url=https://www.yokogawa.com/eu/blog/life-innovation/interview-prisca-liberali/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=Life Innovation Blog |language=en-US}}{{Cite journal |last1=Lukonin |first1=Ilya |last2=Zinner |first2=Marietta |last3=Liberali |first3=Prisca |date=October 2021 |title=Organoids in image-based phenotypic chemical screens |journal=Experimental & Molecular Medicine |volume=53 |issue=10 |pages=1495–1502 |doi=10.1038/s12276-021-00641-8 |pmid=34663938 |pmc=8569209 }}
In June 2022, Liberali was awarded the EMBO Gold Medal by the European Molecular Biology Organization.{{Cite web |title=Prisca is awarded the EMBO Gold Medal! |url=https://liberalilab.org/news/2022/7/1/prisca-is-awarded-the-embo-gold-medal |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=The Liberali Lab |date=24 June 2022 |language=en-GB}} She was awarded EMBO Membership in 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-06 |title=EMBO elects 67 new members and associate members – Press releases – EMBO |url=https://www.embo.org/press-releases/embo-elects-67-new-members-and-associate-members/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |language=en-GB}}
= Awards and honours =
- 2003 Italian Association for Cancer Research Fellowship{{Cite web |last=FMI |title=FMI - Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research - Prisca Liberali |url=https://fmi.ch/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=fmi.ch}}
- 2015 Swiss National Science Foundation Professorship{{Cite web |title=Liberali {{!}} Basel Stem Cell Network |url=https://baselstemcells.ch/en/research/research-groups/liberali/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=baselstemcells.ch |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Prof. Prisca Liberali - AcademiaNet |url=https://www.academia-net.org/profil/prof-prisca-liberali/1411227 |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=academia-net.org}}
- 2017 European Research Council (ERC) starting grant (SymBreakOragnoid){{Cite web |title=ERC FUNDED PROJECTS |url=https://erc.europa.eu/projects-figures/erc-funded-projects/results?items_per_page=10&f%5B0%5D=funding_scheme%3AStarting%20Grant%20%28StG%29&page=459}}
- 2019 EMBO Young Investigator{{Cite web |title=Prisca becomes an EMBO Young Investigator |url=https://liberalilab.org/news/2020/2/5/prisca-becomes-an-embo-young-investigator |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=The Liberali Lab |date=18 November 2019 |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=FMI |title=Prisca Liberali becomes an EMBO Young Investigator |url=https://www.fmi.ch/news/releases/articles/?news=435 |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=fmi.ch}}
- 2022 Friedrich Miescher Award{{Cite web |title=Prisca Liberali awarded Friedrich Miescher Award |url=https://www.unibas.ch/en/News-Events/News/Uni-People/Prisca-Liberali-awarded-Friedrich-Miescher-Award.html |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=unibas.ch |language=en}}
- 2022 EMBO Gold Medal{{Cite web |date=2022-06-24 |title=Prisca Liberali awarded EMBO Gold Medal 2022 – Press releases – EMBO |url=https://www.embo.org/press-releases/prisca-liberali-awarded-embo-gold-medal-2022/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=Prisca Liberali awarded EMBO Gold Medal 2022 |url=https://www.unibas.ch/en/News-Events/News/Uni-People/Prisca-Liberali-awarded-EMBO-Gold-Medal-2022.html |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=unibas.ch |language=en}}{{Citation |title=Seeing is believing: Meet Prisca Liberali |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS2kQyU_kZY |language=en |access-date=2022-07-15}}
= Selected publications =
Her publications{{Google scholar id}} include:
- Population context determines cell-to-cell variability in endocytosis and virus infection{{Cite Q|Q39807636}}
- Self-organization and symmetry breaking in intestinal organoid development{{Cite Q|Q90284285}}
- The closure of Pak1-dependent macropinosomes requires the phosphorylation of CtBP1/BARS{{Cite Q|Q30481720}}
Personal life
References
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Category:Italian women chemists
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Sapienza University of Rome alumni