Curriculum Vitae SILVIA PREITE PERSONAL DATA Current position:, Via Vincenzo Vela 6, 6500, Bellinzona (Switzerland) Cell phone: +41 767861119 or +39 3490541497 Email address: silvia.preite@irb.usi.ch, silviapreite@hotmail.com Skype contact: silvia.preite Nationality: Italian Birthday & birthplace: April 29, 1986 Galatina, Lecce (Italy) EDUCATION January 2010 April 2014: PhD student at the International PhD School in Molecular Medicine, section of Basic and Applied Immunology. Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan (Italy). Experimental work at the, Bellinzona (Switzerland). Thesis title: On the regulation of antibody responses by T follicular helper cells. Final Mark: outstanding; discussion date: April 16, 2014. Advisors: F. Sallusto, PhD and F. Batista, PhD. October 2009: M.Sc. in Medical Biotechnology. University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan (Italy). Experimental work at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan (Italy). Thesis title: Liver intravital microscopy: a new approach to study the pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus infection. Final Mark: summa cum laude; discussion date: October 6, 2009. Advisors: L.G. Guidotti, DVM, PhD and A. Biondi, MD. September 2007: B.Sc. in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan (Italy). Thesis title: "Evaluation of platelet activation markers in patients with cardiovascular diseases in double anti-platelet therapy. Final Mark: 110/110; discussion date: September 24, 2007. Advisors: L.M. Mendolicchio, MD, PhD and G. Poli, MD. TRAINING EXPERIENCES January 2010 April 2014: PhD training, Cellular Immunology lab directed by Dr. Federica Sallusto., Bellinzona (Switzerland). My PhD research interests were focused on T cell-dependent antibody responses. I explored cellular and molecular elements required for the maintenance of T-follicular helper cell (Tfh) phenotype in mouse models of immunization with not-self antigens. Moreover, I investigated the regulation of different aspects of B cell responses in T cell lymphopenic hosts. 1
September 2008 October 2009: Master student training, Immunopathogenesis of Liver Infections Unit directed by Dr. Luca G. Guidotti. San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan (Italy). My experimental thesis project was aimed to understand the pathogenesis of hepatic liver injury mediated by host CD8 + T cells HBV-specific and by virus-non-specific innate immune cells (mononuclear cells, neutrophils and platelets). I took advantage of intravital microscopy to dissect cellular interactions within the liver. December 2005 May 2007: Undergraduate student training, Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Diseases Department directed by Prof. A. Maseri, in collaboration with Dr. Mendolicchio. San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan (Italy). My experimental thesis work was focused on the identification of markers of platelet activation, through FACS analysis, indicative of a high risk for cardiac acute ischemia in patients with stent receiving anti-platelet therapy. TECHNICAL SKILLS The main area of my technical and theoretical competence is mouse immunology, with particular emphasis on T and B cell biology. During my doctoral training, I gained extensive expertise with cellular techniques to phenotypically characterize and dissect the activation and localization of T and B cells both in vitro and in vivo models. I acquired the ability to fully interrogate the antibody response generated by antigen immunization. Besides, I explored molecular aspects of the immune response by performing somatic hypermutation analysis on murine BCR. AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS Best Student Award 2012-2013, May 2013. Scholarship to attend the Keystone Symposium in Advances in the Knowledge and Treatment of Autoimmunity in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, April 2013. Travel award to attend the 17th Germinal Centre Conference, in Birmingham, UK, September 2011. PUBLICATIONS Baumjohann D., Preite S., Reboldi A., Ronchi F., Ansel KM., Lanzavecchia A., Sallusto F. (2013). Persistent Antigen and Germinal Center B Cells Sustain T Follicular Helper Cell Responses and Phenotype. Immunity; 38, 596 605. MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION Preite S., Baumjohann D., Foglierini M., Ronchi F., Basso C., Fernandez Rodriguez B.M., Corti D., Lanzavecchia A., Sallusto F. Impaired antibody response in the presence of high number of T follicular helper cells. In preparation. 2
Ronchi F., Basso C., Preite S., Reboldi A., Gyuelveszi G., Baumjohann D., Lanzavecchia A. and Sallusto F. Pertussis toxin-driven IL-1β production is required for highly encephalitogenic GM-CSF + T cell generation in EAE pathogenesis. In preparation. Kabanova A., Perez L., Lilleri D., Marcandalli J., Agatic G., Becattini S., Preite S., Fuschillo D., Percivalle E., Sallusto F., Gerna G., Corti D., and Lanzavecchia A. Antibody-Driven Vaccine Design: A Human Cytomegalovirus ghglpul128l Subunit Vaccine Selectively Eliciting Potent Neutralizing Antibodies. In preparation. ACTIVE PARTICIPATION TO MEETINGS AND SCHOOLS Meeting organization: IRB PhD student retreat, May 13-15, 2014, Engelberg, Switzerland. Oral presentations: PhD student meeting of the Basic and Applied Immunology of the International PhD School in Molecular Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, October 3-5, 2013, Varenna, Lecco. Impaired antibody response in the presence of high number of T follicular helper cells. 15 th ICI, International Congress of Immunology, August 22-27, 2013, Milan, Italy. Regulation of T helper cell-dependent antibody response in lymphopenic hosts RCAI International Summer Program, June 21-28, 2013, RIKEN Yokohama Institute, Japan. IRB PhD student retreat, May 15-17, 2013, Engelberg, Switzerland. Advances in the Knowledge and Treatment of Autoimmunity, Keystone Symposia, April 4-9, 2013. Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. PhD student meeting of the Basic and Applied Immunology of the International PhD School in Molecular Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, October 5-6, 2012, Varenna, Lecco. IRB PhD student retreat, December 5-7, 2011, San Bernardino, Switzerland. Overstimulation of T follicular helper cells in lymphopenic mice leads to impaired Poster presentations: Lymphocyte signalling, EMBO conference, May 17-21, 2014, Bertinoro, Italy. Impaired antibody response in the presence of high number of T follicular helper cells. Immunochemistry and Immunology, Gordon Research Conference, June 10-15, 2012, Les Diablerets, Switzerland. Overstimulation of T follicular helper cells in lymphopenic mice leads to impaired World Immune regulation meeting -VII, March 13-16, 2012, Davos, Switzerland. 3
Overstimulation of T follicular helper cells in lymphopenic mice leads to impaired 17th Germinal Centre Conference, September 4-8, 2011, Birmingham, UK. Advances in immunology and allergology: from research to diagnosis and therapy, Annual Congress SSAI-SGAI, March 17-18, 2011, Lugano, Switzerland. 11 th International Symposium on Dendritic cells in Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, September 26-30, 2010, Lugano, Switzerland. Regulation of T helper cell-dependent antibody responses by CD11c high cells and CD8 + T cells. 5th ENII EFIS/EJI Immunology Summer School, May 9-16, 2010, Capo Caccia, Italy. Regulation of T helper cell-dependent antibody responses by CD11c high cells and CD8 + T cells. LANGUAGE SKILLS Italian native language German basic knowledge English fluent in spoken and written French basic knowledge 4
REFERENCES Federica Sallusto (direct doctoral supervisor) Cellular Immunology Laboratory Tel. +41 91 8200315, Fax. +41 91 8200305 E-mail: federica.sallusto@irb.unisi.ch Antonio Lanzavecchia (second doctoral supervisor) Immune regulation Laboratory Tel. +41 91 820 0310, Fax. +41 91 820 0305 E-mail: lanzavecchia@irb.unisi.ch Silvia Monticelli (IRB PhD program coordinator) Molecular Immunology Laboratory Tel. +41 91 820 0354, Fax. +41 91 820 0305 E-mail: silvia.monticelli@irb.usi.ch Facundo Batista (PhD thesis second advisor) London Research Institute Lincoln s Inn Fields Laboratories 44 Lincoln s Inn Fields London, WC2A 3LY, UK Tel +44 (0) 20 7269 2059, Fax +44 (0) 20 7269 3479 E-mail: facundo.batista@cancer.org.uk Guido Poli (Universita`Vita-Salute San Raffaele PhD program coordinator) Vita-Salute San Raffaele University School of Medicine & San Raffaele Scientific Institute Head, AIDS Immunopathogenesis Unit Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases Via Olgettina, 58, 20132 Milano, Italy Tel. +39 02 2643-4909 (-2821, secr.), Fax. +39 02 2643-4905 E-mail: poli.guido@hsr.it 5