Alessandra Gentile

Alessandra Gentile is a Research Fellow in Developmental Neurobiology at King's College London, affiliated with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and the King’s MechanoBiology Centre. Her work focuses on understanding how mechanical forces and extracellular matrix (ECM) dynamics drive tissue folding and cardiac development in zebrafish models. Dr. Gentile’s research bridges developmental biology, mechanobiology, and cardiovascular science, with a particular emphasis on heart morphogenesis and stem cell biology.

Her research interests include the role of ECM remodeling in tissue folding, the molecular mechanisms regulating cardiac chamber formation, and the interplay between mechanical forces and genetic pathways in development. She employs multidisciplinary approaches combining genetics, live imaging, and computational modeling to study these processes.

In recent work, Gentile has investigated how mechanical forces shape the cardiac ECM during zebrafish development, the distinct mechanisms governing ventricular vs. atrial wall formation, and the role of transcription factors like Snai1 in maintaining myocardial integrity. Her contributions also extend to pharmacological research, including identifying novel PPAR agonists from marine sources.

Dr. Gentile is a co-investigator on the EMBO-funded project 'Investigating fluid flow-mediated extracellular matrix remodelling during tissue folding' (2023–2025), highlighting her leadership in advancing mechanobiological research.