Claudia Bagni

Claudia Bagni is a Full Professor at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) in the Department of Fundamental Neurosciences within the Faculty of Biology and Medicine, and maintains a dual appointment at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy). She previously served as Director of the Department of Fundamental Neurosciences (2016-2021) and as Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne (2021-2024).

Her academic journey began with work in renowned laboratories including Fotis C Kafatos at Harvard, and subsequently at the EMBL with Carlos Dotti. She was Group leader at VIB (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology) and Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of KU Leuven (2008-2016) before joining the University of Lausanne. Professor Bagni is an EMBO member and was elected to the Academy of Europe in 2024.

Professor Bagni's research focuses on molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, neuronal development, mRNA metabolism, and the molecular basis of intellectual disabilities, particularly Fragile X Syndrome. Her work bridges biochemistry and neuroscience, investigating brain wiring, ASD and SCZ-like behaviors, and cancer mechanisms in intellectual disability contexts. She has published over 130 papers in high-impact journals and holds three patents.

Her scientific contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including the Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2023), Nestle Research & Development Women in Science Award (2018), Pavoncella Prize (2017), and Solvay Prize (2016). She serves on multiple scientific advisory boards including the Fragile X International Association.

As an active contributor to the scientific community, Professor Bagni mentors junior scientists, reviews for leading journals, and organizes high-profile conferences including EMBO and Gordon Research Conferences. Her recent publications (2024-2025) in journals like Nature Neuroscience, Science, and Neuron demonstrate her ongoing research productivity and leadership in the field.