Davide Cacchiarelli

Davide Cacchiarelli is an Associate Investigator at TIGEM (Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine) and holds the position of "Rita-Levi Montalcini" Associate Professor of Molecular Biology in the Department of Translational Medicine at the University of Naples "Federico II". He is also the "Armenise-Harvard" Principal Investigator of the Laboratory of Integrative Genomics at TIGEM. His research focuses on genomic medicine and integrative genomics, particularly on understanding the dynamics of cell fate decisions and reprogramming.

Cacchiarelli obtained both his Master's Degree and Doctorate Degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the University of Rome "La Sapienza", where he worked on mechanisms of RNA regulation. In 2011, he moved to The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and The Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University to focus on cell fate transitions and reprogramming using genomic approaches. He returned to Italy in 2017 through the Armenise Harvard Foundation Career Development Award.

His research leverages an interdisciplinary approach that brings together pluripotency and stem cell biology with cellular engineering, molecular diagnostics, genomic approaches, and mathematical modeling. Cacchiarelli's work aims to understand the regulatory logic driving cell fate during human reprogramming, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality and fidelity of reprogramming strategies for regenerative medicine therapies. His lab carries out multifaceted approaches combining genomic strategies to advance our understanding of cell fate decisions in development and genetic diseases. Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding cellular population dynamics in pluripotency, transcription factor networks in metabolism and development, and applications of single-cell genomics to disease modeling.

• Rita Levi-Montalcini Assistant Professorship Grant (2017-Present)
• Armenise Harvard Foundation Career Development Award
• European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC-StG) for the CellKarma project

Cacchiarelli coordinates a research group at TIGEM that is funded by an ERC-StG grant. His laboratory includes postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, technicians, and bioinformaticians working collaboratively on various aspects of genomic medicine. The lab has received significant funding from multiple sources, supporting research on cell fate reprogramming and the molecular basis of rare genetic diseases. His work on the regulatory logic of cell fate decisions has important implications for regenerative medicine and understanding developmental disorders.

The Laboratory of Integrative Genomics at TIGEM, led by Cacchiarelli, brings together experts in stem cell biology, genomics, bioinformatics, and molecular biology to study cell fate decisions. The team includes Antonio Grimaldi, Lorenzo Vaccaro, and Nina Tirozzi as postdoctoral fellows; Gennaro Gandolfo, Rosa De Santis, and Vanessa Rainone as PhD students; and specialized technicians and bioinformaticians. The lab utilizes cutting-edge genomic technologies and computational approaches to unravel the complex regulatory networks governing cell identity and differentiation.