Laura Baranello

Laura Baranello is a Principal Researcher and Assistant Professor at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Cell and Molecular Biology. Her work focuses on DNA topology, topoisomerase regulation, and their implications in cancer biology. She leads a research group investigating the 'topoisome' complex formed by MYC, TOP1, and TOP2A, aiming to develop tumor-specific therapies with reduced side effects.

• PhD in Cellular, Molecular, and Industrial Biology (University of Bologna, Italy)
• Postdoctoral Fellow (National Institutes of Health, USA)

Research Interests: Baranello's research explores how topoisomerases interact with transcription and chromatin factors to regulate DNA structure during replication and transcription. Her team studies the MYC-topoisomerase complex ('topoisome') to identify novel regulatory proteins and develop drugs targeting cancer-specific interactions.

Scientific Awards:

• ERC Consolidator Grant (2024)
• Göran Gustafsson Prize (2025)
• Wallenberg Academy Fellow (2016)
• Cancerfonden Project Grants (2021, 2018)
• Vetenskapsrådet Grants (2021, 2016)
• VINNOVA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship (2016)

Advising & Collaborations: Baranello mentors PhD students and collaborates internationally with institutions in Sweden, USA, Italy, Japan, and Switzerland. She co-organizes academic events like the EMBO workshop 'DNA Topology in Genomic Transactions' and Cell and Molecular Biology seminars.