Lorenza Penengo

Lorenza Penengo is an Assistant Professor and Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich. She holds a PhD in Molecular Medicine and has held academic roles at the University of Piemonte Orientale and Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on ubiquitin modifications, genome stability, DNA repair, and the interferon system.

• M.S. in Biological Sciences, summa cum laude - University of Torino (1996)
• PhD in Molecular Medicine - University of Piemonte Orientale and Weizmann Institute (2002)

Penengo's work investigates non-canonical ubiquitin modifications in DNA damage response and replication, with a focus on ISG15 and RNF168. Her recent studies highlight ubiquitin phosphorylation as a novel chromatin signaling mechanism and the role of interferon in genome stability.

Publications span ubiquitin biology, DNA repair mechanisms, and interferon pathways, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to cancer molecular biology.

• Award for best Master thesis, University of Piemonte Orientale (1997)
• Lion's Club fellowship (1997-1998)
• EMBO fellowship (2001)
• AIRC fellowship (2003-2006)
• 2020 Journal of Cell Biology recognition

Penengo's lab has trained 15+ students and researchers, including Samuele Fisicaro, Maria Chiara Raso, and Filip Duzanic. Collaborations include the Mayo Clinic, NIH, and ETH Zurich. Her team's work has been cited for its impact on DNA replication dynamics and ubiquitin signaling.