Maria Cristina Gambetta

Maria Cristina Gambetta is an Associate Professor at the Center for Integrative Genomics (CIG), within the Faculty of Biology and Medicine at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland. She leads a research group focused on the molecular mechanisms of gene regulation, particularly in the context of chromatin architecture and genome organization in Drosophila melanogaster.

• Born in the United States, with Italian and Ecuadorian nationality
• Master's degree in Biology, University of Geneva (2006)
• Joint PhD from EMBL Heidelberg and University of Geneva (2010), under Prof. Jürg Müller and Dr. Daniel Pauli
• Postdoctoral training at Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (2010–2014) and EMBL Heidelberg (2015–2017)
• Appointed Assistant Professor at UNIL-CIG (2018), promoted to Associate Professor (2023)

Her research centers on understanding how gene regulators locate and interact with target genes across vast genomic distances. She investigates the function of insulator proteins in organizing 3D genome architecture and how these structures regulate gene expression. Her group has uncovered unique chromatin folding patterns in neurons and explores whether dynamic spatial proximity between regulatory elements and genes serves as a transcriptional control mechanism. Her work bridges biochemistry, genomics, and molecular genetics to dissect epigenetic regulation.

The most recent publications highlight her group’s focus on insulator proteins (e.g., Cp190, CTCF), enhancer-blocking mechanisms, and the role of 3D genome organization in neuronal gene regulation. These studies employ techniques such as insulator-seq, chromatin conformation capture, and Drosophila genetics to reveal principles of long-range gene control. Her work spans evolutionary genomics, developmental biology, and structural insights into chromatin regulators.

Scientific Awards:
None explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Advising and Grants:
Maria Cristina Gambetta has supervised several master’s and doctoral students and continues to mentor early-career researchers. Her research is supported by competitive grants, though specific funding sources are not detailed. She actively recruits PhD and postdoctoral candidates, indicating sustained research activity and funding.

Labs and Teams:
She leads the Gambetta Lab at the Center for Integrative Genomics, UNIL, which is part of a vibrant research environment that includes core facilities for genomics and protein analysis. Her team collaborates with leading groups in epigenetics and developmental biology, including former mentors such as Prof. Jürg Müller and Prof. Eileen Furlong.