Pierfrancesco Pagella

Pierfrancesco Pagella is an Associate Professor (Docent) at Linköping University, affiliated with the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM) and the Biophysics and Bioengineering (BBIOBIO) division. His research focuses on unraveling mechanisms of organ and cell diversity to engineer 3D human organs with functional innervation, vascularization, and immune compartments, particularly in the oro/craniofacial complex (e.g., teeth, oral cancers).

• PhD in Molecular Life Sciences (2011–2015), University of Zurich/ETH Zurich
• Postdoctoral Fellow at Linköping University (2021–2023) and University of Zurich (2015–2017)

His work integrates stem cell biology, tissue engineering, organ-on-chip systems, and genomics/proteomics to model developmental processes and diseases. Key contributions include a Tooth-On-Chip microfluidic device, studies on Wnt/β-catenin signaling in transcriptional regulation, and the role of Nogo-A in tooth enamel formation.

Recent publications explore single-cell RNA sequencing in dental pulp remodeling, TBX3-Wnt interactions in colorectal cancer metastasis, and Notch signaling in tooth lineage specification. His research also develops CUT&RUN protocols for studying transcriptional co-factors and investigates tumor suppressor p53 in carcinoma regulation.

He teaches Biotechnology Manufacturing, Production of Biopharmaceuticals, and Design of Biotechnical Processes courses. His laboratory affiliations include the Biophysics and Bioengineering (BBIOBIO) and Molecular Materials (BBMOLMAT) groups at Linköping University, focusing on multidisciplinary biomedical applications.