Raffaella Santoro

Prof. Raffaella Santoro is a Professor and Principal Investigator at the Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease (University of Zurich). She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Rome La Sapienza and has held research positions at the Hans Knöll Institute (Germany) and ETH Zurich before joining the University of Zurich in 2009. Her laboratory focuses on epigenetic and chromatin regulatory mechanisms in cancer, stem cell pluripotency, and early development, with a particular emphasis on nucleolar function and genome architecture. Key research themes include the role of the nucleolus in repressive chromatin domains, epigenetic alterations in prostate cancer, and the interplay between chromatin and gene expression during development. Her work combines molecular and cell biology with high-throughput genomic approaches, as highlighted in over 100 publications in journals like Molecular Cell, Nature Communications, and EMBO Reports. She leads a dynamic research group comprising PhD students, postdocs, and master’s researchers, and actively recruits talent through the Life Science Zurich Graduate School. Her group collaborates with initiatives such as the NCCR and EMBO, contributing to advancements in epigenetic medicine and cancer biology.

Educational Background: PhD in Biochemistry, University of Rome La Sapienza (Italy); Postdoctoral Research at the German Cancer Research Center (Heidelberg, Germany).

Research Interests: Chromatin dynamics, nucleolar architecture, epigenetic regulation in cancer and development, prostate cancer heterogeneity, stem cell pluripotency, and spatial genomics. Collaborative efforts include the development of novel methods for 3D chromosome mapping and nucleolar interaction analysis.

Scientific Contributions: Pioneering studies on nucleolar heterochromatin formation, the role of BAZ2A in cancer stem cells, and the epigenetic control of melanoma invasiveness. Her lab also explores oxidative stress impacts on early embryonic epigenetic reprogramming and the therapeutic potential of targeting epigenetic modifiers in cancer.

Labs & Teams: The Santoro Lab at the University of Zurich integrates interdisciplinary approaches, with ongoing projects funded by ERC, EMBO, and the Swiss National Science Foundation. Current initiatives include modeling prostate cancer heterogeneity and identifying epigenetic biomarkers for disease prognosis.