Roberto Bonasio

Roberto Bonasio, Ph.D., is a Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He serves as Core Faculty at the Penn Epigenetics Institute and Member of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Research Interests: The Bonasio Lab explores epigenetic gene regulation in brain function, focusing on noncoding RNAs, chromatin biochemistry, and gene-behavior relationships. His work spans traditional (mice) and non-traditional models (ants, fruit flies, planarians).

Recent Articles highlight studies on neuropeptide-driven caste behavior in ants, RNA-binding chromatin complexes, and methodological innovations like ligation-independent RNA sequencing.

Students: Roberto mentors PhD candidates in the Cell and Molecular Biology (CAMB) and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (BMB) graduate groups, including Johnny Doherty, Segovia Garcia, Lauren Reich, and Julia Tasca.

Labs & Teams: The lab integrates epigenetics, genomics, and neurobiology, with expertise in single-cell RNA sequencing, protein-RNA interaction mapping, and R-loop analysis. Key collaborators include Penn researchers and international institutions.