Simona Polo

Simona Polo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, and Director of the Molecular Machines in Signaling Pathways research program at IFOM since 2005. Her work focuses on deciphering ubiquitin's role in cellular communication systems, particularly in cancer and neurodegenerative disease contexts.

• University of Milan (Biology, 1991)
• San Raffaele Hospital (Molecular Virology, 1996-1999)
• European Institute of Oncology (Endocytosis research, 1999-2005)
• IFOM (Signaling pathways, 2005-present)

Her research revealed ubiquitin as a multifaceted signaling device governing processes like EGFR internalization, lysosomal damage response, and neuronal integrity in ALS. She has trained over 20 researchers, including Elena Maspero and Carlos Alberto Niño Suarez. Key awards include EMBO Young Investigator (2009), EMBO Membership (2016), and Milan's Ambrogino d'Oro (2018).

Scientific Trends: Polo's publications show sustained focus on ubiquitin's role in endocytosis, cancer signaling, and neurodegenerative disorders. Her structural biology work (X-ray crystallography) and proteomic analyses of ubiquitin networks underpin therapeutic target identification in EGFR-dependent tumors.

Honors:

• EMBO Young Investigator Award (2009)
• EMBO Membership (2016)
• Ambrogino d'Oro Civic Medal (2018)

Research Impact: Her lab has produced 40+ papers in top journals like Nature and Cell. The team's discovery of ubiquitin's role in lysophagy and identification of novel ubiquitin-binding domains (e.g., CoCUN) have advanced understanding of protein homeostasis in health and disease.