Member Spotlight: Mariaceleste Aragona, PhD

Mariaceleste Aragona, PhD
Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Hometown
Porcia, Pordenone, Italy

Current Residence
Copenhagen, Denmark

Graduate Degree
PhD in Biomedicine, University of Padova, Italy

Postdoc Work
Skin stem cells, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium

Current Position
Associate Professor and Principal Investigator at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Copenhagen, Denmark

• What is the current focus of your research?

  I study how biomechanics influence stem cell identity and govern stem cell fate in regenerating adult epithelia. My group aims to understand how different cell types coordinate their behaviours to build tissues with specialised structure and function, with the long-term goal of developing replacement organs for regenerative therapies.

• How would you explain the significance of this work to a lay audience?

  In the body, cells are precisely organised to form architectures essential for tissue and organ functions. Maintaining these architectures is crucial for healthy tissues, especially in organs exposed to the environment (such as the skin) or under constant mechanical stress (such as the bladder). Stem cells play a vital role in this process. With my team, I study the ‘resilience’ of stem cells: how stem cells handle mechanical stress (such as stretching) and maintain tissue architecture. The same mechanisms can be exploited when using stem cells to repair tissues and rebuild organs for transplantation purposes.

• What do you find most rewarding about your work?

  Engaging in stimulating scientific discussions with scientists from various fields and learning new things every day motivates me. I find it very rewarding when other researchers build on my experiments or conclusions. More recently, the progress and the intellectual growth my team is achieving, both as a group and individually, make me proud.

• What is the most exciting aspect of your work?

  I love looking at beautiful microscopy images, especially when they show new discoveries. I get excited about new ideas, whether brainstorming with my team for grant proposals or seeing unexpected results.

• What led you to become a scientist and to stem cell research?

  I am the first in my family to get a PhD, but both my parents are medical doctors. Growing up, I was always hearing about human health. We also had a microscope at home, and seeing things up close sparked my love for science. Like many scientists, I was also fascinated by the space and the universe, but I quickly realised that becoming an astronaut would be too difficult for me. Wanting to understand what keeps us healthy and how life works ultimately led me to study stem cells.

• What guidance would you share in talking with trainees interested in pursuing your area of research?

  I think it is important to identify the scientific questions you want to answer and outline what moves your curiosity. I also often remind myself that a well phrased question is the best possible start for a project. For me, often key problems become more evident after spending time dig deeply into the literature, especially the old research papers that have pivotal observations.

• Do you have any mentors or individuals who have inspired you in your stem cell work?

  My PhD supervisors, Stefano Piccolo and Sirio Dupont, and my post-doc mentor, Cedric Blanpain, were fundamental to my career development and significantly shaped my way of thinking. I am also very grateful to each individual I worked with, shared an office or bench with, and discussed experiments with, especially during the early stages of my scientific journey. Nowadays, I feel privileged to be guided by Melissa Little, who is leading the international centre where I am currently working. I am learning a lot from her style, precision and dedication. Her vision for stem cell medicine is helping me explore new research directions.

• How do you spend your free time?

  Now I am lucky to live very close to a beach, so I go swimming whenever the weather permits. My free time is mostly spent taking relaxing walks in nature, whether in a forest or along the sea coast. I also enjoy going to concerts, from folk to rock, and sharing the good music vibes with a lot of people.

• What is something your peers would be surprised to learn about you?

  I love skating and every discipline involving skates. When I was young, I trained and competed in both figure skating and speed skating, on the street and on ice. As a teenager, I also did freestyle slalom skating, and at university, I was part of a street hockey team.

• What do you most value about your membership with the ISSCR?

  The ISSCR offers a great networking community. Participating in the ISSCR events has been crucial for my career decisions. I first attended an International Symposium in Italy while finishing my PhD. Hearing about new stem cell frontiers close to home was a great opportunity and helped me decide what to pursue. As a post-doc, I presented my work at two ISSCR Annual Meetings, which gave me the confidence to interact with senior leaders, especially when job hunting for group leader positions. This year’s Annual Meeting in Hamburg was fantastic for reconnecting with friends and colleagues worldwide. I am excited to attend the 2024 Singapore International Symposium to discuss regeneration and learn about new stem cell-based therapies.