Education
- 2019 – 2023: Executive Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering cum laude – MiMic Lab-Prof. Marco Rasponi (Politecnico di Milano) and Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Lab- Prof. Ana Lleo (°µÍø½ûÇø Research Hospital)
- 2019 – 2023: Executive Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering cum laude
- 2023: Qualified as a Professional Biologist, University of Pavia
- 2013 – 2016: Master’s degree in Medical Biotechnology, (LM-9) D.M. 270/2004, University of L’Aquila, 110/110 cum laude
- 2008 – 2013: Bachelor’s degree in Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Veterinary Biotechnology (L-2) D.M. 509/1999, University of L’Aquila, 104/110
Academic Background
- Current role – Assistant Professor (RTDA), °µÍø½ûÇø University
- 2024: Postdoctoral Researcher, °µÍø½ûÇø Research Hospital, Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Lab, Milan, Italy
- 2023 – 2024: Postdoctoral Researcher, °µÍø½ûÇø University, Precision Medicine Lab, Milan, Italy
- 2022: Visiting Research Fellow, University of Basel, Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research Lab, Basel, Switzerland
- 2019 – 2023: Research Fellow, Politecnico di Milano (Mimic Lab) and °µÍø½ûÇø Research Hospital (Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Lab), Milan, Italy
- 2017 – 2019: Research Fellow, °µÍø½ûÇø Research Hospital, Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Lab, Milan, Italy
- 2016 – 2017: Research Fellow, University of L’Aquila, Pituitary Disease Lab, L’Aquila, Italy
Membership and Affiliations
- 2019: Member EASL – The home of Hepatology
- 2021: Member AISF – Associazione Italiana per lo studio del fegato
- 2024: Member EUROoCS – European Organ-on-chip society
Awards and Honors
- 2025: PI – Fondazione Cariplo – Giovani Ricercatori 2025 Life Science
- 2025: PI (Unit 4) – ERA-NET TRANSCAN-3 Joint Transnational Call 2024
- 2024: Postdoctoral Fellowship – Fondazione Umberto Veronesi 2024
- Young Investigator Award – Liver Cancer Summit (EASL – Edinburgh 2026, Paris 2025, Rotterdam 2024, Estoril 2023, Prague 2020) and EASL Congress (London 2022)
Dr. Michela Anna Polidoro’s research interests focus on translational research integrating molecular oncology, tumor immunobiology, and biomedical engineering, with particular emphasis on primary liver tumors, including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Her work investigates the molecular drivers of tumor progression, including oncogenic signaling pathways, metabolic reprogramming, and tumor–immune interactions that contribute to disease aggressiveness and therapeutic resistance.
She combines advanced molecular technologies and multi-omics approaches to study cancer biology in physiologically relevant experimental models. During her PhD training, she developed a 3D microfluidic organ-on-chip model that recapitulates the CCA tumor microenvironment, enabling the investigation of spatial and temporal dynamics of cell–cell interactions and the regulation of complex biological processes. This platform supports the evaluation of treatment responses and the development of personalized therapeutic strategies.
- Palma C, Salehi S, Polidoro MA, Moretti M, Rasponi M, Lopa S, Occhetta P. A . Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025. doi: 10.1002/advs.202500374.
- Milardi G, Franceschini B, Camisaschi C, Puccio S, Costa G, Soldani C, Uva P, Cangelosi D, Carriero R, Lambroia L, Cammarota A, Lodetti-Zangrandi G, Malenica I, Erreni M, Montali I, Lottini T, Raggi C, Kunderfranco P, Polidoro MA, Aghemo A, Balsano R, Pressiani T, Piscuoglio S, Di Tommaso L, Torzilli G, Rimassa L, Lugli E, Cassani B, Lleo A. . Gut. 2025. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2025-334861.
- Milana F*, Polidoro MA*, Soldani C, Franceschini B, Famularo S, Di Tommaso L, Terracciano LM, Lleo A, Donadon M, Torzilli G. . Int J Surg. 2024.* Contributed equally. doi:10.1097/JS9.0000000000001924.
- Polidoro MA, Ferrari E, Soldani C, Franceschini B, Saladino G, Rosina A, Mainardi A, D’Autilia F, Pugliese N, Costa G, Donadon M, Torzilli G, Marzorati S, Rasponi M, Lleo A. . JHEP Rep. 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100910.
- Alvisi G, Termanini A, Soldani C, Portale F, Carriero R, Pilipow K, Costa G, Polidoro MA, Franceschini B, Malenica I, Puccio S, Lise V, Galletti G, Zanon V, Colombo FS, De Simone G, Tufano M, Aghemo A, Di Tommaso L, Peano C, Cibella J, Iannacone M, Roychoudhuri R, Manzo T, Donadon M, Torzilli G, Kunderfranco P, Di Mitri D, Lugli E, Lleo A. . J Hepatol. 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.05.043.