AICF Fellows'
Comments
“Without the American Italian Cancer Foundation support I
would not have been able to join Harvard University in
2008. Now, my
plans are to dedicate my professional life to the cancer
research in the attempt to find new therapies and treatments
for people affected by this disease. Definitively the AICF
represents a crucial help for this purpose.”
Giovanni Amabile, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
Year Two
“The role of a research fellow requires continual
training in an effort to maintain an up to date grasp of
current knowledge and techniques in a constantly evolving
field. I hope that with the support of the American Italian
fellowship I can continue my scientific development within the
field of genome stability and use the information gathered to
enhance cancer diagnosis and treatment of malignancy by the
identification of novel therapeutic target.”
Alessia Balestrini, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center
“The American-Italian Cancer Foundation fellowship has
given me the opportunity to join a very important research
group in an extremely stimulating scientific environment for
cancer research. Thanks to these funds, I started my post-doc
training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where I
found lab equipments and mentorship necessary to grow as
scientist and do cancer research at cutting-edge level.
I’m sure that thanks to AICF I will be able to move a
step further with my scientific career. I would like to thanks
also people participating in donations to AICF, because with
their help young people can become good scientists.”
Ciro Bonetti, PhD
Debra & Claudio Del Vecchio
Fellow
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center
"The American-Italian Cancer Foundation Fellowship represents
an important opportunity to perform my research project. It
will give me the opportunity to meet leading scientists in
haematologic research and will provide me all the professional
skills essential for making a step forward in the knowledge and
cure of haematologic malignancies. Finally, the AICF Fellowship
could give me all the tools to become a good scientific
investigator.”
Michele Cea, MD
Fabrizio Arengi-Bentivoglio Fellow, in
Memory of Ennio Arengi
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
“I'm very interested in understanding the complex
behavior of breast cancer. One of my most major objectives is
to find the treatment more suitable for every patient with this
tumor, even at an advanced stage, and avoid unnecessary
toxicity, ensuring ever greater chance response. In the era of
tailor therapy I would like to customize even the most common
cytotoxic drugs used, aiming at a better quality of life.
Thanks to AICF I have the great opportunity to research in one
of the most renowed cancer center in the world. With the
guidance and knowledge of experienced physicians, who will
support me in my research in the United State, gives me the
confidence to believe that I will successfully complete my
research project with the help and support of the American
Italian Foundation.”
Antonella Cristofano, MD
Nicola Bulgari & Gabelli Funds
Fellow
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center
“Obtaining the AICF fellowship has given me the
opportunity to work in one of the biggest and most reputable
laboratories in the fields of cancer and inflammation research
here in the USA. It has also given me the opportunity to grow
and mature as a researcher in an excellent scientific
atmosphere, allowing me to continue my PhD work in a much more
independent manner. Hopefully this experience will prepare me
to become a committed and supportive principal investigator
after I advance to the next stage of my career.”
Andrea D’Osualdo, PhD
Genta, Inc. Fellow
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research
Institute
“I would strongly like to thank the American-Italian
Cancer Foundation for continuing to support my postdoctoral
training. This fellowship provides a tremendous help to my
scientific formation as I continue my studies in a highly
challenging field of research in this highly regarded
laboratory. I truly hope that my relationship and collaboration
with the American-Italian Cancer Foundation will be long and
fruitful, through my postdoctoral training and when the time
will come for me to become an independent scientist.”
Valerio Donato, MD, PhD
Amy & Joseph Perella Fellow
NYU Langone Medical Center,
Year Two
"I have always wanted to reach big academical goals; the AICF
fellowship allowed me to come to the US right after my
graduation to aim for the best medical training I could
possibly ask for."
Filippo Filicori, MD
The Alexander Bodini Foundation
Fellow
Weill Cornell Medical College
“This fellowship has given me the opportunity to join Dr.
Shiekhattar's laboratory and start an exciting project. Having
your own funding is very stimulating and leaves you the freedom
to tease the most challenging aspects of the projects and to
address the most challenging questions. During this second year
I will continue my work on the field of long non-coding RNAs
and their implications in cancer biology.”
Alessandro Gardini, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
The Wistar Institute, Year Two
“Being an AICF scholarship recipient is an important
achievement, which has raised my profile in the scientific
community. Thanks to the AICF support, I am working in a
competitive environment and I’m meeting high profile
scientist. The AICF fellowship is helping me to realize the
relevance of all the hard work that I have done in the past and
I’m now more confident about my future in science.”
Luigi Nezi, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Year
Two
“I am really grateful for the big opportunity that the
American Italian Cancer Foundation Fellowship is giving me for
the second year. The renewal allows me to continue to work on
my exciting project in an extremely stimulating environment as
the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, where I found
tools and mentorship necessary for my future career as an
independent researcher. I think that promoting and sustaining
young scientist as The American Italian Cancer Foundation does
is a very good way to encourage our research work.”
Barbara Oldrini, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,
Year Two
“Being awarded with a second year fellowship is a great
honor and I am extremely grateful to the American-Italian
cancer Foundation for the support that provides to all the
young scientists like me. My experience in U.S. is giving me
the precious chance to meet great scientists, to attend
meetings and conferences and importantly, is teaching me how to
be “part of the solution, if you don’t want to be
part of the precipitate”(Henry J. Tillman)”
Antonella Papa, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
Year Two
"My career goal is to become a physician scientist focused on
the pathogenesis and treatment of hematological disorders. I truly believe that I
greatly benefit from the second-year renewal of the AICF
post-doctoral fellowship, because it affords me the best
opportunities to achieve my long-term goals.”
Fabiana Perna, PhD
The Alexander Bodini Foundation
Fellow
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,
Year Two
“My career goal is to contribute to the understanding of
the mechanisms that lead to tumor development and to harness
them for the development of innovative anticancer strategies.
Thanks to the AICF fellowships I worked hard discovering new
finding relevant to cancer and leukemia progression. The AICF
fellowships gave me the great opportunity to go further with my
studies in order to fight cancer.”
Andrea Rabellino, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center at Dallas, Year Two
“I am honored to be part of the AICF Post-Doctoral
Research Fellowship Program. This is one of the most important
achievements in these first stages of my scientific career. The
AICF support is crucial in helping me to continue my experience
in the high profile scientific community of UCSF. This award
will allow me to reach my goals in the near future and will
increase my chances to start an independent research group as
principal investigator.”
Marco Simonetta, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
University of California, San
Francisco
“AICF is giving me the unique opportunity to start my
post-doctoral training in a stimulating scientific
environment. While this experience enriches me as a person and
as a scientist, joining efforts with brilliant researchers will
enable deeper understanding of cancer evolution
paradigms.”
Francesco Strino, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
Yale University School of Medicine
"I thank the American Italian Cancer Foundation. Your
fellowship is giving me the opportunity to continue my research
in Biostatistic
and, to work
in an excellent
scientific environment, the department of biostatistics at the
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "
Lorenzo Trippa, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
“The purpose of my research is to define the molecular
mechanisms underlying the resistance of cancer cells to
chemotherapy. These studies will help inform the deployment of
more effective therapies while minimizing the side-effects
currently associated with such treatments. The AICF fellowship
allows me to conduct my research in a rich and stimulating
environment at the University of California, San Diego, branch
of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Here I have the
opportunity to discuss my ideas and results with people of
different scientific and cultural backgrounds, thus improving
my knowledge of cancer from different perspectives and allowing
me to apply this to my research.”
Ciro Zanca, PhD
Research for Life® Fellow
The Ludwig Institute, University of
California, San Diego
