Dr. Valentina Spigoni is a biotechnologist and obtained her PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Parma. Since 2006, she has been conducting research at the Laboratory of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, where she has served as Laboratory Manager since 2018, coordinating the laboratory's technical-scientific activities and research in the field of endocrine and metabolic diseases.
Her scientific activity is focused on investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms linking diabetes mellitus, obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular complications, with particular emphasis on inflammation, immunometabolism and vascular dysfunction.
Her main research interests include:
- immunometabolism of human monocytes and macrophages and their role in the pathophysiology of diabetes;
- pancreatic β-cell biology, including induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived models, to investigate β-cell dysfunction and the mechanisms underlying lipotoxicity;
- molecular and cellular effects of innovative therapies for diabetes and obesity;
- pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunction and myeloid angiogenic cells in cardiometabolic diseases;
- identification of cellular and molecular biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk and diabetes progression.
She coordinates the technical-scientific activities of national and international research projects and translational studies integrating advanced cellular models, molecular biology, flow cytometry, functional metabolomics and clinical research. She is also involved in the training of undergraduate and graduate students, PhD candidates and medical residents within the activities of the Laboratory of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases at the University of Parma.
