ABOUT ALESSANDRA BALDUINI

Dr. Alessandra Balduini has a broad background in haematology, with specific training and expertise in the research of haematopoietic stem cell biology and clinical aspects of platelet-related disorders. Since 2007 she has led a research group in two different academic institutions: the Department of Molecular Medicine – University of Pavia (Italy) and the Department of Biomedical Engineering – Tufts University, Boston (USA). The goal was to establish a cross-sectional program that integrates biological with bioengineering approaches to the study of haematopoiesis and bone marrow environment. In 2011 she developed the groundwork for modeling human bone marrow by bioengineering a new 3D model made of porous silk that fully recreates the physiology of the living bone marrow niche environment. This system, completely redesigned in 2015 and 2017, is capable of successfully generating functional platelets ex vivo, offering new opportunities for producing blood components for clinical applications. In 2021, Balduini Lab. proved that this superior tissue system also represents a new tool for studying pathologic mechanisms of human platelet production and testing drug efficiency.