With over 15 years of experience in preclinical cancer models, I am passionate about understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive tumor plasticity and leveraging these insights to develop novel therapeutic strategies. I earned my PhD in Cancer Biology at one of Latin America’s leading public oncology hospitals, affiliated with the University of Buenos Aires, where I contributed to the validation of the mechanism of action of a novel protein kinase inhibitor that advanced to clinical trials for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
A major focus of my current work is the development of a clinically relevant precision drug-screening platform for glioblastoma using our cerebral organoid glioma model, GLICO. By preserving key features of individual tumors within a physiologically relevant microenvironment, GLICO provides a powerful tool to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities and predict patient-specific drug responses.
My scientific contributions have been recognized through several distinctions, most notably my selection for the Merck Innovation Cup 2022, where my vision for advancing cancer therapies stood out among a highly competitive international cohort of emerging scientific leaders. I was also honored to open the 2024 graduation ceremony at my alma mater, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, and recognized on 2025 as a distinguish young scientist by the city council of Junín for my contributions to oncology research. My work has also been featured on high impact journal covers and highlighted in competitions such as STAT Madness.
Beyond research, I am deeply committed to mentorship and education. I have lectured medical and pre-medical students and mentored several undergraduate and graduate trainees, with the goal of fostering critical reasoning, evidence-based thinking, and the ability to think like scientists in the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanocirigliano/