Laura Pellegrini, Ph.D.
Position: Group Leader, Centre for Developmental Neurobiology (CDN), King’s College London
Laura Pellegrini joined the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King’s College London in October 2023. She has been awarded the Wellcome Trust Career Development Award. Her laboratory focuses on examining brain development using human stem cells derived cerebral and choroid plexus organoids.
Research Focus and Skills:
Dr. Pellegrini’s research revolves around the detailed exploration of the choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid secretion, and the brain barrier’s impact on pathogen and drug entry. She developed expertise in single cell RNA sequencing, histology and advanced confocal imaging. With a solid background in stem cell biology and organoid technology, her work aims to contribute valuable insights into brain health and disease.
Previous Work:
During her postdoctoral tenure at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, Dr. Pellegrini worked under Dr. Madeline Lancaster. Here, she developed a new in vitro model for studying the choroid plexus, which was detailed in a publication in Science (Pellegrini et al., 2020a) and Cell Stem Cell (Pellegrini et al 2020b) where this model was used to explore SARS-CoV-2 infection in the brain. This work was acknowledged with the NC3Rs International Award in 2021. These contributions highlight her commitment to understanding the complexities of the brain, and to advancing research that can enhance therapeutic strategies for various neurological conditions.
