Head of the lab
Sara Gallini, PhD
Sara received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biotechnology and Medical Biotechnology from the University of Bologna and her PhD in Molecular Medicine from the University of Milan. She performed her doctoral work at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan in the lab of Dr. Marina Mapelli, where she discovered the novel mitotic spindle orientation functions of Aurora-A kinase and of the actin-binding protein Afadin. Sara joined the lab of Dr. Valentina Greco at Yale University as a postdoctoral fellow, where she identified the cellular and molecular mechanisms that suppress skin cancer initiation during injury-repair. In October 2024, she opened her independent lab in the School of Life Sciences (SV) and the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC) at EPFL, Switzerland.
Staff
Mélanie Sipion
With over eight years of experience in leading research institutions such as the Wyss Center and the CHUV, Mélanie has solid expertise in laboratory management, including resource procurement and planning, safety, and regulatory aspects of animal research. She provides technical support in molecular biology, immunohistology, microscopy, and in vivo experimental workflows. Author of several peer-reviewed publications, she combines hands-on technical expertise with dedicated support to researchers in the lab. In October 2024, she joined the Gallini lab as a technician and lab manager.
Students
Mustafa Öztürk
Mustafa earned his B.S. in Molecular Biology and Genetics with high honors from the İzmir Institute of Technology and his M.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Bonn. During his master's research at the University of Zurich's Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research, he studied the protein profiles of unique B cell clones in allergic individuals. He later joined EPFL as a valorization student, exploring connections between thermogenesis and hepatic inflammation. In November 2024, Mustafa joined the Gallini Lab as a PhD student. His project focuses on unraveling how oncogenic and wild-type stem cells establish cell competition dynamics to maintain skin tissue homeostasis.
Administrative Support
Minhui Oh
Administrative Assistant
Lab immersion students
2025 - Ghali Laraki, Marguerite Pom Derwael, Anastasia Elodie Zeller