Dr Giovanni Pietrogrande
European Leukodystrophies Association (ELA) Fellow
Wolvetang Lab
(07) 3346 4287
Dr Giovanni Pietrogrande is based at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), where he is the Synthetic Neuroimmunology Theme Leader.
Dr Giovanni Pietrogrande leads the development of advanced human brain and spinal cord organoid models to study neuroinflammation, demyelination and neurodegeneration, with a particular focus on how microglia, oligodendrocytes and other neural cells interact to drive diseases such as multiple sclerosis and motor neuron disease, and on using this knowledge to identify and test new therapeutic strategies. His research program is supported by competitive funding from HNMRC, MS Australia, MND Research Australia and FightMND, underscoring the translational impact and clinical relevance of his work. Together with his team, he works on a broad range of problems, from engineering next-generation immune-based cell therapies and endowing central nervous system organoids with a functional immune system, to modelling their interactions with immune cells to fully reproduce neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory pathologies. The group also leverages synthetic biology to design new strategies to rebalance neuroinflammation, promote remyelination and repair neural circuits.
Industry
Vow Australia, Project 'Mammoth meatballs' Vow Australia, Exemplification of new and safer gene editing tools for cultured meat production in Australia Azafaros, Treatment of GM1 gangliosidosis
Funding
UQ Early Career Researcher Development: Knowledge Exchange & Translation (Kx&T) Fund Award. Exemplification of new and safer gene editing tools for cultured meat production in Australia. CI-A, 2022, 46.000 AUD European Leukodystrophies Association (ELA) Fellowship. 2022-2024, 249.830 AUD MS Australia Incubator grant. CI-C, 2021, 25.000 AUD IMPACT funding grant, Perpetual. CI-B, 2022, 91.277 AUD HNMRC Ideas Grant. CI-B, 2023-2026, 1.350.000 AUD NMDRA innovator grant. CI-D, 2023, 128.419 AUD MS Australia Project grant. CI-B, 2025-2027, 249.840 AUD NMDRA innovator grant. CI-B, 2025, 100.000 AUD FIGHT MND. CI-B 2025-26, 300.000 AUD
INDUSTRY COLLABORATIONS
Contract of research with VOW Food, 2021, 20.000 AUD
Contract of research with VOW Food, 2022-2023, 30.000 AUD
Contract of research with AZAFAROS, 2022-2023, 250.000 AUD
Key Publications
Low oxygen post conditioning prevents thalamic secondary neuronal loss caused by excitotoxicity after cortical stroke. Pietrogrande G, Zalewska K, Zhao Z, Abdolhoseini M, Chow WZ, Sanchez-Bezanilla S, Ong LK, Johnson SJ, Nilsson M, Walker FR. Sci Rep. 2019 Mar 19;9(1):4841. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-39493-8.
Low Oxygen Post Conditioning as an Efficient Non-pharmacological Strategy to Promote Motor Function After Stroke. Pietrogrande G, Zalewska K, Zhao Z, Johnson SJ, Nilsson M, Walker FR. Transl Stroke Res. 2018 Aug 28. doi: 10.1007/s12975-018-0656-5. [Epub ahead of print]
Growth Hormone Improves Cognitive Function After Experimental Stroke. Ong LK, Chow WZ, TeBay C, Kluge M, Pietrogrande G, Zalewska K, Crock P, Åberg ND, Bivard A, Johnson SJ, Walker FR, Nilsson M, Isgaard J. Stroke. 2018 May;49(5):1257-1266. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.020557. Epub 2018 Apr 10.
Urokinase Receptor Promotes Skin Tumor Formation by Preventing Epithelial Cell Activation of Notch1. Mazzieri R, Pietrogrande G, Gerasi L, Gandelli A, Colombo P, Moi D, Brombin C, Ambrosi A, Danese S, Mignatti P, Blasi F, D'Alessio S. Cancer Res. 2015 Nov 15;75(22):4895-909. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-0378. Epub 2015 Nov 2.
VEGF-C-dependent stimulation of lymphatic function ameliorates experimental inflammatory bowel disease. D'Alessio S, Correale C, Tacconi C, Gandelli A, Pietrogrande G, Vetrano S, Genua M, Arena V, Spinelli A, Peyrin-Biroulet L, Fiocchi C, Danese S. J Clin Invest. 2014 Sep;124(9):3863-78. doi: 10.1172/JCI72189. Epub 2014 Aug 8.