Ivan completed his BSc in in Health Biotechnologies Science and MSc in Drug Biotechnologies at University of ‘Federico II’ in Italy. He obtained his PhD in 2012 from Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli working on a novel C. elegans model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. After a short spell at Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), where he set-up a C. elegans facility, he joined the lab of Della David at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Tubingen for his postdoctoral work. In Della’s lab, he characterised the extracellular proteostasis network in C. elegans uncovering endogenous mechanisms to prevent aggregation in the extracellular space and promote healthy ageing.
Ivan is a currently a senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist working in the David lab to discover novel pro-ageing factors that are secreted by tissues and accelerate ageing in recipient tissues.