Affiliation: University of Utrecht, University Medical Center, Division Heart and Lungs, Department of Cardiology, The Netherlands

Francesca Stillitano is an Assistant Professor at the Heart and Lung Division, Department of Cardiology, University of Medical Center, Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands. She has a broad background in cardiovascular biology focusing on the molecular basis of inherited and acquired cardiac diseases. Her primary research efforts focus on using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes to (i) assess the capacity of these cells in recapitulating critical aspects of patient-specific cardiac phenotypes; (ii) investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the development of cardiovascular defects; and (iii) evaluate drug-induced cardiac toxicity. They also combine iPSC technology and gene-editing techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9 system, to correct/insert specific gene mutations that cause inherited cardiac diseases. She has expanded her research to include invivo studies and has applied potential gene therapy approaches. A combination of cellular and molecular biology, genome editing, and gene therapy approaches is used in invitro and invivo models to understand pathological processes better and develop novel therapeutic strategies.