Simona Chera

SCIENTIFIC CAREER

Since 2021

Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway

2020 – 2021 Invited Professor – Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Hypertension and Nutrition; Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism; Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva hosted by Prof. Charna Dibner

2015 – Associate Investigator to the Center of Molecular Medicine (NCMM), University of Oslo, Norway (re-appointed in 2020)

2016 – 2020 Førsteamanuensis (Associate Professor) Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway

2015 – 2016 Postdoctoral work – Dept. of Clinical Science, University of Bergen at the laboratory of Prof. Helge Raeder

2008 – 2015 Postdoctoral work – Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland;  Advisor: Prof. Pedro Herrera – More details here: https://chera.w.uib.no/about-sim-chera/postdoctoral-studies-cellular-and-molecular-mechanisms-of-regeneration-in-pancreas/

2002 – 2008 PhD work – Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Advisor: Prof. Brigitte Galliot – More details here: https://chera.w.uib.no/about-sim-chera/phd-studies-cellular-and-molecular-mechanisms-of-regeneration-in-hydra/ 

FUNDING

 

Agency logo Period Grant Description
KGJ 2024-2029 KG Jebsen Center for Myeloid Blood Cancer (C-MYC)
co-Director. The goal of this Research Center is to develop diagnostics at the single-cell level that reveal response to treatment after hours and days, and use this information to optimize or replace the planned treatment.
2022-2027 Mohn Research Center for Diabetes Precision Medicine (PRECISE-DIA)

Project leader in Work Package 2. The goal of this Research Center is to study the causes of diabetes development over the course of a lifetime.
2021-2026 Dissecting the role of islet non-ß populations’ identity maintenance in the development of monogenic diabetes
The goal of the project is to combine genetic cell tracing, omics, advanced imaging and physiology to study the islet cell interconversion events upon stress.
2021-2026 Ascending Investigator Grant
Regulating glucose tolerance by targeting delta-cell population, a freshly uncovered critical player in the pathogenesis of monogenic diabetes
The goal of the project is to combine genetic cell tracing, omics, advanced imaging and physiology to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in monogenic diabetes.
2021-2022 A novel strategy for improving the insulin-secreting β-cell phenotypical stability
The goal of the project is to improve human β-cell phenotype stability during in vitro differentiation, thus generating correctly matured β-cells much more adequate for clinics.
2020-2024 Supportive therapy for diabetes by increasing the stress endurance and regenerative capacity of beta-cells
Partnership with Dr. Ana Vacaru (Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology “Nicolae Simionescu”, Bucharest, Romania) aiming at developing strategies to help the β-cells’ secretory performance i.e. improving their capacity to cope with the increased load in the ER.
2020 Single Cell Analysis of stressed pancreatic islets
The goal of this project is to study at single cell level the pancreatic islet populations expressing a truncated form of the HNF1A.
2019-2021 Regulating cell-differentiation potential through mechanical forces and adhesion
A joint application with Dr. Irep Gözen (NCMM, University of Oslo) aiming to study the impact of different mechanical forces and adhesion on islet cell differentiation potential (seed funding).
2016-2021 FRIPRO Young Research Talent
Characterising and modulating the insulin-producing beta-cell fate in monogenic diabetes by using novel genetic setups
The goal of the project is to combine genetic cell tracing, omics, advanced imaging and physiology to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in diabetes onset.
2015-2020 Excellence Project for Young Investigators
Characterising and reversing β-cell senescence and proliferation quiescence in monogenic diabetes
The goal of the project is to generate 2 novel transgenic models in order to elucidate and reverse the molecular age-switch controlling the homeostatic gradual decay and proliferation quiescence of β-cells in a form of monogenic diabetes (MODY3).
2015-2019 STAMCELLER Young Research Talent
Identifying the molecular mechanisms leading to age-related chronic disease onset using an innovative in vivo setup
The goal of the project is to combine omics, complex transgenics, advanced imaging and image analysis to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in diabetes onset by using a novel in vivo strategy based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from monogenic diabetes patients (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young: MODY1 and MODY3).