Luiza Ghila

SCIENTIFIC CAREER

Since 2021

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

Principal Investigator for the Norwegian Cancer Society Project: Mapping the predictive cancer signatures in vivo

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

2019 – 2020 Researcher – Center for Diabetes Research, Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway

2016 – 2019 Postdoctoral work – Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen at the laboratory of Prof. Helge Raeder and Prof. Pål Njølstad

2010 – 2015 Postdoctoral work – Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland;  Advisor: Prof. Pedro Herrera

2008 – 2010 Postdoctoral work – Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Advisor: Prof. Brigitte Galliot

2004 – 2008 PhD work – Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Advisors: Dr. Marie Gomez and Prof. Denis Duboule

FUNDING

 

 

Agency logo Period Grant Description
2024 Generating Bladder Cancer Organoids
The goal of the project is to generate specific cancer organoids with the purpose of a real-time investigation of the outcome of regulating the cell-plasticity breaks.
2021-2023 Mapping the predictive cancer signatures in vivo
The goal of the project is to identify the molecular signature predicting tumour emergence and evolution in vivo, by focusing on the misregulation of evolutionarily conserved control mechanisms stringently regulating cell fate.
2021 Company of Biologists Travel Grant to attend the 4th Aegean Conferences on Stem Cells in Kos, Greece. Selected Chair in Session II, Poster Presentation, Title: “Encapsulation boosts islet-cell signature in differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells via integrin signaling“
2019-2020 Differentiating insulin-producing cells from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from diabetes patients
The goal of this project is to analyze cell differentiation to simultaneously measure markers on pluripotency, differentiation, cell cycle status and cell signaling through the differentiation process from iPSC to insulin-producing cells.
2019 Meltzer Foundation Travel Grant to attend the 17th World Congress of the International Pancreas and Islet Transplantation Association (IPITA), Lyon, France. Selected short talk, Title: Encapsulation improves differentiation of the human induced pluripotent stem cells towards insulin-producing cells
2016-2019 Postdoctoral Project: Characterization of regulatory mechanisms in differentiating MODY-iPS-derived pancreatic cells.

This project aimed at developing and employing procedures to identify the miRNA involved in MODY-hiPSC differentiation and maturation to β-cells and to validate and characterize the predicted miRNA-mRNA interactions in normal, prediabetic and diabetic contexts.

 

PUBLICATIONS past 5 years

    1. Mathisen AF, Larsen U, Kavli N, Unger L, Vacaru AM, Daian LM, Vacaru A-M, Herrera PL, Ghila L, Chera S. Moderate beta-cell ablation triggers synergic compensatory mechanisms even in the absence of overt metabolic disruption. Commun Biol 7, 833 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06527-5
    2. *Mathisen AF, *Vacaru AM, Unger L, Lamba EM, Mardare OA, Daian LM, Ghila L, Vacaru AM#, Chera S#. Molecular profiling of NOD mouse islets reveals a novel regulator of insulitis onset. Sci Rep. 2024 Jun 25;14(1):14669. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-65454-x. PMID: 38918575
    3. Mathisen AF, Legøy TA, Larsen U, Unger L, Abadpour S, Paulo JA, Scholz H, Ghila L, Chera S. The age-dependent regulation of pancreatic islet landscape is fueled by a HNF1a-immune signaling loop. Mech Ageing Dev. 2024 May 31:111951. doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2024.111951
    4. Wang C, Abadpour S, Aizenshtadt A, Dalmao-Fernandez A, Høyem M, Wilhelmsen I, Stokowiec J, Olsen PA, Krauss S, Chera S, Ghila L, Ræder H,  Scholz H. Cell identity dynamics and insight into insulin secretagogues when employing stem cell-derived islets for disease modeling.Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol., Sec. Organoids and Organ-On-A-Chip 12 June 2024 Volume 12 – 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2024.1392575
    5. Wang C, Abadpour S, Olsen PA, Wang D, Stokowiec J, Chera S, Ghila L, Ræder H, Krauss S, Aizenshtadt A, Scholz H. Glucose Concentration in Regulating Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Differentiation Toward Insulin-Producing Cells. Transpl Int, 18 January 2024 https://doi.org/10.3389/ti.2024.11900
    6. Unger L, Mathisen AF, Chera S, Legøy TA, Ghila L. The GLI code controls HNF1A levels during foregut differentiation. Int. J. Dev. Biol. 2024; 52: 220 doi: 10.1387/ijdb.230220lg
    7. Mathisen AF, Abadpour S, Legøy TA, Paulo JA, Ghila L, Scholz H, Chera S. Global proteomics reveals insulin abundance as a marker of human islet homeostasis alterations. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2023 Aug 24:e14037. doi: 10.1111/apha.14037. PMID: 37621186
    8. Daian LM, Tanko G, Vacaru AM, Ghila L, Chera S, Vacaru A-M. Modulation of Unfolded Protein Response Restores Survival and Function of β-Cells Exposed to the Endocrine Disruptor Bisphenol A. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023; 24(3):2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032023
    9. Bhagchandani P., Chang C.A., Zhao W., Ghila L, Herrera PL, Chera S and Kim S. Islet cell replacement and transplantation immunology in a mouse strain with inducible diabetes. Scientific Reports 2022 12, 9033. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-13087-3
    10. Ghila L#, Furuyama K, Shane TG, Scholz H, Chera S#. Editorial: Beta-Cell Fate: From Gene Circuits to Disease Mechanisms Frontiers in Genetics 2022 Feb 4 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.822440
    11. Carrasco M*, Wang C*, Søviknes AM*, Bjørlykke Y*, Abadpour S, Paulo JA, Tjora E, Njølstad P, Ghabayen J, Nermoen I, Lyssenko V, Chera S, Ghila LM, Vaudel M, Scholz H, Ræder H. Spatial Environment Affects HNF4A Mutation-Specific Proteome Signatures and Cellular Morphology in hiPSC-Derived β-Like Cells. Diabetes. 2022 Jan 14:db201279. doi: 10.2337/db20-1279. Online ahead of print. PMID: 35043148
    12. Wang C, Abadpour S, Aizenshtadt A, Chera S, Ghila L, Ræder H, Scholz H. 402.2: High Glucose Concentration Increases KATP Channel Activity but Suppresses Mitochondrial Respiration Ability in Insulin-producing Cells Regenerated From Stem Cells. Transplantation. 2021 Dec 1;105(12S1):S27. doi: 10.1097/01.tp.0000804436.14096.44
    13. Ghila L#, Legøy TA, Mathisen AF, Abadpour S, Paulo JA, Scholz H, Ræder H, Chera S#. Chronically Elevated Exogenous Glucose Elicits Antipodal Effects on the Proteome Signature of Differentiating Human iPSC-Derived Pancreatic Progenitors. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021; 22(7):3698. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073698
    14. Ghila L, Legøy TA, Chera S. A Method for Encapsulation and Transplantation into Diabetic Mice of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSC)-Derived Pancreatic Progenitors. In: Methods in Molecular Biology. Springer, New York, NY. 2021 doi: 10.1007/7651_2021_356
    15. Ghila L#, Bjørlykke Y, Legøy TA, Vethe H, Furuyama K, Chera S, Ræder H# Bioinformatic Analyses of miRNA-mRNA Signature during hiPSC Differentiation towards Insulin-Producing Cells upon HNF4α Mutation Biomedicines 2020 Jun 27;8(7):E179. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines8070179. PMID: 32605028
    16. Legøy TA, Ghila L, Vethe H, Abadpour S, Mathisen AF, Paulo JA, Scholz H, Raeder H, Chera S. In vivo hyperglycemia exposure elicits distinct period-dependent effects on human pancreatic progenitor differentiation, conveyed by oxidative stress. Acta Physiologica (Oxf) 2020 Apr;228(4):e13433. Epub 2020 Jan 8. doi: 10.1111/apha.13433. PMID:31872528
    17. Legøy TA*, Vethe H*, Abadpour S, Strand BL, Scholz H, Paulo JA, Ræder H, Ghila L, Chera S. Encapsulation boosts islet-cell signature in differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells via integrin signaling. Scientific Reports 2020 Jan 15;10(1):414. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-57305-x [BioRxiv 2019 Oct 04, preprint doi: 10.1101/791442]
    18. Legøy TA, Mathisen AF, Salim Z, Vethe H, Bjørlykke Y, Abadpour S, Paulo JA, Scholz H, Raeder H, Ghila L, Chera S. In vivo Environment Swiftly Restricts Human Pancreatic Progenitors Toward Mono-Hormonal Identity via a HNF1A/HNF4A Mechanism. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 2020 Feb 25;8:109. eCollection 2020. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00109
    19. Cigliola V, Ghila L, Chera S, Herrera PL. Tissue repair brakes: A common paradigm in the biology of regeneration: Concise review. Stem Cells 2020 Mar;38(3):330-339. doi: 10.1002/stem.3118. PMID:31722129 Epub 2019 Nov 28.
    20. Bjørlykke Y, Søviknes AM, Hoareau L, Vethe H, Mathisen AF, Chera S, Vaudel M, Ghila LM, Ræder H. Reprogrammed Cells Display Distinct Proteomic Signatures Associated with Colony Morphology Variability. Stem Cells International 2019 Nov 18;2019:8036035. doi: 10.1155/2019/8036035. PMID:31827534
    21. Vethe H, Ghila L, Hoareau L, Bjørlykke Y, Berle M, Haaland ØA, Hoareau L, Paulo J, Scholz H, Chera S, Ræder H. Modulating Wnt signaling in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived S7 cells. Frontiers in Endocrinolology 2019, 08 May doi: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00293.
    22. Furuyama K, Chera S, van Gurp L, Oropeza D, Ghila L, Damond N, Vethe H, Paulo JA, Joosten AM, Berney T, Bosco D, Dorrell C, Grompe M, Ræder H, Roep BO, Thorel F, Herrera PL, Diabetes relief in mice by glucose-sensing insulin-secreting human α-cells, Nature 2019 567: 43–48 doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-0942-8

ORAL Presentations

  1. Luiza Ghila “Exploring the unfolded protein response signature in human islet and SC-islet proteome” Diabetesforum 2023, 25.-27. April 2023 Oslo, Norway
  2. Luiza Ghila “Mapping tumour heterogeneity and predictive cancer signatures in vivo” Cellular plasticity in homeostasis and disease Workshop November 7-9, 2022, Baeza, Spain
  3. Luiza Ghila “Chronically Elevated Exogenous Glucose Elicits Antipodal Effects on the Proteome Signature of Differentiating Human iPSC-Derived Pancreatic Progenitors” 8th International Caparica Conference on Analytical Proteomics, 18th – 21st July 2022, Caparica, Portugal
  4. Luiza Ghila, “Modelling Pancreatic Islet Architecture Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells” International Conference IBPC SRBC 2021, Virtual Meeting, București, România, 2021 November 4-6 (virtual)
  5. Luiza Ghila, “Regulatory mechanisms governing the pancreatic endocrine differentiation” K2 Retreat, 2019 Vatnahalsen, Norway
  6. Luiza Ghila, Legøy TA*, Vethe H*, Abadpour S, Strand BL, Scholz H, Paulo JA, Ræder H, Chera S. “Encapsulation improves differentiation of the human induced pluripotent stem cells towards insulin-producing cells” 17th World Congress of the International Pancreas and Islet Transplantation Association (IPITA), 2-5 July 2019 Lyon, France (selected short talk)
  7. Luiza Ghila, ”iPS-derived pancreatic cells – extreme fiction or treatment reality?” 2nd Joint Meeting Lund-FIMM-Bergen, 03.2019, Malmo, Sweden  (invited talk)
  8. Luiza Ghila,”A human model system to study regulatory mechanisms of disease development” Diabetesforbundets forskningskonferanse, 04.2016 Oslo, Norway (invited talk)

POSTER Presentations

  1. Luiza Ghila, Thomas Aga Legøy, Andreas Mathisen, Shadab Abadpour, Heidrun Vethe, Helge Ræder, Hanne Scholz, Simona Chera. “Exploring the unfolded protein response signature in human islet and SC-islet proteome”  Diabetesforum 2023, 25.-27. April 2023, Oslo, Norway
  2. Luiza Ghila, Magnus Berle, Heidrun Vethe, Kaykobad Hossain, Chaudhry A, Garberg H, Beisland C, Haaland ØA, Oveland E, Halvorsen OJ, Davidsson T. “Mapping tumour heterogeneity and predictive cancer signatures in vivo” Cellular plasticity in homeostasis and disease Workshop November 7-9, 2022, Baeza, Spain 
  3. Luiza Ghila, Thomas Aga Legøy, Shabad Abadpour, Ana Vacaru, Hanne Scholz, Simona Chera. “Exploring the unfolded protein response signature in human islet proteome”. European Islet Study Group Workshop,13-15th June 2022, Strasbourg, France
  4. Luiza Ghila, “Modelling pancreatic islet architecture using human induced pluripotent stem cells” CiRA 2022 International Symposium 16-17 February, virtual
  5. Luiza Ghila, Legøy TA, Mathisen AF, Abadpour S, Paulo JA, Scholz H, Ræder H, Chera S. “Chronically Elevated Exogenous Glucose Elicits Antipodal Effects on the Proteome Signature of Differentiating Human iPSC-Derived Pancreatic Progenitors”. 4th Aegean Conferences on Stem Cells 2021, Kos, Greece
  6. Luiza Ghila, Bjorlykke Y, Legøy TA, Vethe H, Søviknes AM, Chera S, Ræder H. “Analysing the role of HNF4a in hiPSC-derived differentiating to insulin producing cells” European Developmental Biology Congress 2019, Alicante, Spain
  7. Ghila Luiza, Vethe Heidrun, Bjørlykke Yngvild, Legøy Thomas Aga, Ræder Helge, Chera Simona. “Analysing The Role Of HNF4a In hiPSC-Derived Differentiating To Insulin Producing Cells” Developmental and Cell Biology of the future 2019 Paris, France
  8. Ghila Luiza, H Vethe, Y. Bjorlykke, K Furuyama, PL Herrera, S Chera, H Ræder. “Transcription factor networks in hiPSC-derived differentiating to insulin producing cells” The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Regeneration and Tissue Repair, 2018 Valetta, Malta

SUPERVISION

PhD candidates

2024 Main supervisor: M.K. Hossain (MED PhD fellowship)

2017-2020 Co-supervisor: T.A. Legøy (main Supervisor S. Chera)

2015-2019 Co-supervisor: Y. Bjørlykke (main Supervisor H. Ræder)

Master Students

2023-2024 Co-supervisor: F.S.H. Rahmatabadi

2022-2023 Co-supervisor: Md.K. Hossain

2018-2019 Co-supervisor: A.F. Mathisen