Do all cancer researchers have a favorite cell? Marcello is certainly one of those who do. “The best cell is, obviously, the macrophage,” says Marcello, “Every part of our body has macrophages, and they serve different functions depending on where they are located. They are really diverse, heterogenous, and functionally specialized, which is why I find them so amazing.” 

The excitement with which Marcello explains this is tangible. His face lights up, and it seems he could talk about science indefinitely. As a high school student, he discovered how much he enjoyed laboratory work, and Biology and Chemistry have been his favorite subjects ever since. Following his interests, Marcello pursued his BSc and MSc in Biotechnology in Milan. 

“It was a very international environment, which made me realize I wanted to have the experience of living abroad, so I decided to move to France to do my PhD.” There, Marcello investigated the transcriptional regulation that drives monocyte differentiation and macrophage identity in the context of cancer. His PhD was a great time to discover more about these fascinating cells, but also about where he wanted his career to go. 

“I knew I wanted to stay in academia, but not as a principal investigator. A friend suggested I give myself another opportunity in a new environment, and I really thought they were right! I eventually decided to move to Belgium and do my postdoc at KU Leuven.” During his postdoc, Marcello investigated neuroimmune interactions in the gut, in particular the role of macrophages in the deeper layers of the intestine (always macrophages!). As this chapter was coming to a close, Marcello came across an open staff scientist position in Max Mazzone's lab. “The role sounded like the best of both worlds, staying in academia without leading my own lab. So, I applied and got the job!”.

In 2023, Marcello joined CCB. As he recalls the early days at the Mazzone Lab, his first lab meeting stands out as a particularly special moment. “It was amazing. We were discussing how to develop a specific molecule and all the characterization needed to eventually bring it to patients. In that moment, something shifted for me. We were talking about research that could have a real impact on people, which is something that wasn’t as present in some of the places I had worked before. Taking this extra step toward real-world impact is a major strength of VIB.” 

Today, Marcello’s role is to help the lab secure the necessary funding to carry out these projects, and his favorite part of the process is project conceptualization. “We always start from previous research of the lab or from Max’s new ideas. After some discussion, my job is to piece it all together – and that's what I really like.” The research topics at the Mazzone Lab are rather diverse, and Marcello needs to be able to conceptualize projects that are sometimes out of his comfort zone. “This can be a challenge, but it also gives me so many opportunities to learn – it can be a very rewarding part of the job. Generally in science, it can be easy to be brought down by reviewers, rejection, failed experiments, or questions we can’t answer. These challenges are important, because they move things forward and help us grow, but they can also be tough to take in. So, if there’s one thing I try to bring in every day, not just for myself, but for my colleagues as well, is confidence and perspective, to believe we can push past those harder moments, and appreciate just how far we’ve come.”

Thank you for your dedication, Marcello! It’s really great to have your cheerful energy at CCB ✨