DRAGO LAURA

My name is Laura Drago, and I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Padova, specializing in cellular and molecular physiology. My work investigates stress response mechanisms in marine invertebrate chordates and freshwater fish, aiming to understand how organisms react to environmental challenges at the molecular level.
After completing an MSc in Evolutionary Biology (2019), I joined the Laboratory of Marine Invertebrate Immunobiology at Padova, where I pursued a PhD in Biosciences (2024). My doctoral research focused on stress granules (SGs), cytoplasmic aggregates of mRNAs and proteins formed under stress, as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in solitary and colonial ascidians. I explored their involvement in innate immunity and developmental regulation, and proposed their potential as molecular biomarkers for environmental monitoring.
Currently, as a research fellow in the PNRR-funded RETURN project, I study the effects of emerging pollutants, particularly PFAS, on freshwater fish. I aim to evaluate SGs as early and sensitive indicators of environmental contamination. This multidisciplinary research combines molecular biology, environmental physiology, and bioinformatics, contributing to ecological risk assessment and conservation strategies.
Throughout my academic career, I have presented at national and international conferences and collaborated in international settings, including research stays at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) and Kochi University (Japan), experiences that broadened both my technical expertise and scientific perspective.
Driven by curiosity for biological complexity and a commitment to sustainability, I seek to develop innovative molecular tools for ecosystem health monitoring. I believe science thrives when shared and communicated with clarity, and I strive to foster a research culture based on rigor, openness, and collaboration.