Lisa completed her Bachelor’s in Biotechnology and Master’s in Medical Biotechnology at the University of Bologna before joining the MERLN Institute in October 2025 as a PhD candidate, under the supervision of Prof. Lorenzo Moroni, within the Complex Tissue Regeneration department.

Her research is part of the ERC-funded MECCANO project and focuses on developing innovative strategies to drive the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) through mechanical stimulation.

Conventional iPSC differentiation methods rely mostly on biochemical stimuli, which only partially capture the complexity of in vivo processes. By integrating mechanically active metamaterial scaffolds, Lisa aims to better mimic the native cellular microenvironment during the differentiation process and uncover how mechanical loading influence cell fate. The ultimate goal of her work is to establish more targeted products for tissue replacement, and advance regenerative medicine and tissue engineering research.