Prof Federica Sotgia
School of Science, Engineering & Environment
Current positions
Professor
Biography
I obtained my postgraduate degree in Medical Genetics in 2001 from the University of Genova, Italy. I then moved to Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, as a post-doctoral fellow, where I was promoted to Instructor. In 2006, I was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology at the Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. In 2012, I moved to the University of Manchester as a Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Cancer Sciences. I started my position at the University of Salford in 2016.
Areas of Research
As a graduate student, I was the first to discover that mutations in the caveolin-3 gene are the cause of a novel form of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, named LGMD-1C. Later on in my career, I developed an interest in breast cancer and I have applied the knowledge and expertise gained from studying mitochondrial metabolism to the breast cancer field.
The main focus of my research is to study the role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer. Specifically, the main theme is elucidating how metabolic alterations in the tumor microenvironment affect tumor growth. We have also provided genetic evidence that enhanced glycolysis in stromal cells supports tumorigenesis.
Another line of research is related to the metabolic requirements of tumor-initiating cells and the repositioning of FDA-approved drugs for their targeting.
My teaching is related to my background and research interests in cancer, cancer metabolism, biochemistry and drug discovery.