From Columbia University in New York to Bellinzona: Prof. Laura Pasqualucci joins IOR
Institutional Communication Service
On 1 September, Prof. Laura Pasqualucci, an internationally renowned scientist in lymphoma biology and Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology at the prestigious Columbia University in New York, will set up a new research group at the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR) in Bellinzona, affiliated with USI and a member of Bios+. The new laboratory will focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying malignant lymphomas, bringing the total number of research groups at IOR to nine.
With extensive experience in the United States, Prof. Pasqualucci brings world-class scientific expertise to IOR, further strengthening the Institute's lymphoma research programme. Supported by a five-year startup grant from the Horten Health Foundation, her Lymphomagenesis Laboratory will investigate the genetic and molecular alterations driving lymphoma development to better understand disease mechanisms and identify new vulnerabilities in tumour cells.
The group will bridge basic, translational, and clinical research by combining its expertise with existing capabilities at IOR and working in close collaboration with the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI). This proximity to clinical practice was also a key factor in Prof. Pasqualucci's decision to move to Bellinzona for this new chapter in her career after nearly thirty years in the US.
Beyond the scientific and translational opportunities, Pasqualucci highlights the potential and dynamism of the research environment she has found in Bellinzona: "Every time I walk into the Bios+ building, I feel a sense of energy and enthusiasm that makes me view this new phase as an opportunity for significant professional growth. Leaving New York will not be easy from a personal and emotional perspective, but professionally, this move represents the beginning of a new challenge that I am very excited to take on."
The wider Ticino biomedical hub, with its complementary expertise and rich opportunities for collaboration, further enhances this setting. In particular, the proximity to the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), also a member of Bios+, fosters synergies in B-cell and immune system research, both of which are tightly linked to lymphoma biology.
“A world-renowned scientist in the field of lymphoma biology, Prof. Pasqualucci will help consolidate the Institute's basic research, while integrating seamlessly with our highly competitive translational and clinical programmes," comments Prof. Andrea Alimonti, Director of IOR. "Her recruitment reflects IOR's strategy to invest in scientific excellence across the entire research spectrum, from the discovery of biological mechanisms to the development of new therapies for patients."
The new team joins those led by Professors Davide Rossi and Francesco Bertoni within IOR's malignant lymphoma research programme, bringing the total number of groups dedicated to this area to three, with expertise spanning basic, translational, and clinical science.
Brief biography
Laura Pasqualucci earned her medical degree from the University of Perugia, where she completed a four-year residency in Haematology, followed by advanced training in Berlin and Boston. She has been based at Columbia University in New York since 1997, initially researching the molecular genetics of lymphoma under Prof. Riccardo Dalla-Favera before directing her own programme focused on genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of lymphomagenesis. The author of over 100 original papers in top-tier international journals, she is recognised globally as a leading authority on the molecular mechanisms of lymphoma. In June 2027, she will also be among the keynote speakers at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML) in Lugano, organised by the IOR Foundation.
