About CLAUDIA MARIA PINNA
My research focuses on elucidating the roles of stem cells, tumour cells and the tumour microenvironment across solid tumours, with a particular emphasis on predictive in vitro models and human organoids.
I am a highly motivated biologist specialising in patient‑derived organoids, ex vivo platforms and multicellular systems, with 7+ years’ experience developing translational models that capture human tissue biology, disease progression and therapeutic response. My work spans complex 2D/3D organoids, immune–epithelial co‑cultures, stromal–tumour systems and precision‑cut tissue platforms used across academia and pharma for discovery, validation and predictive screening.
As a Research Fellow II and Tissue Culture Section Lead at the University of Birmingham, I co‑lead major academic–industry programmes in immuno‑oncology and therapeutic development, supervise a team of researchers, and oversee cross‑group governance, training and translational assay pipelines.
My research vision integrates predictive models and genomics to build platforms that bridge mechanistic biology, therapeutic response prediction and personalised medicine.
I am committed to responsible innovation, patient and public engagement, and fostering an inclusive research culture.
As a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, I bring extensive experience in teaching, mentoring and leadership across undergraduate and postgraduate education in stem cell biology, organoids and cancer.