Researcher

Rita Cacace

Research Expertise (University of Antwerp):Dr. Rita Cacace holds a PhD in biomedical sciences and studies Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Her work focuses on understanding the functional consequences of rare genetic variants to the disease etiopathogenesis. Her research is based on the genetic discoveries obtained throughout her PhD and postdoctoral studies. Dr. Cacace has a broad range of expertise from genetics to functional biology and disease models, particularly in data mining of whole-genome and whole exome sequencing data for disease gene identification. As well as design and analysis of high-throughput genes-based sequencing assays. Dr. Cacace’s in vitro expertise includes, but is not limited to, expression studies on both RNA and protein level; design and development of in vitro assays (cloning techniques, overexpression studies, immunocytochemistry, etc.); handling and manipulation of both cancer cell lines and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), CRISPR-based genome editing and directed differentiation of iPSC into cortical neurons. Dr. Cacace also gained expertise in in vivo disease models, obtaining a certified FELASA-C certificate from the University of Antwerp. Dr. Cacace is currently developing in vitro iPSC-derived disease models as tools to identify novel therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative brain diseases.

Keywords (University of Antwerp):GENE DETECTION, KNOCK OUT MOUSE, GENETIC SCREENING, POTASSIUM CHANNEL, MODEL SYSTEMS, GENETIC DISEASE, Biomedical sciences (incl. biochemistry)

Disciplines (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology):Analysis of next-generation sequence data, Behavioural neuroscience
Disciplines (University of Antwerp):Genetics, Stem cell biology, Molecular and cell biology not elsewhere classified, Cognitive neuroscience, Neurological and neuromuscular diseases, Molecular physiology

Research techniques (University of Antwerp):DNA and RNA extraction, PCR, multiplex PCR, short tandem repeat genotyping, qPCR, western blot, immunoprecipitation, southern blot, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), cloning, CRISPR-based genome editing, iPSC handling, manipulation and differentiation into cortical neurons, live-cell imaging, cancer cell-line culturing and manipulation, immunocytochemistry, mouse colony maintenance, breeding, genotyping, dissection and tissue processing (paraffin embedding).

Users of research expertise (University of Antwerp):Researchers, students, group leaders, professors, teachers, laboratory managers, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, general public for science-related communications (in English).