Simone Puccio

POSITION TITLE:

Researcher

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy — MSc, 03/2013, Bioinformatics 110 cum laude
University of Milan, Italy — PhD, 02/2017, Molecular and Translational Medicine
University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy — Specializing Master, 04/2021, Data Analytics

Personal Statement

I am a bioinformatician with over a decade of experience in multi-omics data integration, immuno-oncology, and T cell biology. My research focuses on deciphering the molecular and spatial determinants of immune regulation in cancer, with emphasis on regulatory and stem-like T cells. I have contributed to the development of computational pipelines, including CRUSTY, Interactome-Seq, and WoPPER, and bioinformatics tools for high-dimensional data analysis, enabling discoveries in both basic immunology and clinical oncology. My ongoing projects aim to identify predictive biomarkers of relapse in early-stage NSCLC and uncover the transcriptional and metabolic programs of T cells in cancer.

Positions and Scientific Appointments

2022–Present — Researcher, National Research Council (CNR-IRGB), Milan, Italy
2022–Present — Visiting Researcher, Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
2018–2021 — Grant Fellow, Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
2013–2017 — Grant Fellow, CNR-ITB, Milan, Italy
2012–2013 — Student Trainee, Temple University, Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, PA
2008–2010 — Visiting Research Scholar, Temple University, Department of Pharmacology, Philadelphia, PA

Honors

2018 — AIRC fellowship “Francesco Saccon”; project title “Defining the core gene expression of stem-like T cell differentiation to ameliorate the anti-tumor activity of CAR T cells.” (2018–2021)

Research activities:

1. T cell biology & immunotherapy
2. Bioinformatics tools & computational pipelines
3. High-dimensional single-cell & multi-omics integration
4. Clinical & translational immunology

1. Alvisi G, Brummelman J, Puccio S, et al. IRF4 instructs a molecular program of effector Treg differentiation and immune suppression in human cancer. J Clin Invest. 2020.

2. Galletti S, De Simone G, Mazza EMC, Puccio S, et al. Two subsets of stem-like CD8+ memory T cell progenitors with distinct fate commitments in humans. Nat Immunol. 2020.

3. Pilipow K, Scamardella E, Puccio S, et al. Antioxidant metabolism regulates CD8+ T memory stem cell formation and antitumor immunity. JCI Insight. 2018.

4. Puccio S, Grillo G, Alvisi G, et al. CRUSTY: a versatile web platform for high-dimensional flow cytometry data. Nat Commun. 2023.

5. Puccio S, Grillo G, et al. WoPPER: webserver for position related data analysis of gene expression in prokaryotes. Nucleic Acids Res. 2017.

6. Alvisi G, Puccio S, et al. Multimodal single-cell profiling of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma defines hyperactivated Tregs as therapeutic target. J Hepatol. 2022.

7. De Biasi S, Gibellini L, …Puccio S, et al. Circulating MAIT cells identify patients responding to anti-PD-1 therapy. Nat Commun. 2021.

8. Scirgolea C, Sottile R, ….Puccio S, et al. NaCl enhances CD8+ T cell effector functions in cancer immunotherapy. Nat Immunol. 2024.

9. Di Vito C, Coianiz N, ….Puccio S, et al. Persistence of KIRneg NK cells after HSCT protects from CMV. Front Immunol. 2024.

10. Carnevale S, Ponzetta A, Rigatelli A, …Puccio S, et al. Neutrophils mediate protection against colitis and carcinogenesis. Cancer Immunol Res. 2024.