Simona Chera

Simona Chera obtained her PhD from Department of Genetics and Evolution, at the Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, in 2008, with a focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms acting in regeneration. Afterwards, she was a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Pedro Herrera lab, characterizing two age-dependent regenerative mechanisms involved in spontaneous murine pancreatic β-cell regeneration (Thorel et al. 2010, Nature and Chera et al. 2014, Nature). In March 2015, Simona moved to Bergen, as a postdoctoral fellow in Ræder lab, working on a project involving the differentiation of pancreatic β-cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells, derived from fibroblasts donated by patients with Mature Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY). She is now Professor at the Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen and NCMM Associate Investigator. 

The main focus throughout her career has been the characterization of the cellular processes and molecular cues governing the balance between tissue regeneration and homeostasis. This has resulted in numerous publications.

Recently, she received several prestigious grants:

• the Novo Nordisk Foundation Excellence Project for Endocrinology Research, for characterizing and reversing β-cell senescence and proliferation quiescence in monogenic diabetes; and
• Young Talent Research Projects funded by the Research Council of Norway, aiming at characterizing the cellular and molecular basis of the gradual failure of insulin-producing β-cells in diabetes by using a novel in vivo strategy involving transplanted induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from monogenic diabetes patients (MODY patients). 
• RONO2019 UEFISCDI collaborative grant with A. M. Vacaru at the Institute of biology and cellular pathology in Bucarest, to investigate therapeutic options to boost stress endurance and regeneration in β-cells.
• Renewal grant (2020) from Research Council of Norway
• In 2021, Simona received the Novo Nordisk Foundation Ascending Investigator Grant to continue her work on monogenic diabetes.

Selected publications:

1. Legøy TA*, Vethe H*, Abadpour S, Strand BL, Scholz H, Paulo JA, Ræder H, Ghila L, Chera S. Encapsulation boosts islet-cell signature in differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells via integrin signaling. Scientific Reports 2020 Jan 15;10(1):414. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-57305-x [BioRxiv 2019 Oct 04, preprint doi: 10.1101/791442]
2. Legøy TA, Mathisen AF, Salim Z, Vethe H, Bjørlykke Y, Abadpour S, Paulo JA, Scholz H, Raeder H, Ghila L, Chera S. In vivo Environment Swiftly Restricts Human Pancreatic Progenitors Toward Mono-Hormonal Identity via a HNF1A/HNF4A Mechanism. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 2020 Feb 25;8:109. eCollection 2020. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00109
3. Legøy TA, Ghila L, Vethe H, Abadpour S, Mathisen AF, Paulo JA, Scholz H, Raeder H, Chera S. In vivo hyperglycemia exposure elicits distinct period-dependent effects on human pancreatic progenitor differentiation, conveyed by oxidative stress. Acta Physiologica (Oxf) 2020 Apr;228(4):e13433. Epub 2020 Jan 8. doi: 10.1111/apha.13433. PMID:31872528