Ilaria Dando has been a lecturer in biochemistry since 2019 at several graduate programs within the Faculty of Medicine. Her scientific interest is divided into two main projects concerning the study of neoplasms and the preservation of fertile potential in the patient with andrological pathology. 

Regarding the first area of research, Ilaria Dando’s research group is involved in the study of three different types of tumors: pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), testicular cancer (TGCT) and, in collaboration with three other Italian universities, lung cancer (NSCLC). Special attention is paid to the characterization of cancer stem cells (CSCs), going to study their metabolic characteristics with the aim of identifying specific alterations, useful for the discovery of new early diagnostic markers and for the development of new effective therapeutic strategies. In addition, the analysis of the primary tissue of pediatric patients is also being studied to study their predisposition to the development of neoplasms in adulthood.

Regarding the second line of research, through the use of an innovative biochemical and molecular approach, the aim is to preserve the fertile potential of the pediatric patient with cryptorchidism or testicular torsion and the infertile adult patient. The approach involves the identification of activated signaling pathways following treatment of primary testicular and para-testicular cells with hormones and the study