Giovanna is the Director of Strategy and Operations at LifeArc. Giovanna leads on the development of our preclinical strategy and other major strategic initiatives across the organisation.
With a broad scientific background, Giovanna brings over 20 years of experience in leadership roles across academic and funding sectors, including senior management positions at Wellcome, where she oversaw a multimillion pound funding portfolio and lead strategic funding initiatives in neuroscience and mental health. Throughout her career she has forged strong relationships with a large network of stakeholders across academia, industry, government, charity, funders, leading to several strategic partnerships promoting cutting edge research and innovation.
Originally trained at the University of Bologna, Italy with a MSc in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, Giovanna obtained an MSc in Molecular Biology at the University of Southern California, USA and a PhD in Cell Physiology at Cancer Research UK London Research Institute/University College London (UCL), investigating membrane trafficking mechanisms in motor neurons. She extended her neuroscience studies as a postdoc at UCL and subsequently as principal investigator at King’s College London dissecting signalling pathways controlling neuronal morphogenesis and postnatal neurogenesis.
Between 2018 and 2024 Giovanna was Director of Scientific Affairs at the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI). She played a crucial role in the successful establishment of the institute and the development of its scientific strategy, interdisciplinary collaborative research programmes, and translational projects.
