Dr. Ester De Leo earned her Master’s degree in Biology from the University of Naples “Federico II” in 2006. She obtained a PhD in Cellular Biochemistry from the “Second University of Naples” in 2011, during which she supported teaching activities and student mentoring.

She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Prof. Maria Antonietta De Matteis at the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine in Naples, focusing on cellular dysfunctions. In 2015, she joined the research team of Prof. Francesco Emma at the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital and Research Institute in Rome, where she currently works as a researcher.

Her main research interests include renal and lysosomal storage diseases, particularly cystinosis. She has studied the roles of autophagy, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and intracellular trafficking in disease mechanisms. More recently, through drug repositioning and screening approaches, she identified flavonoids as potential therapeutic agents for cystinosis.

Dr. De Leo has received competitive research funding as both principal investigator and collaborator. She has presented her work as an invited speaker at international conferences and published in several peer-reviewed journals. She also serves as a reviewer for international scientific journals and actively collaborates with national and international research groups.

Her scientific work includes over 15 peer-reviewed publications: List of total publications: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=53984130000