Assist. Prof. Dr. Sara Carloni | Biology and Life Sciences | Best Researcher Award
Assistant Professor at Humanitas University, Italy
Dr. Sara Carloni is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology at Humanitas University, Italy. Her career spans over a decade of cutting-edge research into microbial pathogenesis, microbiota-host interactions, the gut-brain axis, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A pivotal figure in translational microbiology, Dr. Carloni has contributed substantially to both experimental and clinical microbiology. Her breakthrough discovery of a choroid plexus vascular barrier associated with intestinal inflammation, published in Science (2021), has positioned her as a global leader in microbiota and neuroinflammation studies. As a corresponding or leading author on multiple high-impact publications and a frequent speaker at international conferences, she continues to influence the future of biomedical sciences.
Publication ProfileΒ
Educational Background π
Dr. Sara Carloni has cultivated a robust academic foundation in microbiology and biotechnology through progressive and interdisciplinary training across prestigious institutions. She earned her Bachelorβs degree in Industrial and Environmental Biotechnologies in 2009 from a joint program between UniversitΓ degli Studi di Milano and Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain. She then completed her Masterβs degree in Biotechnology at UniversitΓ degli Studi di Milano in July 2011. Driven by a keen interest in microbial research, she pursued a Ph.D. in Biological and Molecular Sciences with a specialization in Molecular Microbiology, which she completed in May 2015 at UniversitΓ degli Studi di Milano. Following her doctorate, she engaged in several postdoctoral fellowships: first at UniversitΓ degli Studi di Milano (2015), focusing on small RNA-mediated mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa; then at the European Institute of Oncology (2016β2017), investigating microbiota in intestinal and oncologic disorders; and subsequently at Humanitas University (2018β2021), where she delved into the gut-brain axis and intestinal inflammation. Her academic journey culminated in her appointment as Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology (RTDA) at Humanitas University in 2021.
Professional Experience πΌ
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Assistant Professor (RTDA)
Humanitas University (2021βPresent)-
Teaching and research in Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology (MED/07)
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Supervising PhD and MD students; leading microbiota and AMR research units
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Postdoctoral Fellow
Humanitas University (2018β2021)-
Investigated gut-brain axis, choroid plexus, and intestinal inflammation
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Postdoctoral Fellow
European Institute of Oncology (IEO) (2016β2017)-
Microbiota in IBD and tumorigenesis; explored colitis-brain interaction
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Postdoctoral Fellow
UniversitΓ degli Studi di Milano (2015)-
Studied quorum sensing and small RNAs in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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Research Interests π¬
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Gut-Brain Axis (GBA) and Vascular Barriers
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Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
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Host-Microbiota Interactions
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Microbial Metabolites and Neuroinflammation
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Translational Microbiology
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Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles (bEVs)
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Artificial Intelligence in Microbial Diagnostics
Awards and Honorsπβ¨
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Invited Speaker at premier international conferences including:
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Digestive Disease Week (2024)
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ECCO Congress (2024)
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Potsdam Symposium on Mucosal Immunology (2023)
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IFHNOS World Congress Moderator (2023)
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Leader of research units in:
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PNRR-INF-ACT (One Health & AMR Surveillance)
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PNRR-NBFC (Human Wellbeing & Microbial Biodiversity)
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5X1000 Humanitas (IBD and Psychiatric Comorbidities)
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Visiting Professor, Institut Pasteur β Leadership in microbiota-host interaction and bEVs research
Conclusionπ
Dr. Sara Carloni stands out as an innovative and collaborative microbiologist, contributing significantly to modern biomedical research. With over 19 peer-reviewed publications, an H-index of 11, and over 1200 citations, she merges basic science discoveries with clinical applications, particularly in AMR surveillance and gut-brain communication. Her multidisciplinary and translational approach places her at the forefront of microbiology, making her a strong contender for high-level research recognitions and global scientific leadership.
Publications π
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πΌ Maternal gut microbiota influences immune activation at the maternal-fetal interface affecting pregnancy outcome
π Nature Communications
π 2025-05-09 | π DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58533-8
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Silvia Giugliano, Andrea Gatti, Martina Rusin, Tilo Schorn, Silvia Pimazzoni, Michela Calanni-Pileri, Valentina Fraccascia, Sara Carloni, Maria Rescigno
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π§« Epidemiology and resistance profiles of bacteria isolated from blood samples in septic patients at emergency department admission: A 6-year single-centre retrospective analysis from Northern Italy
π Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance
π 2025-03 | π DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2024.12.023
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Valeria Cento, Sara Carloni, Riccardo Sarti, et al.
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π€° Role of the maternal gut microbiota in immune activation at the maternal-fetal interface: Impact on preeclampsia
π Preprint
π 2023-05-30 | π DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2845955/v1
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Maria Rescigno, Silvia Giugliano, Sara Carloni, Tilo Schorn
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π§ Unveiling the gut-brain axis: Structural and functional analogies between the gut and the choroid plexus vascular and immune barriers
π Seminars in Immunopathology
π DOI: 10.1007/S00281-022-00955-3
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Sara Carloni, Maria Rescigno
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π¦ Gut vascular barrier impairment leads to intestinal bacteria dissemination and colorectal cancer metastasis to liver
π Cancer Cell
π DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.03.004
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Bertocchi, A., Carloni, S., et al.
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π§ Identification of a choroid plexus vascular barrier closing during intestinal inflammation
π Science
π DOI: 10.1126/science.abc6108
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Carloni, S., Bertocchi, A., et al.
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π§ͺ SARS-CoV-2 serology in 4000 health care and administrative staff across seven sites in Lombardy, Italy
π Scientific Reports
π DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91773-4
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Sandri, M.T., Carloni, S., et al.
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π§« Complement C3aR loss drives colorectal cancer by modulating gut microbiota
π Journal of Immunology
π WOS: WOS:000589972400485
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Guglietta, Silvia, Carloni, Sara, et al.
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π¦ Endogenous murine microbiota member Faecalibaculum rodentium and its human homologue protect from intestinal tumour growth
π Nature Microbiology
π DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0649-5
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Zagato, E., Carloni, S., et al.
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π§ͺ IgG serology in health care and administrative staff populations from 7 hospitals representative of different exposures to SARS-CoV-2 in Lombardy, Italy
π medRxiv Preprint
π DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.24.20111245
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Sandri, M.T., Carloni, S., et al.
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π© Therapeutic faecal microbiota transplantation controls intestinal inflammation through IL10 secretion by immune cells
π Nature Communications
π DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07359-8
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Burrello, C., Carloni, S., et al.
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𧬠The small RNA ReaL: A novel regulatory element embedded in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing networks
π Environmental Microbiology
π DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13886
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Carloni, S., Macchi, R., et al.
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π¦ Post-transcriptional regulation of the virulence-associated enzyme AlgC by the ΟΒ²Β²-dependent small RNA ErsA of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
π Environmental Microbiology
π DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12590
π©βπ¬ Contributors: Ferrara, S., Carloni, S., et al.