Dr. Cugno joined Sidra in 2014, where she covers the double role of Director of the Advanced Cell Therapy Core and Attending Physician in Pediatric Oncology and Hematology.

She is a 20-year experienced medical doctor with a Board Certification in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pavia (Italy), and a Master in Pediatric Hematology at the University “La Sapienza”, Rome (Italy).

In Italy, she has been directly involved in the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) activities at the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, a renowned Academic Health Center that has performed more than 2000 transplantations.

At Sidra, Dr. Cugno has been working on the development of the Advanced Cell Therapy Core, including a Cellular Therapy Unit for the delivery of cellular products for tissue, cell and gene therapy, and a Clinical Trial Office.

Activities currently range from Hematopoietic Stem Cells processing, as part of the Bone Marrow Transplantation clinical program, to several projects of cell therapy (i.e. production of mesenchymal stromal cell from different sources), gene therapy (i.e. gene therapy approaches in Hemophilia) and regenerative medicine (i.e. production of platelet rich plasma, platelet rich fibrin, adipose-derived stem cells and cell-drug codelivery).

• Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
• Pediatric leukemia (Omics and pharmacogenomics)
• Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes (genetic and epigenetic make-up)
• Graft-versus-host disease
• Manufacturing of Cell, CAR-T and Gene Therapies
• Regenerative and Engineering Medicine
• Quality, GxP and Good Manufacturing Practice

Clinical Services

Massimino Miele, BSc
Manager – Advanced Cell Therapy Core Laboratories
Email: mmiele (@) sidra.org

Che-Ann Lachica, MScMLS
Lab Technologist, Research Specialist II
Email: clachica@sidra.org

Sheanna M. Herrera, MPH
Lab Technologist, Research Specialist I
Email: sherrera@sidra.org

R&D BMT, Cell and Gene Therapy

Sara Deola, MD, PhD
Investigator, Cell and Gene Therapy Specialist
Email: sdeola@sidra.org

Dhanya Kizhakayil, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Email: dkizhakayil@sidra.org

Anjud Al Mohannadi, MSc
Research Specialist I
Email: aalmohannadi2@sidra.org

Aesha Ali, PhD
Research Specialist I
Email: aali11 (@)sidra.org

Clinical Trial Office

Christine Solfelix, BSc, CPM
Clinical Protocol Manager
Email: csolfelix@sidra.org

Mohammed Elanbari, PhD
Staff Scientist – Biostatistics
Email: melanbari@sidra.org

Blessing Dason, MSN
Research Nurse
Email: bdason@sidra.org