Zambrano Silva Samuel Professore AssociatoMedicine02/D1

EDUCATION / TRAINING

2007: Ph. D. Physics, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid (Spain).

2006: MAS in Computer Science and Mathematical Modeling, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid (Spain).

2003: B. Sc. Theoretical Physics, Universidad Complutense, Madrid (Spain)

POSITIONS HELD

2011-present: Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute. Division of Genetics and Cell Biology. Chromatin Dynamics and In Vivo Chromatin and Transcription Units.

• October 2020 – Present. Associate Professor of Applied Physics.
• October 2017 – September 2020. Assistant Professor (Ricercatore tipo B- tenure track).
• April 2017 - October 2017. Research fellow.
• March 2014 - March 2017 Postdoctoral fellow.
• March 2012 - March 2014 Marie Curie IEF Research Fellow.
• March 2011- March 2012 Postdoctoral fellow (San Raffaele Postdoctoral Program).

2003-2017: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid (Spain). Department of Physics. Nonlinear Dynamics, Chaos and Complex Systems Group.

• 2011-March 2017. Leave of absence.
• 2009-2011 Profesor contratado doctor (Assistant Professor- tenured).
• 2007-2009 Profesor ayudante doctor (Assistant Professor – tenure track).
• 2003-2007 Ph.D. student.Supervisor: Prof. Miguel A. F. Sanjuán.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

I started my scientific career in the fields of nonlinear dynamics and chaos, with a focus in the control of chaotic dynamics and in analysis of time series. Since I arrived to San Raffaele, I have been focusing on applications in quantitative and systems biology, in particular to understand the dynamics of NF-kB in single cells and its role in the control of transcription in physiological and pathological conditions. Currently I have extended my interest to the analysis of other transcription such as p53 and more broadly to the mathematical modelling and quantitative characterization of biological processes.

FUNDING/PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH PROJECTS

- Principal Collaborator in the Project: “New preclinical and clinical approaches to mesothelioma, an archetypal inflammatory tumor”. Funded by Ministry of Health, Italy. PI: Marco E. Bianchi. Scheduled to begin in September 2024.

- Researcher in the project “The Digital Driven Diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics for sustainable Health care (D3 4 HEALTH)”. Ministry of University and Research, Italy. Coordinator: Carlo Tacchetti. January 2003-January 2027.

- Co-applicant in the project “Chromatin organization and transcription factor targeting in the establishment of oncogene-induced senescence and cancer progression.” World Wide Cancer Research PI: Davide Mazza. April 2022-April 2025.

- Supervisor (PI) of a 1-year fellowships funded by San Raffaele University. Project title: “Spatiotemporal dynamics of inflammation in the liver from a “coupled oscillators” point of view”, From January 2022;  “Characterization of nuclear dynamics and physical properties in myogenesis by live-cell imaging”. From January 2021.

- OSR Seed Grant. “Spatiotemporal dynamics of inflammation: role of NF-kappaB dynamics at a tissue level”. One year grant starting from March 2018 (PI).

- Participation as a senior postdoc in the project funded within the 2016 Call for proposals by AIRC (Italian Association for Cancer Research). Title of the project: "NF-kB in motion: role of NF-kB dynamics in Multiple Myeloma and stromal cells interactions". PI: Alessandra Agresti. Starting in 2017.

- Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (IEF) for a postdoctoral project at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (Milan, Italy) "Role of Nonlinear Dynamics of NF-kB in Inflammation" (Grant Agreement 298447) (2012-2014)

- Participation in research projects: two Spanish National research projects (BFM2003-03081 and FIS2006-08525) one European project (HI03-207) and two research projects co-funded by the Madrid Region and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC-CM-2006-CET-0643 and URJC-CM-2007-CET-1601)

MEMBERSHIPS

- Member of the Italian Society of Molecular Biology and Biophysics since 2016, of the Italian Society of Cell and Developmental Biology and of the Italian Society of Chaos and Complexity since 2019.

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

2011-Present: VITA-SALUTE SAN RAFFAELE UNIVERSITY (ITALY)

(Years taught indicated, C stands for “coordinator”).

Elements of Statistics and Physics II (Physics). Degree in Biotechnology Research in Medicine (Italian). 2016-Today (C)

Physics, Computer Science and English (Physics). Degree in Obstetrics (Italian) (2020- Today, C).

Gene expression from single molecules to systems biology. Degree in Biotechnology and Medical Biology and MD Program (English) (2022-Today). 

Biomedical Imaging. MD Program (English) (2023-Today). 

“Medical Physics”, International MD program (English) (2015-2018, 2018- 2021 C, 2022-2023),

Genetics and developmental biology. Degree in Medicine and Surgery (Italian) (2014-2020).

Cell and molecular biology. MD Program (English) (2014-2020).

Transcription in 4D. Degree in Biotechnological Research in Medicine (Italian) (2013-2017).

2006-2011: UNIVERSIDAD REY JUAN CARLOS, MADRID (SPAIN)

Coordinator and lecturer in different physics courses for engineering and environmental sciences in the university. I also participated as lecturer in different courses in the university’s graduate program on nonlinear dynamics and complex systems.

OTHER ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

PhD and master students supervisions and co-supervisions. Stages hosted. Member of PhD and Master degree commissions.

 

(Updated June 2024)

Selected publications

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9384-2017

C. Kizilirmak, E. Monteleone, J. García-Manteiga, F. Brambilla, A. Agresti, M.E. Bianchi, Samuel Zambrano. “Small transcriptional differences among cell clones lead to distinct NF-κB dynamics”. iScience 26(12):108573 (2023)

C. Kizilirmak, M. E. Bianchi and Samuel Zambrano. “Insights on the NF-κB System Using Live Cell Imaging: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives”. Front. Immunol. 13:886127 (2022)

Samuel Zambrano, A. Loffreda, E. Carelli, G. Stefanelli, F. Colombo, E. Bertrand, A. Agresti, M. E. Bianchi N. Molina, D. Mazza. “First Responders Shape a Prompt and Sharp NF-κB-Mediated Transcriptional Response to TNF-α”. iScience 23(9), 101529 (2020).

G. Careccia, F. Colombo, M. Tirone, A. Agresti, M. E. Bianchi, Samuel Zambrano, E. Vénéreau. “Exploiting Live Imaging to Track Nuclei During Myoblast Differentiation and Fusion”. J. Vis. Exp. (146), e58888, (2019).

F. Colombo, Samuel Zambrano, A. Agresti. “NF-kB, the importance of being dynamic: role and insights in cancer”. Biomedicines, 6 (2), 45 (2018).

E. Ramos-Marquès, Samuel Zambrano, A. Tiérrez, M. E. Bianchi, A. Agresti and F. García-del Portillo. “Single-cell analyses reveal an attenuated NF-kB response in the Salmonella-infected fibroblast”. Virulence 8:6, 719-740 (2017).

Samuel Zambrano, I. De Toma, A. Piffer, M. E. Bianchi and A. Agresti. “NF-kB oscillations translate into functionally related patterns of gene expression”. eLife 5:e09100 (2016).

Samuel Zambrano, Marco E. Bianchi, Alessandra Agresti and Nacho Molina. “Interplay between stochasticity and negative feedback leads to pulsed dynamics and distinct gene activity patterns”. Phys. Rev. E 92, 02271 (2015).

Samuel Zambrano, M. E. Bianchi, A. Agresti. “A simple model of NF-kB dynamics reproduces experimental observations” Journal of Theoretical Biology, 347(21) 44-53 (2014).

Samuel Zambrano, M. E. Bianchi, A. Agresti. “High-Throughput Analysis of NF-kB Dynamics in Single Cells Reveals Basal Nuclear Localization of NF-kB and Spontaneous Activation of Oscillations”. PLoS ONE 9(3): e90104(2014).

Samuel Zambrano, I. P. Mariño, J. M. Seoane, M. A. F. Sanjuán, S. Euzzor, A. Geltrude, R. Meucci and F. T. Arecchi, “Synchronization of uncoupled excitable systems induced by white and coloured noise”. New Journal of Physics, 12 053040 (2010).

Samuel Zambrano, M. A. F. Sanjuán and J. A. Yorke, “Partial Control of Chaotic Systems”. Phys. Rev. E 77, 055201(R) (2008).

J. M. Amigó, Samuel Zambrano and M. A. F. Sanjuán. “True and false forbidden patterns in deterministic and random dynamics”, Europhys. Lett. 79, 50001 (2007).