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Hire Dr. Céline R.

Switzerland

USD 50 /hr

Biomedical scientist with 15+ years of experience in Gene and Cell Therapy

Profile Summary

Senior scientist with over 15 years of experience in gene and cell therapy in academic and industrial environments. Recognized for leading preclinical and translational research programs involving viral vectors, gene editing, CAR-T, and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Proven ability to drive projects from concept to in vivo validation, generate intellectual property, and communicate complex scientific data to multidisciplinary stakeholders. Multilingual (French, Italian, English), adaptable, and results-driven, with strong experience in team supervision, cross-functional collaboration, and innovation-focused research delivery.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Molecular Biology
• ☆ Biomarkers
• ☆ Genetics
• ☆ PCR
• ☆ Molecular Cloning
• ☆ DNA Sequencing
• ☆ Gene Expression Analysis
• ☆ Genome Sequencing
• ☆ Mutagenesis
• ☆ Recombinant DNA
• ☆ RNA Synthesis
• ☆ RNA Sequencing
• ☆ DNA/Gene Synthesis
• ☆ Oligonucleotide Synthesis
• ☆ Plasmid DNA
• ☆ DNA Damage & Repair
• ☆ Cell Biology
• ☆ Cell-Based Assays
• ☆ Cytochemistry
• ☆ Cell Signaling Pathways
• ☆ Gene Regulation
• ☆ Stem Cell Research
• ☆ Biotechnology & Bioengineering
• ☆ Recombinant Protein Expression
• ☆ Microscopy
• ☆ Cryosectioning
• ☆ Light Microscopy
• ☆ Electron Microscopy
• ☆ Fluorescence Microscopy
• ☆ Scanning Probe Microscopy
• ☆ Cell Culture
• ☆ Primary Cells
• ☆ Cell Line Engineering
• ☆ Cell Surface Receptors
• ☆ Blotting
• ☆ Immunohistochemistry
• ☆ Tissue Engineering
• ☆ Cytometry
• ☆ Drug Development
• ☆ Preclinical Research
• ☆ Preclinical Pharmacology
• ☆ In vitro Preclinical Toxciology
• ☆ In vivo Preclinical Toxicology
• ☆ Investigational New Drug (IND) Application Consulting
• ☆ Immunotherapy
• ☆ Gene Therapy
• ☆ Medical Sciences

Services

• Writing

Writing Technical Writing, General Proofreading & Editing, Translation

Work Experience

Senior Scientist

HemostOD

September 2022 - November 2025

Chargée de Recherche

Généthon

March 2020 - August 2022

Postdoctoral Scholar/ Assistant Project Scientist

University of California San DIego (UCSD)

September 2011 - February 2020

PostdoctoralResearcher

Royal Holloway University of London

July 2009 - July 2011

Education

PhD Physiology

Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI) - France

September 2005 - February 2009

Certifications

• Good Clinical Practice

  NIDA Clinical Trials Network

  August 2025 - August 2026

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Maxime Ferrand, Céline J. Rocca, Guillaume Corre, Valentina Buffa, Sophie Frin, Francine Garnache-Ottou, Elodie Bôle-Richard, Sonia Albini, Isabelle Richard, Anne Galy (2025). FAP-CAR-T cells reduce dystrophic muscle fibrosis, improving adeno-associated virus gene transfer efficacy . Molecular Therapy Methods & Clinical Development.

Valentina Buffa, José Roberto Alvarez Vargas, Anne Galy, Simone Spinozzi, Céline J. Rocca (2023). Hematopoietic stem and progenitors cells gene editing: Beyond blood disorders . Frontiers in Genome Editing.

Corre, G., Seye, A., Frin, S., Ferrand, M., Winkler, K., Luc, C., Dorange, F., Rocca, C.J., Galy, A.(2022). Lentiviral standards to determine the sensitivity of assays that quantify lentiviral vector copy numbers and genomic insertion sites in cells . Gene Therapy.

(2020). CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Patients with Friedreich's Ataxia . Molecular therapy. Methods & clinical development.

Rocca, C.J., Rainaldi, J.N., Sharma, J., Shi, Y., Haquang, J.H., Luebeck, J., Mali, P., Cherqui, S.(2020). CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Patients with Friedreich's Ataxia . Molecular Therapy - Methods and Clinical Development. 17. p. 1026-1036.

(2019). Interaction between galectin-3 and cystinosin uncovers a pathogenic role of inflammation in kidney involvement of cystinosis . Kidney international.

(2019). Gene Transfer to Mouse Kidney In Vivo . Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.).

Lobry, T., Miller, R., Nevo, N., Rocca, C.J., Zhang, J., Catz, S.D., Moore, F., Thomas, L., Pouly, D., Bailleux, A., et al.(2019). Interaction between galectin-3 and cystinosin uncovers a pathogenic role of inflammation in kidney involvement of cystinosis . Kidney International. 96. (2). p. 350-362.

Rocca, C.J., Cherqui, S.(2019). Potential use of stem cells as a therapy for cystinosis . Pediatric Nephrology. 34. (6). p. 965-973.

(2018). Molecular Evidence of Genome Editing in a Mouse Model of Immunodeficiency . Scientific reports.

(2018). Potential use of stem cells as a therapy for cystinosis . Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany).

Abdul-Razak, H.H., Rocca, C.J., Howe, S.J., Alonso-Ferrero, M.E., Wang, J., Gabriel, R., Bartholomae, C.C., Gan, C.H.V., Garín, M.I., Roberts, A., et al.(2018). Molecular Evidence of Genome Editing in a Mouse Model of Immunodeficiency . Scientific Reports. 8. (1).

Celine J. Rocca, Spencer M. Goodman, Jennifer N. Dulin, Joseph H. Haquang, Ilya Gertsman, Jordan Blondelle, Janell L. M. Smith, Charles J. Heyser, Stephanie Cherqui (2017). Transplantation of wild-type mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells ameliorates deficits in a mouse model of Friedreich’s ataxia . Science Translational Medicine.

Rocca, C.J., Goodman, S.M., Dulin, J.N., Haquang, J.H., Gertsman, I., Blondelle, J., Smith, J.L.M., Heyser, C.J., Cherqui, S.(2017). Transplantation of wild-type mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells ameliorates deficits in a mouse model of Friedreich’s ataxia . Science Translational Medicine. 9. (413).

Zhang, J., Johnson, J.L., He, J., Napolitano, G., Ramadass, M., Rocca, C., Kiosses, W.B., Bucci, C., Xin, Q., Gavathiotis, E., et al.(2017). Cystinosin, the small GTPase Rab11, and the Rab7 effector RILP regulate intracellular trafficking of the chaperone-mediated autophagy receptor LAMP2A . Journal of Biological Chemistry. 292. (25). p. 10328-10346.

Gaide Chevronnay, H.P., Janssens, V., Van Der Smissen, P., Rocca, C.J., Liao, X.H., Refetoff, S., Pierreux, C.E., Cherqui, S., Courtoy, P.J.(2016). Hematopoietic stem cells transplantation can normalize thyroid function in a cystinosis mouse model . Endocrinology. 157. (4). p. 1363-1371.

Rocca, C.J., Soares, D.G., Bouzid, H., Henriques, J.A.P., Larsen, A.K., Escargueil, A.E.(2015). BRCA2 is needed for both repair and cell cycle arrest in mammalian cells exposed to S23906, an anticancer monofunctional DNA binder . Cell Cycle. 14. (13). p. 2080-2090.

Naphade, S., Sharma, J., Gaide Chevronnay, H.P., Shook, M.A., Yeagy, B.A., Rocca, C.J., Ur, S.N., Lau, A.J., Courtoy, P.J., Cherqui, S.(2015). Brief reports: Lysosomal cross-correction by hematopoietic stem cell-derived macrophages via tunneling nanotubes . Stem Cells. 33. (1). p. 301-309.

Napolitano, G., Johnson, J.L., He, J., Rocca, C.J., Monfregola, J., Pestonjamasp, K., Cherqui, S., Catz, S.D.(2015). Impairment of chaperone-mediated autophagy leads to selective lysosomal degradation defects in the lysosomal storage disease cystinosis . EMBO Molecular Medicine. 7. (2). p. 158-174.

Rocca, C.J., Kreymerman, A., Ur, S.N., Frizzi, K.E., Naphade, S., Lau, A., Tran, T., Calcutt, N.A., Goldberg, J.L., Cherqui, S.(2015). Treatment of inherited eye defects by systemic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation . Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 56. (12). p. 7214-7223.

Rocca, C.J., Ur, S.N., Harrison, F., Cherqui, S.(2014). RAAV9 combined with renal vein injection is optimal for kidney-targeted gene delivery: Conclusion of a comparative study . Gene Therapy. 21. (6). p. 618-628.

Harrison, F., Yeagy, B.A., Rocca, C.J., Kohn, D.B., Salomon, D.R., Cherqui, S.(2013). Hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for the multisystemic lysosomal storage disorder cystinosis . Molecular Therapy. 21. (2). p. 433-444.

Johnson, J.L., Napolitano, G., Monfregola, J., Rocca, C.J., Cherqui, S., Catz, S.D.(2013). Upregulation of the Rab27a-Dependent Trafficking and Secretory Mechanisms Improves Lysosomal Transport, Alleviates Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, and Reduces Lysosome Overload in Cystinosis . Molecular and Cellular Biology. 33. (15). p. 2950-2962.

Soares, D.G., Machado, M.S., Rocca, C.J., Poindessous, V., Ouaret, D., Sarasin, A., Galmarini, C.M., Henriques, J.A.P., Escargueil, A.E., Larsen, A.K.(2011). Trabectedin and its C subunit modified analogue PM01183 attenuate nucleotide excision repair and show activity toward platinum-resistant cells . Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. 10. (8). p. 1481-1489.

Soares, D.G., Battistella, A., Rocca, C.J., Matuo, R., Henriques, J.A.P., Larsen, A.K., Escargueil, A.E.(2011). Ataxia telangiectasia mutated- and Rad3-related kinase drives both the early and the late DNA-damage response to the monofunctional antitumour alkylator S23906 . Biochemical Journal. 437. (1). p. 63-73.

Rocca, C.J., Poindessous, V., Soares, D.G., Ouadrani, K.E., Sarasin, A., Guérin, E., de Gramont, A., Henriques, J.A.P., Escargueil, A.E., Larsen, A.K.(2010). The NER proteins XPC and CSB, but not ERCC1, regulate the sensitivity to the novel DNA binder S23906: Implications for recognition and repair of antitumor alkylators . Biochemical Pharmacology. 80. (3). p. 335-343.

PREPRINT

Veenita Khare, Jean Claude Farre, Celine Rocca, Mouad Ait Kbaich, Cynthia Tang, Xuan Ma, Kavya Biederman, Ioli Mathur, Rafael A. Badell- Grau, Anusha Sivakumar, et al. (2025). Cystinosin is involved in Na+/H+ Exchanger 3 trafficking in the proximal tubular cells: new insights in the renal Fanconi syndrome in cystinosis .

BOOK CHAPTER

Rocca, C.J., Cherqui, S.(2019). Gene transfer to mouse kidney in vivo . Methods in Molecular Biology. 1937. p. 227-234.

OTHER

Lobry, T., Miller, R., Nevo, N., Rocca, C.J., Zhang, J., Catz, S.D., Moore, F., Bailleux, A., Guerrera, I.C., Gubler, M.-C., et al.(2018). Cystinosin regulates kidney inflammation through its interaction with galectin-3 . bioRxiv.

BOOK

Rocca, C.J., Abdul-Razak, H.H., Holmes, M.C., Gregory, P.D., Yáñez-Muñoz, R.J.(2014). A southern blot protocol to detect chimeric nuclease-mediated gene repair . Methods in Molecular Biology. 1114. p. 325-338.