Dr Giorgia Cioccoloni

Profile

Dr Giorgia Cioccoloni is a Lecturer in Human Nutrition at the School of Food science and Nutrition. She obtained a BSc in Dietetics and a MSc in Human Nutritional Sciences before going to compleate a PhD in Medical and Surgical sciences at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Aftre her PhD, Dr Cioccoloni joined Thorne’s lab at the University of Leeds as post-doctoral research fellow, working on the impact of nutrition on breast cancer. During her research career she participated in design and conduction of several national and international nutritional driven clinical trials related to obesity, body composition, inflammation and cancer. She also has extensive experience in molecular biology, with particular focus on the molecular mechanisms which link nutrition, obesity, cancer, immune resistance, and the relative translation and personalised medicine applications. Dr Giorgia Cioccoloni previously worked on the Breast Cancer Action Group funded project “Ex vivo co-culture using LDL-C high derived adipocytes, macrophages and fibroblasts to reprogram triple negative breast cancer epithelial cells”. Currently, I am PI of the Breast Cancer UK research project “"Bisphenols and breast cancer risk: Unravelling the role of adipose tissue", and Co-I of the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) research project “Predicting responses to chemotherapy in breast cancer treatment”.

Responsibilities

• Study Abroad Tutor @School of Food Science and Nutrition

Research interests

Bisphenol and breast cancer risk

Dr Cioccoloni is studying how exposure to chemicals called bisphenols, which we often come across in everyday items, might be linked to obesity and the risk of getting breast cancer. We're trying to understand how these chemicals could make changes in the body's fat cells that might help cancer start and grow. Even though there are some guidelines on how much of these chemicals is safe to be exposed to, there's still worry about their effects on health. Bisphenols can affect the body in different ways, some of which might make it easier for cancer to develop. Fat cells can store these chemicals and also play a role in managing the body's fat, which could create an environment that allows breast cancer to start and spread. Our research has two main goals: first, to see how breast cells change after they come into contact with fat cells that have been exposed to bisphenols; and second, to figure out exactly how these changes happen. This research is important because it's going to help us understand more about how bisphenols might make people more likely to get breast cancer. We hope our findings will lead to better ways to prevent and treat breast cancer by shedding light on how these chemicals affect our health.

Obesity and Immune resistance

Another research topics Dr Cioccoloni is studying is the relationship between obesity, cholesterol metabolism and immune resistance in cancer. Immune resistance is common event in cancer biology, where the immune system is not able to arrest cancer onset and proliferation. Several mechanisms are involved in the ability of cancer cells to avoid immune killing. Her research interest is to discover the mechanism of action of obesity and cholesterol metabolism in cancer immune escape. 

Nuclear Receptors, nutrition and Chemotherapy resistance

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype with high incidence of relapse events. These characteristics are related to the peculiar chemotherapy resistance showed in this disease. Nutrients can directly control genes involved in chemotherapy resistance through the activation of nutrient dependent transcription factors. Through their ability to activate the nuclear receptors, nutritional compounds control numerous gene involved in chemotherapy resistance. One of Dr Cioccoloni research theme is to understand how these nutrients affect chemotherapy resistance in TNBC.

Anti-Obesity drugs and cancer 

Anti-obesity drugs are new treaments used to induce weight loss. We are still unsure on the effect of these drugs can have in the risk to develop cancer or if they interfere with cancer treatment. In this context, Dr Cioccoloni research is focused on the role anti-obesity drugs in TNBC onset, progression and treatment.

• Bisphenols and breast cancer risk: Unravelling the role of adipose tissue

Qualifications

• BSc in Dietetics
• MSc in Human Nutritional Sciences
• PhD in Clinical Nutrition and Nutrigenomics

Student education

I am module leader for FOOD1050 – Elements of Human Nutrition and FOOD1150- Principles of Human Physiology and Nutrition 

I contribute in teaching for the modules Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease (FOOD2160, FOOD2165), Nutrition and Cancer (FOOD5340M, FOOD3340), Nutritional Issues in the Life Cycle (FOOD2201) and Nutrition Through the Lifecourse (FOOD5515M)

Current postgraduate researchers

• Alex Rzeszutek

Projects

<li><a href="//phd.leeds.ac.uk/project/1681-exploring-the-role-of-obesity-in-cancer-immune-resistance">Exploring the role of obesity in cancer immune resistance</a></li>