Elisabetta Colombo graduated in Physics of Advanced Technologies at the University of Torino in 2005. From 2005 to 2008 she specialized in materials characterization techniques and carbon based materials properties during the PhD at the Experimental Physics Department at the University of Torino. She worked as post-doc fellow in the following two/three years at the Electron Devices and Circuits Department at the University of Ulm in Germany: there she designed, fabricated and tested HFCVD diamond sensors for drug-screening and bio-chemical applications, constantly interacting with neuroscientists and clinical groups. Back to Italy, with an improved background in electrochemistry and cleanroom fabrication technologies, she worked in the private sector for a couple of years, focusing first on solar cells technologies, and subsequently on radar and navigation systems. She was then post-doc fellow at the NSYN Center of IIT in Genova, where she focused her research on the development and characterization of photosensitive neural interfaces. At IIT, her main activity was related to a novel retinal device based on photovoltaic conjugated polymers able to modulate neuronal activity upon illumination at the level of membrane potential in cultured neurons, or more complex neuronal networks like retina explants. Following up on this project, she was involved in different interdisciplinary projects deputed to the development of light-sensitive neurostimulation tools from the fabrication, to the in vitro testing, to the final application in vivo.
Now, she is Technologist at the Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN) of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, where she coordinates and leads the technological development of light-driven neural interfaces, with a specific focus on retinal prosthetics and vision restoration strategies. In this role, she provides strategic technical leadership and advanced know-how across the full innovation pipeline, from materials design and device fabrication to in vitro and in vivo validation, supporting the translation of photostimulation therapies toward preclinical and clinical applications. She leads and supervises researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and students fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and ensuring scientific and technological integration across projects. In parallel, she is Principal Investigator of different project within retinal prosthetics and since recently of an AIRC Investigator Grant focused on the application of light-activated neurointerfaces to glioblastoma, addressing tumor-associated network dysfunction and exploring novel therapeutic photostimulation strategies. She also plays a key role in the design, optimization, and management of experimental platforms and core facilities at NSYN, enabling multidisciplinary projects and supporting national and international collaborative research programs.
