Sergio Lembo

After my internship, I remained attached to INiTS, and I continued being an occasional, on-call external collaborator. During that time, I supported early-stage startup funders by being a consultant over tailored workshops and 1:1 sessions. Additionally, I kept providing strategic feedback to A2B grant applications and interviews.

At ISTA, I lead multi-year research programs in immunology and cell therapy, investigating how innate immune memory shapes dendritic cell and macrophage behavior. I define scientific roadmaps, drive execution within an interdisciplinary environment, and establish new experimental workflows and research pipelines. I also oversaw operational and equipment spending within a €200K research budget, contributing to resource prioritization and operational planning. Finally, I serve as a peer reviewer for journal

During my internship at INiTS, I supported 10+ early-stage life science ventures within the incubation and acceleration programs, working with founders to refine their value proposition, prepare for funding applications, assess their initial market–technology fit, and contribute to preliminary IP strategy discussions. I reviewed A2B grant applications, thereby contributing to several successful funding outcomes. Additionally, I implemented INiTS’ biomedical asset evaluation workflow, enabling 2 ventures t

During my PhD at EMBL, I led interdisciplinary research projects at the interface of mechanobiology, stem cell biology, and synthetic biology. I coordinated collaborations across five international laboratories (France, Germany, UK, USA), aligning experimental design, milestones, and data integration across teams. This work resulted in multiple high-impact publications and the development of novel mechano-sensitive protein systems with potential translational relevance. In parallel, I presented findings at

I co-led an independent research project focused on characterizing a conditional vinculin knockout mouse model to investigate how mechanical signaling regulates hair follicle stem cell behavior. I Designed a hypothesis-driven experimental strategy in close coordination with the principal investigator, integrating in vivo genetics, surgical model establishment, histological analysis, and advanced imaging techniques. I managed mouse colony operations and experimental timelines to ensure robust data generation

Training program focused on biotechnology commercialization, venture creation, and investment evaluation.

Selective advanced training program in cell biology and physiology combining intensive coursework and experimental research.

European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) international PhD program. Joint PhD between EMBL and Heidelberg University.

Master thesis conducted at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, a leading research institute in India.