News
1 October 2025
RNA symposium speaker spotlight - Selected Flash Talks
Adriano Setti
Computational biologist at the department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin,” Sapienza University of Rome
Adriano Setti is currently a computational biologist at the Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin,” Sapienza University of Rome. His work focuses on RNA biology, particularly in the fields of cancer and neurodegeneration. He primarily investigates the roles of long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs in the regulation of gene expression, the interplay of low-complexity repeats in shaping RNA–RNA interactions, and alterations in RNA granule dynamics in neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, he is studying the role of tRNA modification in the regulation of translational accuracy in cancer.
Rastislav Horos
Chief Technology Officer at Hummingbird Diagnostics, Heidelberg, Germany
Dr. Rastislav Horos is the Chief Technology Officer at Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH. He has a proven track record in designing and delivering successful innovative approaches to better understanding fundamental biology and disease pathogenesis. His area of expertise lies in NGS, small RNA biochemistry, assay development and biomarker discovery from liquid biopsies. Prior to joining Hummingbird, Rastislav worked as a postdoctoral fellow then staff scientist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, where he specialized in autophagy, metabolism, small RNA biology and RNA-protein complexes biochemistry. Rastislav earned his D.V.M. degree from the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice, Slovakia and completed his Ph.D. in molecular hematology at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Diana Piol
Senior Researcher at the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Padova and Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine
Diana Piol is a Senior Researcher at the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Padova and Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM). She obtained in 2014 the Master degree in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology and in 2018 a PhD in Biomolecular Sciences at the University of Trento. Afterwards, she moved to Belgium to pursue a postdoctoral training at VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research to expand her expertise on the mechanisms leading to axonal degeneration and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) denervation, early pathological events of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases. After securing an ERC Starting Grant and the STARS Grant from the University of Padova, she moved back to Italy in 2025 to study synaptic and axonal mechanisms involved in the development of motor neuron diseases, including ALS and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). In particular, she is interested in understanding how hormones influence local translation and their role in the preservation of the NMJ. Her research aims to facilitate the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for motor neuron diseases by integrating in vitro and in vivo experimental models with advanced spatial ‘omics and single-cell sequencing technologies.