Serena Donadio

Serena Donadio obtained her M.Sc. in Bioengineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy. Her research focuses on spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapies for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Recently awarded an SMA Foundation fellowship, she explores innovative neurostimulation strategies to advance motor control and improve outcomes for individuals with neurological disorder.

  • Prat-Ortega, G., Ensel, S., Donadio, S., Borda, L., Boos, A., Yadav, P., Verma, N., Ho, J., Carranza, E., Frazier-Kim, S., Fields, D.P., Fisher, L.E., Weber, D.J., Balzer, J., Duong, T., Weinstein, S.D., Eliasson, M.J.L., Montes, J., Chen, K.S., Clemens, P.R., Gerszten, P., Mentis, G.Z., Pirondini, E., Friedlander, R.M., & Capogrosso, M. (2025). First-in-human study of epidural spinal cord stimulation in individuals with spinal muscular atrophy. Nat Med, 31(4), 1246-1256.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-03484-8.
  • Simon, C.M., DelestrĂ©e, N., Montes, J., Sowoidnich, L., Gerstner, F., Carranza, E., Buettner, J.M., Pagiazitis, J.G., Prat-Ortega, G., Ensel, S., Donadio, S., Dreilich, V., Carlini, M.J., Garcia, J.L., Kratimenos, P., Chung, W.K., Sumner, C.J., Weimer, L.H., Pirondini, E., Capogrosso, M., Pellizzoni, L., De Vivo, D.C., & Mentis, G.Z. (2025). Proprioceptive synaptic dysfunction is a key feature in mice and humans with spinal muscular atrophy. Brain, 148(8), 2797-2811.Oxford University Press (OUP). doi: 10.1093/brain/awaf074.
  • Capogrosso, M., Balaguer, J.M., Prat-Ortega, G., Verma, N., Yadav, P., Sorensen, E., de Freitas, R., Ensel, S., Borda, L., Donadio, S., Liang, L., Ho, J., Damiani, A., Grigsby, E., Fields, D., Gonzalez-Martinez, J., Gerszten, P., Weber, D., & Pirondini, E. (2024). Supraspinal control of motoneurons after paralysis enabled by spinal cord stimulation. Res Sq, rs.3.rs-3650257.Research Square Platform. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3650257/v1.
  • Simon, C.M., Delestree, N., Montes, J., Gerstner, F., Carranza, E., Sowoidnich, L., Buettner, J.M., Pagiazitis, J.G., Prat-Ortega, G., Ensel, S., Donadio, S., Garcia, J.L., Kratimenos, P., Chung, W.K., Sumner, C.J., Weimer, L.H., Pirondini, E., Capogrosso, M., Pellizzoni, L., De Vivo, D.C., & Mentis, G.Z. (2024). Dysfunction of proprioceptive sensory synapses is a pathogenic event and therapeutic target in mice and humans with spinal muscular atrophy. medRxiv, 2024.06.03.24308132.Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2024.06.03.24308132.
  • Balaguer, J.M., Prat-Ortega, G., Verma, N., Yadav, P., Sorensen, E., de Freitas, R., Ensel, S., Borda, L., Donadio, S., Liang, L., Ho, J., Damiani, A., Grigsby, E., Fields, D.P., Gonzalez-Martinez, J.A., Gerszten, P.C., Fisher, L.E., Weber, D.J., Pirondini, E., & Capogrosso, M. (2023). SUPRASPINAL CONTROL OF MOTONEURONS AFTER PARALYSIS ENABLED BY SPINAL CORD STIMULATION. medRxiv, 2023.11.29.23298779.Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2023.11.29.23298779.
Research Interests
Neurosciences
headshot of Serena Donadio
Contact Serena Donadio
Researcher Graduate Student
SED157@pitt.edu
Bioengineering Department