A Scientist Focused on What Helps Patients
Dr. Flavia Pichiorri has spent much of her career asking one core question: how can discoveries in the lab help patients faster?
Based in Los Angeles, she works at the intersection of translational science and clinical research, focusing on blood cancers such as multiple myeloma and acute leukemia. Her work explores therapeutic targets like CD38 and CD84, as well as radiation-based treatment strategies designed to improve patient outcomes.
But her path into cancer research did not start in a hospital or a lab. It began in the Roman countryside.
“I grew up riding horses every morning before school,” she recalls. “That environment taught me discipline and focus very early in life.”
Those lessons would later shape the way she approaches science.
Growing Up in Rome: Discipline and Curiosity
Pichiorri was born in Rome in 1974 and grew up in a family deeply connected to analytical fields. Her mother worked in statistics and organizational science. Her father was a mechanical engineer who worked on large industrial projects across Europe and the Middle East.
The home environment valued structure and problem solving. But her childhood also included long hours outdoors.
She spent years living near the historic Appia Antica, an ancient Roman road lined with archaeological ruins. Before school, she often rode horses through the surrounding countryside. She also competed in show jumping for nearly twenty years.
“That experience taught me resilience,” she says. “In science, just like in riding, you have to stay focused and keep moving forward even when things don’t go as planned.”
From Classical Studies to Molecular Biology
Pichiorri’s academic path began with classical literature. In high school she studied Latin and Greek, which sharpened her analytical thinking.
Later, she shifted toward science at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, where she studied molecular biology and biochemistry. She earned a master’s degree in Biochemistry and Enzymology in 1999, graduating with top honors.
Her early research focused on enzyme polymorphisms and protein interactions. She trained on advanced biochemical techniques such as circular dichroism spectroscopy, FPLC, and HPLC.
Soon after graduating, she joined the Italian National Research Council, where she began studying growth factors that influence the growth of multiple myeloma cells.
That work introduced her to the disease that would define much of her scientific career.
“At the time, patients with multiple myeloma often survived only a short period after diagnosis,” she explains. “There was a huge need to understand the biology of the disease.”
Moving to the United States for Cancer Research
In the early 2000s, Pichiorri joined research teams in the United States. She worked at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and later at The Ohio State University, where she completed doctoral research on tumor suppressor genes and cancer biology.
Her studies explored fragile site genes and the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor development.
During this period she helped develop a diagnostic assay based on Clusterin, a circulating biomarker for colon cancer detection.
The project led to a patented screening method and early clinical applications.
But the turning point in her career came during her postdoctoral research.
A Breakthrough in Multiple Myeloma Research
After finishing her PhD, Pichiorri focused on understanding how multiple myeloma cells evolve and survive.
Her research revealed that the disease is influenced not only by genetic mutations but also by epigenetic changes driven by oncogenic pathways such as c-Myc.
The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The paper quickly became one of the most cited publications in its field.
“It showed that plasma cell degeneration is not just about genetic mutations,” she says. “Epigenetic regulation also plays a major role.”
The discovery helped open new paths for therapeutic research.
Building Translational Research Programs
In 2011, Pichiorri launched her independent research career as an assistant professor in internal medicine. She received several major grants and began leading translational programs focused on new therapies for blood cancers.
Her work helped advance clinical development of AR-42 (REC-2282), an HDAC inhibitor studied for hematologic malignancies.
She also contributed to research on oncolytic viral therapy, including Pelareorep, designed to target cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.
“In translational research, the goal is always the same,” she says. “You move ideas from the laboratory to the clinic, and then back again to refine them.”
Advancing CD38 and CD84 Targeted Therapies
In 2016, Pichiorri joined City of Hope, where she expanded her research programs and secured multiple federal grants.
Her team developed new antibody-based therapies targeting CD38, a protein widely expressed on myeloma cells. Some of these therapies combine antibodies with radioactive isotopes to deliver targeted treatment directly to cancer cells.
The work has already led to clinical trials in multiple myeloma and acute leukemia.
Her group also identified CD84 as a therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia, leading to the development of an antibody later licensed to a biotechnology company.
Another project involves a single-chain CD38-directed T-cell engager, a therapeutic approach designed to help immune cells recognize and destroy leukemia stem cells.
A Philosophy Centered on Scientific Rigor
Despite a long list of grants, publications, and clinical programs, Pichiorri measures success in a different way.
“I rarely dwell on success,” she says. “In science it can be fleeting.”
Instead, she focuses on the durability of scientific findings.
“True scientific value comes when results stand the test of time,” she explains. “It takes patience and careful validation.”
She believes meaningful progress often requires challenging established thinking.
“Scientific progress relies on questioning assumptions,” she says. “That is how new knowledge is created.”
Looking Ahead
Today, Pichiorri continues working on translational therapies targeting CD38, CD84, and radiation-based treatments for blood cancers.
Her research spans laboratory experiments, animal models, and early-phase clinical trials. The goal remains the same: bring new treatments to patients who need them.
Outside the lab, she finds balance in hiking, gardening, horseback riding, and writing about science.
During demanding periods, she keeps her priorities simple.
“During times of change, I focus on what I value most,” she says. “Writing science and being present with my family.”
For Pichiorri, curiosity remains the driving force.
“Each day brings new questions,” she says. “Staying engaged with those questions is what keeps science moving forward.”
