Welcome to the Falcone Lab
We study the functions of astrocytes across evolution and the development of the cerebral cortex in mammals — from mouse to primate.
What we value
- Open science
- Equal access to opportunities
- Inclusive work environment
- Good work-life balance
- Constructive criticism
- Teamwork & collaboration
- Scientific challenges
Carmen Falcone, PhD
Principal Investigator
Carmen received her PhD in Functional and Structural Genomics from SISSA in 2017, studying the mechanisms regulating astrocyte development in mouse. She then moved to UC Davis for her postdoc, investigating astrocyte evolution and development across mammals, and began her focus on interlaminar astrocytes (ILAs) — a special type of cortical astrocyte with a cell body in layer I and long, branched processes crossing several cortical layers. In 2022 she became Group Leader at SISSA, and in 2025 she became an Assistant Professor at Towson University, where she moved her lab. Her lab currently focuses on astrocyte roles in the primate brain, and on understanding cortical astrocyte roles in the evolution, development, and pathology of the mammalian brain.
cfalcone@towson.edu
Elena Christou
Undergraduate student researcher
Elena is a senior undergraduate student in the Honors College at Towson University, studying biology with a focus on cellular, molecular, and organismal physiology. Passionate about medicine, she works as a medical assistant in a dermatology office. She joined the lab in August 2025 and is investigating the effect of lesion-induced damage on radial glial morphology and reactive gliosis in the cerebral cortex of turtle brains.
Kyle Hastings
Undergraduate student researcher
Kyle is a sophomore undergraduate student in the Honors College at Towson University on the pre-med path, studying biology. He is investigating varicose-projection glia in self-regenerating planaria under neuroinflammation. Outside the lab, he represents the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics in the Towson SGA, plays for Towson club tennis, and enjoys drawing & painting.
Anh Quynh Nguyen Do
Undergraduate student researcher
Anh Quynh is an international student at Towson University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, with plans to become a pediatric nurse. She is curious about how cellular lesions can lead to brain disease. Outside academics, she loves traveling and experiencing local culture around the world.
Alyssa Geddie
Undergraduate student researcher
Alyssa is a junior undergraduate student studying Biology with a concentration in Secondary Education at Towson University, and a member of the Honors College. Her interest in neuroscience stems from a birth injury known as Erb's Palsy. She joined the lab in December 2025.
Prasiddika Thapaliya
Undergraduate student researcher
Prasiddika is a sophomore Biology major on the pre-med track with a Psychology minor. She is especially interested in astrocytes and how they support overall brain function, with a long-term goal of becoming a neurosurgeon.
Gaia Montecchi
Undergraduate student researcher
Gaia is a sophomore international student at Towson University majoring in Biology with a concentration in Cellular, Molecular, and Organismal Physiology, minoring in Psychology, and on the pre-med track. Outside the lab, she volunteers at the infusion center at Saint Joseph Medical Centre and co-captains the Towson University tennis team.
Jake Shaheen
Undergraduate student researcher
Description coming soon.
Collaborators
We are lucky to collaborate with brilliant and fun researchers across the world.
Bruno Mota, PhD
Professor at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Francesco Petrelli, PhD
Research associate at University of Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland)
Chiara Magliaro, PhD
Assistant professor at Centro E. Piaggio, University of Pisa (Pisa, Italy)
Nina Patzke, PhD
Professor at Health and Medical University, Potsdam (Potsdam, Germany)
Carmen Muñoz Ballester
Assistant Professor at UMBC (Baltimore, USA)
Giuliano Taccola, PhD
Associate professor at SISSA (Trieste, Italy)
Jean-Marie Graïc, PhD
Assistant professor at University of Padua (Padua, Italy)
Nunzio Iraci, PhD
Associate professor at University of Catania (Catania, Italy)
Laura Civiero, PhD
Associate professor at University of Padua (Padua, Italy)
Alumni
Research
Research projects
Unraveling the functions of Interlaminar Astrocytes in the primate brain
Among the different types of cortical astrocytes, interlaminar astrocytes (ILAs) are a subset of GFAP+ astrocytes with singular morphological traits: a cell body in the most marginal layer of the cerebral cortex (layer I), very close to the pia, and long interlaminar processes running into deeper cortical layers — reaching layer V in humans. All mammals have some type of ILA, but primates are distinctive in their density, morphology, and molecular markers. Great apes and humans exhibit the most complex ILAs, supporting the hypothesis that they contribute to the exceptional cognitive abilities of the primate brain through specific, yet-to-be-investigated functions. This project investigates ILA function at the molecular, cellular, circuit, and behavioral level, using postmortem human brains and chimeric mouse models.
Astrocyte Evolution and Development
The central nervous system shows incredible diversity across evolution at the anatomical, cellular, molecular, and functional level. While neuronal cell number and heterogeneity have been rigorously studied in comparative neuroscience, astrocytes play equally pivotal roles — regulating water and ion homeostasis, exchanging nutrients across the blood-brain barrier, and regulating synapse development and function. This project investigates the morphology, density, development, and function of astrocytes across a broad range of mammals.
News
Latest updates
Carmen Falcone joins Towson University
Carmen became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Towson University (Towson, MD, USA), where she has relocated the lab.
Giulio got his Master's Degree in Neuroscience
We are proud to celebrate Giulio's master's degree in Neuroscience. We are also very lucky to keep having him in our lab as a PhD student starting November 2023!
Our lab's first paper is online!
Our very first paper is online! We published a protocol for immunofluorescence on challenging brain tissues from different species and preparations.
Read moreEuropean Glia Meeting in Berlin
Our postdoc Caterina Ciani presented our first lab results at the XVI European Meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease in Berlin.
“Astrocytes: the true stars of the brain”
We discussed our research with a non-scientific public at the Urban Center in Trieste.
Welcome Giulio Pistorio to the lab!
Giulio joined our lab for his Master's thesis in Neuroscience, working on a comparative study of astrocyte morphology and distribution across mammalian species.
Caterina Ciani selected for the IBRO-ICPBR Virtual Primate Neurobiology Course
Congratulations to our postdoc Caterina Ciani on this achievement.
“Don't call me a returning brain”
An interview with Dr. Carmen Falcone, by SISSA.
First HT Early Career Fellows
Announcement of the first Human Technopole Early Career Fellowship winners.
Carmen Falcone returns to SISSA
Carmen Falcone was announced among the first fellows of the Early Career Fellowship Program, returning to SISSA to develop her project.
1 million euro awarded for research
Mirko Cortese and Carmen Falcone were awarded 1 million euro for their research projects.
Gallery
Life in the lab
Department of Biological Sciences
Towson University
8000 York Road
Towson, MD 21252, USA