In one sense, Marcella Birtele is following in her father’s footsteps: he works as an electrician in Italy, and she studies the electrophysiology of the brain as a postdoctoral fellow in Giorgia Quadrato’s lab at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC.

“When I have doubts about resistance or problems with electricity for my experiments, I talk with [my dad] and get input about that. The basic principles are similar,” said Birtele, who was recently awarded a Choi Family Postdoctoral Fellowship, which provides support to recruit exceptional postdoctoral fellows to USC Stem Cell laboratories.

In another sense, she is venturing into uncharted territory as the first person in her family who earned a PhD. The granddaughter of farmers, Birtele grew up in the small town of Grezzana in an agricultural area of Italy, best known for its wine and Prosecco.

To read more, visit https://stemcell.keck.usc.edu/marcella-birtele-choi-fellow.