PhD Top Story - July 2026

PhD Programme in Industrial Engineering

Originally from Puglia and now pursuing my research journey in Trieste, my PhD path is driven by the ambition to contribute to the development of new strategies for cancer diagnosis and treatment through a strongly interdisciplinary approach.

My research activity, carried out under the supervision of Professor Sabrina Pricl, focuses on the use of High-Performance Computing (HPC) and advanced experimental techniques to investigate complex systems for nanomedicine and biomedical engineering applications. My work specifically focuses on the computational investigation of anticancer drugs and engineered nanosystems, with the aim of predicting their behavior and biological interactions during the earliest stages of therapeutic development.

Through advanced molecular simulations and high-performance computational approaches, it is possible to analyze drug pharmacodynamics, namely how therapeutic compounds are transported, distributed, and recognized within the biological environment before reaching the tumor site.

This represents one of the most innovative aspects of my research. While many studies mainly focus on the direct interaction between a drug and the tumor mass, my approach investigates the preliminary stages of biological targeting, which are crucial for understanding the real therapeutic effectiveness of a treatment and optimizing its delivery. The final goal is to contribute to the development of increasingly precise, targeted, and personalized therapies.
 

Figure 1. Anna Laura la Monaca, Phd Student in Industrial Engineering. On the right, AIChE Annual Meeting Conference – Boston 2025.

Another central aspect of my research concerns the engineering of functionalized nanoparticles employed as contrast agents for image-based diagnostic techniques such as the postitron emission tomography, commonly known as PET.

These advanced nanosystems can significantly improve the quality of diagnostic imaging by enhancing the definition of tumor regions and their margins. A more accurate tumor localization may support the development of more effective and less invasive therapeutic strategies.

My research also includes a strong experimental component based on advanced spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques, which are used to characterize the physicochemical properties of the investigated systems and validate the results obtained through HPC simulations. The integration of computational and experimental approaches is a key element in the development of reliable and translationally relevant models.
 

Figure 2. On the left, a rendering of the interaction between albumin molecules and a nanocarrier within the bloodstream. On the right, a simulation of a nanoparticle approaching and interacting with the cell membrane.

An important part of my training path will also include a research period abroad in Marseille, where I will further specialize in nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy, two powerful techniques for the structural and dynamic investigation of biomolecules. This international experience will further strengthen the integration between simulation, theoretical modeling, and experimental validation.

By combining supercomputing, nanomedicine, and advanced experimental methodologies, this research contributes to the development of next-generation technologies for personalized medicine, with potential future applications in early cancer diagnosis and targeted therapeutic intervention.

List of authors and affiliations:
Anna Laura La Monaca(1), Sabrina Pricl(1,2)
(1) Molecular Biology and Nanotecnhnology Laboratory (MoIBNL@UniTs), Department of Engineering and Architecture (DEA), University of Trieste, Via Valerio 6/A, 34127 Trieste, Italy
(2) Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Ul. Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Łódź, Poland

Contacts:
Anna Laura la Monaca annalaura.lamonaca@phd.units.it
Sabrina Pricl sabrina.pricl@dia.units.it

Work reference:
Anna Laura la Monaca et al., ‘’Ipatasertib binding to human serum albumin: An integrated multi-technique perspective”, Journal of Molecular Liquids, Volume 457, Pag. 129686, DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2026.129686 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2026.129686