The Team

Samuele G. Marro, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He received his early training as a molecular biologist in the field of iron metabolism before shifting his focus to neuroscience. He pioneered the reprogramming of fibroblasts and other somatic cells into induced neuronal cells (iN cells), contributing to establish a foundational method for generating human neurons. His research focuses on modeling neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and gene editing technologies. He has developed widely adopted protocols for deriving human neurons and other brain cell types from iPSCs, and his lab integrates stem cell–based models and CRISPR tools to investigate disease mechanisms and explore therapeutic strategies. He is also the Director of the Stem Cell Engineering Core at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Ruiqi Hu, PhD, Assistant Scientist: Dr. Hu has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications employing stem cell–based approaches. She is a trained neurobiologist specializing in iPSCs, neuronal differentiation, and three-dimensional neuronal organoid cultures. Following completion of her postdoctoral training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, she was promoted to Assistant Scientist. Her expertise also includes epigenetic profiling, high-throughput sequencing, neuronal imaging, and in vivo mouse work, including handling and surgical procedures.

Genevieve Smith, Research Assistant: Genevieve is a neuroscience researcher with expertise in molecular biology, gene editing, and computational analysis. She earned her BS in Neuroscience from Mercer University, where she conducted undergraduate research focused on neuroinflammation, neurodegenerative disease mechanisms, and neuronal reprogramming.