Professor Mariaelena Pierobon

MD, MPH

School of Medicine and Population Health

Professor of Applied Molecular Oncology

Mariaelena Pierobon
Mariaelena Pierobon
Profile picture of Mariaelena Pierobon
m.pierobon@sheffield.ac.uk
DU37, D Floor, The Medical School

Full contact details

Professor Mariaelena Pierobon
School of Medicine and Population Health
DU37, D Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
Qualifications

Medical Degree Universita’ degli Studi di Padova (Padova, Italy)
Master’s in Public Health George Mason University (Fairfax, VA, USA)

Research interests

My research programme focuses on the molecular mechanisms that shape tumour progression and therapeutic resistance, with the aim of identifying vulnerabilities that can be used to improve treatment options for patients with advanced and hard‑to‑treat malignancies. I integrate mechanistic cancer biology, functional proteomics, and multi‑omic approaches to define how oncogenic signalling networks malfunction and how these alterations can be used to inform therapeutic strategies.

A consistent feature of my programme is its translational orientation. Findings generated in the laboratory are evaluated in clinical settings through biomarker‑driven patient stratification, functional profiling of patient samples, and studies that connect molecular mechanisms with therapeutic response. This approach has supported clinical investigations across several cancer types and has contributed to work on treatment resistance, adaptive signalling, and precision‑guided therapy selection.

Research themes include:

  • Overcoming therapeutic resistance in breast cancer: defining mechanisms of CDK4/6 inhibitor resistance and developing strategies to counter them in HR+/HER2‑ disease.
  • Decoding oncogenic protein dysfunction: mapping non-canonical functions, protein-protein interactions, and isoform dynamics of dysregulated oncogenic proteins, with a focus on how overexpressed oncoproteins lose canonical activity and adopt scaffolding roles in alternative cellular compartments, and how these behaviours shift therapeutic strategies from inhibition to targeted degradation.
  • Preventing lineage plasticity: identifying windows of vulnerability that can be targeted to block phenotypic switching and tumour evolution.
  • Integrating functional signalling analysis into precision medicine: using proteomic and signalling network profiling of patient samples within multi-omic frameworks to guide clinical decision making and improve patient stratification and therapeutic selection.
Publications

Journal articles

  • Drizyte-Miller K, Engstrom LD, Klomp JA, Stalnecker CA, Stamey AG, Taylor KE, Roach MK, Robb R, Waters LM, Calinisan A , Degan S et al (2025) . Cancer Research, 85(18), 3540-3557.
  • El Gazzah E, Parker S & Pierobon M (2025) . Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 25(5), 165-181.
  • Prasad D, Baldelli E, Blais EM, Davis J, El Gazzah E, Mueller C, Gomeiz A, Ibrahim A, Newrekar AV, Corgiat BA , Dunetz R et al (2024) . British Journal of Cancer, 131(9), 1543-1554.
  • Klomp JE, Diehl JN, Klomp JA, Edwards AC, Yang R, Morales AJ, Taylor KE, Drizyte-Miller K, Bryant KL, Schaefer A , Johnson JL et al (2024) . Science, 384(6700).
  • Blas PE, Rodriguez ESR, Williams HL, Levin MK, Bell JSK, Pierobon M, Barrett AS, Petricoin EF & O'Shaughnessy JA (2024) . Cancer Reports, 7(3).
  • Hunt AL, Bateman NW, Barakat W, Makohon-Moore SC, Abulez T, Driscoll JA, Schaaf JP, Hood BL, Conrads KA, Zhou M , Calvert V et al (2024) . Clinical Proteomics, 21(1).
  • Schaefer A, Hodge RG, Zhang H, Hobbs GA, Dilly J, Huynh MV, Goodwin CM, Zhang F, Diehl JN, Pierobon M , Baldelli E et al (2023) . Science Signaling, 16(816).
  • Pierobon M & Petricoin EF (2023) . Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 23(12), 1057-1059.
  • Wood K, Nussbaum D, Martz C, Waters A, Barrera A, Rutter J, Cerda-Smith C, Stewart A, Wu C, Cakir M , Levandowski C et al (2023) .
  • Goodwin CM, Waters AM, Klomp JE, Javaid S, Bryant KL, Stalnecker CA, Drizyte-Miller K, Papke B, Yang R, Amparo AM , Ozkan-Dagliyan I et al (2023) . Cancer Research, 83(1), 141-157.
  • Soltis AR, Bateman NW, Liu J, Nguyen T, Franks TJ, Zhang X, Dalgard CL, Viollet C, Somiari S, Yan C , Zeman K et al (2022) . Cell Reports Medicine, 3(11), 100819-100819.
  • Baldelli E, Mandarano M, Bellezza G, Petricoin EF & Pierobon M (2022) . Cell Reports Methods, 2(8), 100271-100271.
  • Huynh MV, Hobbs GA, Schaefer A, Pierobon M, Carey LM, Diehl JN, DeLiberty JM, Thurman RD, Cooke AR, Goodwin CM , Cook JH et al (2022) . Science Signaling, 15(746).
  • Javaid S, Schaefer A, Goodwin CM, Nguyen VV, Massey FL, Pierobon M, Gambrell-Sanders D, Waters AM, Lambert KN, Diehl JN , Hobbs GA et al (2022) . Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 21(5), 762-774.
  • Stalnecker CA, Grover KR, Edwards AC, Coleman MF, Yang R, DeLiberty JM, Papke B, Goodwin CM, Pierobon M, Petricoin EF , Gautam P et al (2022) . Cancer Research, 82(4), 586-598.
  • Naeem A, Harish V, Coste S, Parasido EM, Choudhry MU, Kromer LF, Ihemelandu C, Petricoin EF, Pierobon M, Noon MS , Yenugonda VM et al (2022) . Molecular Cancer Research, 20(1), 114-126.
  • Pierobon M, Robert NJ, Northfelt DW, Jahanzeb M, Wong S, Hodge KA, Baldelli E, Aldrich J, Craig DW, Liotta LA , Avramovic S et al (2022) . Molecular Oncology, 16(1), 104-115.
  • Klomp JE, Lee YS, Goodwin CM, Papke B, Klomp JA, Waters AM, Stalnecker CA, DeLiberty JM, Drizyte-Miller K, Yang R , Diehl JN et al (2021) . Cell Reports, 37(9), 110060-110060.
  • Diehl JN, Klomp JE, Snare KR, Hibshman PS, Blake DR, Kaiser ZD, Gilbert TSK, Baldelli E, Pierobon M, Papke B , Yang R et al (2021) . Journal of Biological Chemistry, 297(5), 101335-101335.
  • Baldelli E, Hodge KA, Bellezza G, Shah NJ, Gambara G, Sidoni A, Mandarano M, Ruhunusiri C, Dunetz B, Abu-Khalaf M , Wulfkuhle J et al (2021) . Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 9(10), e002179-e002179.
  • Codrich M, Dalla E, Mio C, Antoniali G, Malfatti MC, Marzinotto S, Pierobon M, Baldelli E, Di Loreto C, Damante G , Terrosu G et al (2021) . Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, 40(1).
  • Hunt AL, Bateman NW, Barakat W, Makohon-Moore S, Hood BL, Conrads KA, Zhou M, Calvert V, Pierobon M, Loffredo J , Litzi TJ et al (2021) . iScience, 24(7), 102757-102757.
  • Zhao X, Kim I, Kallakury B, Chahine JJ, Iwama E, Pierobon M, Petricoin E, McCutcheon JN, Zhang Y, Umemura S , Chen V et al (2021) . Molecular Oncology, 15(4), 1130-1145.
  • Ozkan-Dagliyan I, Diehl JN, George SD, Schaefer A, Papke B, Klotz-Noack K, Waters AM, Goodwin CM, Gautam P, Pierobon M , Peng S et al (2020) . Cell Reports, 31(11), 107764-107764.
  • Hunt AL, Pierobon M, Baldelli E, Oliver J, Mitchell D, Gist G, Bateman NW, Larry Maxwell G, Petricoin EF & Conrads TP (2020) . Clinical Proteomics, 17(1).
  • Zhang H, Schaefer A, Wang Y, Hodge RG, Blake DR, Diehl JN, Papageorge AG, Stachler MD, Liao J, Zhou J , Wu Z et al (2020) . Cancer Discovery, 10(2), 288-305.
  • Hallin J, Engstrom LD, Hargis L, Calinisan A, Aranda R, Briere DM, Sudhakar N, Bowcut V, Baer BR, Ballard JA , Burkard MR et al (2020) . Cancer Discovery, 10(1), 54-71.
  • Hobbs GA, Baker NM, Miermont AM, Thurman RD, Pierobon M, Tran TH, Anderson AO, Waters AM, Diehl JN, Papke B , Hodge RG et al (2020) . Cancer Discovery, 10(1), 104-123.
  • Tew BY, Legendre C, Schroeder MA, Triche T, Gooden GC, Huang Y, Butry L, Ma DJ, Johnson K, Martinez RA , Pierobon M et al (2020) . Neuro-Oncology, 22(1), 70-83.
  • Ponnusamy S, Asemota S, Schwartzberg LS, Guestini F, McNamara KM, Pierobon M, Font-Tello A, Qiu X, Xie Y, Rao PK , Thiyagarajan T et al (2019) . iScience, 21, 341-358.
  • Parasido E, Avetian GS, Naeem A, Graham G, Pishvaian M, Glasgow E, Mudambi S, Lee Y, Ihemelandu C, Choudhry M , Peran I et al (2019) . Molecular Cancer Research, 17(9), 1815-1827.
  • Nadella S, Burks J, Huber M, Wang J, Cao H, Kallakury B, Tucker RD, Boca SM, Jermusyck A, Collins I , Vietsch EE et al (2019) . Pancreas, 48(7), 894-903.
  • Bryant KL, Stalnecker CA, Zeitouni D, Klomp JE, Peng S, Tikunov AP, Gunda V, Pierobon M, Waters AM, George SD , Tomar G et al (2019) . Nature Medicine, 25(4), 628-640.
  • Pierobon M, Petricoin EF & Wulfkuhle JD (2018) . Expert Review of Proteomics, 15(11), 851-853.
  • Younossi ZM, Karrar A, Pierobon M, Birerdinc A, Stepanova M, Abdelatif D, Younoszai Z, Jeffers T, Felix S, Jeiran K , Hodge A et al (2018) . BMC Medicine, 16(1).
  • Eke I, Makinde AY, Aryankalayil MJ, Sandfort V, Palayoor ST, Rath BH, Liotta L, Pierobon M, Petricoin EF, Brown MF , Stommel JM et al (2018) . Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 17(2), 355-367.
  • Pierobon M, Ramos C, Wong S, Hodge KA, Aldrich J, Byron S, Anthony SP, Robert NJ, Northfelt DW, Jahanzeb M , Vocila L et al (2017) . Clinical Cancer Research, 23(16), 4919-4928.
  • Sereni MI, Baldelli E, Gambara G, Ravaggi A, Hodge KA, Alberts DS, Guillen-Rodriguez JM, Dong T, Memo M, Odicino F , Angioli R et al (2017) . British Journal of Cancer, 117(4), 494-502.
  • Varghese RS, Zuo Y, Zhao Y, Zhang Y-W, Jablonski SA, Pierobon M, Petricoin EF, Ressom HW & Weiner LM (2017) . Methods, 124, 89-99.
  • Ludovini V, Chiari R, Tomassoni L, Antonini C, Baldelli E, Baglivo S, Siggillino A, Tofanetti FR, Bellezza G, Hodge KA , Petricoin E et al (2017) . Oncotarget, 8(47), 83343-83353.
  • Parasido EM, Silvestri A, Canzonieri V, Belluco C, Diodoro MG, Milione M, Melotti F, De Maria R, Liotta L, Petricoin EF & Pierobon M (2017) . Oncotarget, 8(30), 48534-48544.
  • Pin E, Stratton S, Belluco C, Liotta L, Nagle R, Hodge KA, Deng J, Dong T, Baldelli E, Petricoin E & Pierobon M (2016) . Molecular Oncology, 10(10), 1585-1594.
  • Marmiroli S, Fabbro D, Miyata Y, Pierobon M & Ruzzene M (2015) . BioMed Research International, 2015, 1-3.
  • Nussbaum DP, Martz CA, Waters AM, Barrera A, Liu A, Rutter JC, Cerda-Smith CG, Stewart AE, Wu C, Cakir M , Levandowski CB et al () . npj Precision Oncology, 8(1).
  • Bateman NW, Abulez T, Soltis AR, McPherson A, Choi S, Garsed DW, Pandey A, Tian C, Hood BL, Conrads KA , Teng P-N et al () . npj Precision Oncology, 8(1).
  • Bateman NW, Abulez T, Soltis AR, McPherson A, Choi S, Garsed DW, Pandey A, Tian C, Hood BL, Conrads KA , Teng P-N et al () . npj Precision Oncology, 8(1).
  • Anderson T, Herrera D, Mireku F, Barner K, Kokkinakis A, Dao H, Webber A, Merida AD, Gallo T & Pierobon M () . JAMA Network Open, 6(9), e2333618-e2333618.
  • Dunn B, Pierobon M & Wei Q () . Bioengineering, 10(6), 690-690.
  • Abu-Khalaf MM, Alex Hodge K, Hatzis C, Baldelli E, El Gazzah E, Valdes F, Sikov WM, Mita MM, Denduluri N, Murphy R , Zelterman D et al () . npj Precision Oncology, 7(1).
  • Le Roux Ö, Pershing NLK, Kaltenbrun E, Newman NJ, Everitt JI, Baldelli E, Pierobon M, Petricoin EF & Counter CM () . eLife, 11.
  • Lin KH, Rutter JC, Xie A, Killarney ST, Vaganay C, Benaksas C, Ling F, Sodaro G, Meslin P-A, Bassil CF , Fenouille N et al () . Nature Cancer, 3(7), 837-851.
  • Baldelli E, El Gazzah E, Moran JC, Hodge KA, Manojlovic Z, Bassiouni R, Carpten JD, Ludovini V, Baglivo S, Crinò L , Bianconi F et al () . Genes, 12(9), 1402-1402.
  • Baldelli E, Subramanian M, Alsubaie AM, Oldaker G, Emelianenko M, El Gazzah E, Baglivo S, Hodge KA, Bianconi F, Ludovini V , Crino’ L et al () . International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(6), 2819-2819.
  • Rao G, Pierobon M, Kim I-K, Hsu W-H, Deng J, Moon Y-W, Petricoin EF, Zhang Y-W, Wang Y & Giaccone G () . Scientific Reports, 7(1).

Book chapters

  • Pierobon M, Wulfkuhle J, Liotta LA & Petricoin III EF (2019) , Cancer Treatment and Research (pp. 171-187). Springer International Publishing
  • Baldelli E, Calvert V, Hodge A, VanMeter A, Petricoin EF & Pierobon M (2017) , Methods in Molecular Biology (pp. 149-169). Springer New York

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