Dr Pizzolla is a mid-career Postdoctoral Researcher in the Molecular Therapeutics and Biomarkers Laboratory (MTBL) at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She has 20 years of experience, 12 post PhD, in human and mouse cellular immunology in autoimmune diseases, allergies, viral infections and cancer. After completing an MSc in Biotechnology in Milan, Italy, she received her PhD in Medical Sciences from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. In Australia since 2012, Dr Pizzolla worked as a postdoctoral scientist at Monash University and the University of Melbourne. Since 2018 she joined Peter Mac, she has worked in characterising immune responses in melanoma and head and neck cancers. Dr Pizzolla's research within MTBL is currently focusing on understanding the role of immune cells in promoting good prognosis in HPV-driven oropharyngeal (throat) cancer and identifying key factors that drive immunotherapy responses in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, a very common skin UV-driven skin cancer.