Dr. Lisa Giacomelli is a Senior Researcher at the Research and Innovation Centre of the Fondazione Edmund Mach (San Michele all'Adige, Italy), working within the Grapevine Physiology and Breeding group. 

She completed her graduate studies in the Department of Plant Biology at Cornell University (USA) in 2006, where her early research focused on plant biochemistry, functional genomics, and the thylakoid and plastid proteomes. Following her PhD, she expanded her international research profile as a postdoctoral fellow at the CSIC-IRTA in Barcelona (Spain), focusing on the circadian clock.

Currently, her research is dedicated to improving the sustainability of viticulture by delivering genetically improved grapevines (Vitis vinifera) through New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). She is an expert in CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing, specializing in the development of DNA-free (transgene-free) protocols using ribonucleoprotein editing in protoplasts and subsequent plant regeneration. 

Her recent work centers on the targeted knock-out of susceptibility genes, such as the DMR6 (Downy Mildew Resistant 6) and MLO gene families, to generate clones of commercial grapevine cultivars
with enhanced resistance to downy and powdery mildew without altering their original genetic background. By integrating genomics with advanced in vitro culture systems, her research provides innovative solutions for sustainable crop protection and the adaptation of viticulture to climate change challenges.