Roiate – New York in a heartbeat, and it's immediately a party

I have told the stories of many people and what strikes me most is the serenity and humility of those who have achieved important goals. So when the Mayor of Roiate Antonio Proietti of Roiate had indicated Professor Silvia De Rubeis as Town Ambassador, I felt a little intimidated.

Silvia is a geneticist and neuroscientist, trained across three countries (Italy, Belgium and USA), and is now associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York (https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/derubeislab/).

In her research laboratory, Silvia and her team study the mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and DDX3X syndrome (a rare genetic condition that mainly affects girls and women (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNvcrEMSQKU&t=13s)

I had only met her by phone and, as one would expect, she was a little surprised by the proposal and she seemed cautious.

Then over the weeks she seemed more and more relaxed, but when we finally met in person I found an enthusiastic person.

So I went to Roiate to interview her in her village, where her family of origin is located and where her story began.

Roiate is a very small mountain village that overlooks the Sacco Valley, but which also represents the beginning of the Aniene Valley, and since I was little it reminds me of a Neapolitan nativity scene, those that are true artistic masterpieces. I used to go there for the lamb festival or to buy rosciola olive oil and then slowly it was discovered as a place for artists Roiate, Open To "Meraviglia".

Living in a village like Roiate is a lifestyle choice, you pay the price of infrequent connections mainly with the Cotral bus (the transport line of the Lazio region) but you can enjoy a high quality of life in terms of air, silence and genuine food.

“Sometimes the bus would skip Roiate entirely, either not picking us up or leaving us stranded at the crossroad with another village. I attended high school and college (editor's note, University of Rome "Tor Vergata") commuting with such a fragmented service. Nevertheless, since I was a child I was fascinated by the animal world, especially social insects, and I cultivated the desire to become a scientist and I was determined to complete my education".

Silvia's words seemed to me like a message to many young people today: if you have dreams, every obstacle becomes an opportunity. Every sacrifice is one more step towards the goal.

And so in this mood we sat down to sip a refreshing beverage and I listened to a story about a beautiful woman.

“It has always fascinated me to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying brain development, and I have focused on neurodevelopmental disorders since my undergrad studies. After my bachelor and master degrees, I started my PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology in Tor Vergata. As the PhD was progressing, my PhD advisor moved the lab to Belgium, so I decided to follow her. I ended up spending 5 years in Leuven, a city in the heart of Flanders ”.

In 2013, she applied for a postdoctoral position at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. From this moment the American adventure began in New York, where she focused on the genetics of autism, publishing major studies that led to the discovery of dozens of new autism risk genes. In 2017 she started her independent laboratory, where her team uses genetics and neuroscience approaches to understand DDX3X syndrome and develop new therapeutics. Silvia has received numerous accolades for her studies, including the Friedman Brain Institute Scholar Award in 2020, the Distinguished Scholar Award of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a prestigious international award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany in 2021.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is mentoring students and trainees, especially women and people from disadvantaged backgrounds. I hope I can serve as a role model and a resource for the students in STEM and science aficionados of this area, to whom I would like to convey the idea that with passion, curiosity, and determination anything is possible."

Before saying goodbye, I ask her something about Roiate and Bellegra, the nearby town where her husband comes from, with whom she moved first to Belgium and then to the United States:

“As a neuroscientist, I would like to say that Roiate represents for me the place of the heart, but also the place of the brain, because here my early childhood experiences shaped me. I had my first experiences discovering life and I love seeing my daughters playing here with the freedom that only small communities can give”.

Silvia has always wanted to maintain active relations with Italy, starting with the involvement of Italian research groups in the autism genomic studies. Now that she investigates DDX3X syndrome, she works closely with Italian families, whom she meets at least once a year to inform them of the progress of ongoing research.

“And my girls grow up with a hybrid culture. Sometimes they make me laugh because they use a creative language merging Italian and English. Like the time I heard them say: I will 'acciach 'you! In other words: I'll crush you!"

Thank you, Silvia for being the Town Ambassador of Roiate and for embodying the spirit of this recognition. See you on social media!