Role at ANSTO
Dr Melanie Ferlazzo is a radiation biologist and Accelerator Scientist at ANSTO’s Centre for Accelerator Science (CAS). Her work focuses on developing irradiation radiobiology capabilities to support research and industry interested in conducting accelerator‑based experimentation for radiobiology studies with ion beams. In 2019, she joined ANSTO Human HRTG as post-doctoral researcher under a collaborative project with CNES (French Space Agency), INSERM 1296 Radiation: Defence, Health and Environment. This project aimed to study the effects of metallic and secondary particles of space interest to offer protective counter measures for long manned space flights. Dr Ferlazzo contributed to the development of the external chamber for in air irradiation he ANTARES accelerator providing radiobiology expertise.
Expertise
Radiation-induced DNA breaks and repair mechanisms.
Qualifications and Achievements
Dr Melanie Ferlazzo completed her PhD at INSERM U1296 in Lyon, France (2015–2017) under the supervision of Dr Nicolas Foray, where she investigated the cytonuclear transit of the ATM protein in response to ionising radiation. Her thesis, titled “Impact of the cytonuclear transit of the ATM protein in response to ionizing radiation: notions of pro‑ and anti‑episkevia,” provided a radiobiological characterisation of radiosensitive genetic syndromes that do not involve mutations in classical DNA‑repair genes.
PhD thesis: "Impact of the cytonuclear transit of the ATM protein in response to ionizing radiation: notions of pro- and anti-episkevia" a radiobiological characterization of radiosensitive genetic syndromes not mutated in genes related to DNA repair.
From late 2017 until the end of 2019, she held a CNES postdoctoral fellowship, during which she conducted irradiation experiments in Paris using the proton beams of the Louvre‑AGLAE facility and performed low‑dose studies in Toulouse with the Mars Simulator. She also contributed to the stratospheric balloon mission K‑riboo Bernadotte as part of this work. In 2019, she moved to Australia to continue and expand this research at ANSTO, integrating her expertise into ongoing international investigations on radiation effects relevant to space missions. Dr Ferlazzo is also a two‑time recipient of the AINSE SAAFE Scholarship (2016 and 2019) and has served as a mentor in the AINSE WISE program, contributing to the development of early‑career researchers in the field.