Joining the Hong Kong Laureate Forum would provide a unique opportunity to engage with current and future scientific leaders on the challenges and opportunities of being a scientist, collaborator, and teacher. As I have recently secured a tenure-track position starting in April 2026, I am excited to discuss with scientists at all stages of their careers how to build a successful academic path and build a curiosity-driven and impactful research group that contributes to societal progress.

I am committed to promoting cross-disciplinary research, particularly in bridging life sciences and mathematics to address key biological questions and overcome challenges in medical research. I am also eager to explore how we can better train the next generation of scientists and equip them to work across fields to solve complex problems.

I look forward to expanding my international collaborations, especially with scientists in Hong Kong and China, and discussing innovative frameworks to facilitate collaborations and student training between Europe and Asia. These exchanges at the Forum would be an invaluable experience for enriching my scientific and personal development at a pivotal point in my scientific career.

PhD_diploma_english_Rinaldin.pdf

Leiden University

RecommendationMelissaRinaldinHKLaureate.pdf

TU Dresden (letter sent via email by Prof. Jan Brugues)

Melissa_Rinaldin_HKLaureateforum.pdf

2024 Physics of Life Fellowship Incentive program, TU Dresden (€ 30,000)
2024 Nakatani award for best abstract at International Biophysics Conference in
Kyoto (€ 650)
2023 Grant from the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems to organize the workshop “IntCha” (€ 12,000 + costs to host conference for 121 participants)
2022 Participated in the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (€ 5,000 from HFSP)
2022-2024 EMBO postdoctoral fellowship (project leader, €168,000)
2021 Prize in the science writing contest of the Dutch Physical Society (€ 750)
2020-2025 HFSP Cross-Disciplinary Fellowship (project leader, € 180,000)
2015 European Erasmus Fellowship

While we have gained vast knowledge about single molecules in the cell, many essential biological functions remain unexplained, including intracellular organization, cell division, and cellular coordination in tissues. My work integrates quantitative biology, biophysics, and mathematical modelling to uncover the principles governing these processes.

During my doctorate, I demonstrated how membrane shape influences lipid organization, shedding light on the structuring of cellular surfaces. In my postdoc, I investigated cytoplasmic compartmentalization in early development, revealing how robust boundaries can form without membranes. I discovered an intrinsic cytoplasmic instability during early embryonic divisions and showed that despite this instability, precise cell cycle timing ensures temporary compartmental stability, enabling robust embryonic organization and development.

Soon, I will establish my lab to study the physical and molecular mechanisms underlying the transition between multinucleated and multicellular states—an essential process in development and disease. I aim to uncover how the interplay between cytoskeletal forces, cell membranes, and cell cycle signalling drives these transitions, with a focus on early embryogenesis and pathological conditions such as cancer and inflammation.