Giulia De Cristofaro is a PhD student in the joint program Personalized caRe and Innovation in Medicine and Engineering (PRIME), a collaborative initiative between Humanitas University and Politecnico di Milano.
In December 2024, she earned double Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and in Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, with a thesis focused on the manufacturing of a pancreatic phantom for clinical applications. During her thesis work, she joined Professor Zerbi’s research group in the Pancreatic Surgery and Engineering Lab at Humanitas University, where she investigated the mechanical properties of biological pancreatic tissue and synthetic materials through indentation testing, identifying suitable candidates for the project’s objectives. Since December 2025, she has been pursuing her PhD, continuing her research on the development of a pancreatic phantom for surgical training, while also working on the design and synthesis of a custom-made sealing device intended for use during the suturing phases of pancreatic surgery.