Principal Investigator Simone Perottoni, PhD – Fondazione Cariplo Young Researchers Call – Grant n 2024-1070
Our research
A biomimetic MRI-compatible artificial cochlea to unravel the role of inner ear-brain fluids exchange on amyloid-beta clearance in dementia
Hearing loss is one of the main risk factors for dementia. But how do the ear and brain communicate? In addition to electrical signals, they exchange specialized fluids that are still poorly understood. The EAR2BRAIN project aims to develop personalized cochlea models compatible with MRI, combining computational fluid dynamics analyses with 3D-printed physical models created using biomimetic fabrication techniques.
These models will allow the study of fluid exchanges between the inner ear and the brain and their role in the link between hearing loss and dementia, helping to better understand the behavior of key molecules such as the beta-amyloid, and opening new avenues for diagnosis and innovative sound-based therapies.
News & Events
European Talent Academy – London session!
18th-20th March 2026 – London
What an incredible first session in London at Imperial College London! 🤩
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7442927648496037888
The 24 fellows of the sixth edition of the European Talent Academy (ETA) met at Imperial College London; ETA is a joint training and networking programme for young researchers, now in its sixth year, organised by Technical University of Munich (TUM), Imperial College, and Politecnico di Milano.
From March 18 to 20, the ETA program kicked off, focusing on the theme: Smarter and healthier cities on a changing planet. The program includes several modules on research opportunities and the skills needed for a successful career path. Additionally, all participants will engage in activities aimed at creating transdisciplinary research groups
The program features three main in-person meetings. Following the event in London, the next gatherings will take place at TUM in Munich in June, and at Politecnico di Milano in October for the final workshop, where the projects developed through the collaboration among these young researchers will be presented.
Visit to Prof. Perin’s Lab at the University of Pavia
Simone and Matteo, together with Prof. Federica Di Berardino from the Policlinico di Milano Hospital recently visited Prof. Paola Perin’s lab at the University of Pavia. Prof. Perin’s research focuses on the biology and physiology of the inner ear, with particular attention to cellular mechanisms and auditory function.
The visit was a great opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge on the complex world of the inner ear and its functioning. With the support of Dr. Elisa Vivado, we also had the opportunity to observe and discuss experimental models relevant to inner ear research. These models currently represent a highly valuable and accessible resource for research, offering a solid starting point for the development of our biomimetic artificial ear-to-brain (Ear2Brain) system.
2026 BESAC Congress
12th March 2026 – Milan
It’s been a real pleasure to share frontier science with such enthusiastic students. Their energy is truly inspiring.
A big thank you to the Biomedical Engineering Association – BEA for invitinig me to the BESAC – Biomedical Engineering Student Associations’ Congress and making this experience possible.
Workshop on Manufacturing and Microfluidics
4th-6th February 2026 – Milan
Giorgia, Sofia, and Simone attended a workshop chaired by Prof. Andrea Bassi at the Physics Engineering Department at Politecnico di Milano on advanced manufacturing and microfluidics for miniaturized systems.
Over two days of high-level talks, they explored cutting-edge techniques from two-photon polymerization to laser micromachining. On the final day, Giorgia and Sofia got hands-on experience, designing and fabricating a chip prototype using laser micromachining.
A fantastic learning opportunity that will undoubtedly inspire their ongoing projects!
THEY TALK ABOUT US
EUROPEAN TALENT ACADEMY 2026
DCMC | Magazine – LinkedIN – Instagram
27 January 2026
Simone Perottoni, postdoc researcher at the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, has been selected for the 2026 edition of the European Talent Academy (ETA).
The European Talent Academy is an international networking and advanced training programme jointly promoted by the Technical University of Munich and Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with Imperial College London. The initiative is aimed at outstanding young researchers and seeks to strengthen scientific skills, academic leadership, and the ability to develop interdisciplinary and international collaborations.
Politecnico di Milano on X.com
DCMC – Magazine
11 November 2025
Progetto EAR2BRAIN | Simone Perottoni
Ha preso il via EAR2BRAIN, progetto di ricerca di Simone Perottoni – assegnista di ricerca del Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”- finanziato dal Bando “Giovani Ricercatori” di Fondazione Cariplo.
Questi modelli consentiranno di studiare gli scambi di fluidi tra orecchio interno e cervello e il loro ruolo nella relazione tra perdita uditiva e demenza, permettendo di comprendere meglio anche il comportamento di molecole chiave come la beta-amiloide, aprendo nuove prospettive per diagnosi e terapie innovative basate sulla stimolazione sonora.
DCMC – Magazine
CMIC @ MEETmeTONIGHT | 2025
All’interno di MEETmeTONIGHT, l’evento organizzato in occasione della Notte Europea delle Ricercatrici e dei Ricercatori, che coinvolge cittadine, cittadini e protagonisti della ricerca.
Segnaliamo le attività a cura di docenti e ricercatori del Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”:
TALK Il segreto nascosto tra orecchio e cervello: nuovi strumenti per studiare la demenza – EAR2BRAIN
Simone Perottoni
La perdita dell’udito è un fattore di rischio per la demenza. Ma come comunicano orecchio e cervello? Oltre ai segnali elettrici, si scambiano fluidi specializzati ancora poco studiati. Il progetto EAR2BRAIN mira a creare modelli 3D personalizzati di coclea, la parte interna dell’orecchio, compatibili con la risonanza magnetica, per osservare questi scambi invisibili e aprire nuove strade nella diagnosi e cura delle malattie neurodegenerative.
Progetto finanziato dal Bando “Giovani Ricercatori” di Fondazione Cariplo.
MMT – Website
Il segreto nascosto tra orecchio e cervello: nuovi strumenti per studiare la demenza – EAR2BRAIN
27 Settembre @ 17:40 – 18:00
La perdita dell’udito è un fattore di rischio per la demenza. Ma come comunicano orecchio e cervello? Oltre ai segnali elettrici, si scambiano fluidi specializzati ancora poco studiati. Il progetto EAR2BRAIN mira a creare modelli 3D personalizzati di coclea, la parte interna dell’orecchio, compatibili con la risonanza magnetica, per osservare questi scambi invisibili e aprire nuove strade nella diagnosi e cura delle malattie neurodegenerative.
Con Simone Perottoni, Politecnico di Milano.
Progetto finanziato dal Bando “Giovani Ricercatori” di Fondazione Cariplo.
People
SIMONE PEROTTONI
Principal Investigator
Dept. Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” – Politecnico di Milano – TechnoBiology Labs
Email: simone.perottoni@polimi.it
ORCID: 0000-0003-1640-2170
Simone Perottoni is a biomedical engineer and early-career investigator with a background in advanced in vitro models and microphysiological systems for neuroscience research. He obtained his Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in 2019 and earned his PhD in Bioengineering in 2023, where he developed multiorgan organ-on-a-chip platforms to model systemic interactions relevant to the microbiota-gut–brain axis in the ERC-MINERVA project at TechnoBiology Labs lead by Prof. Carmen Giordano. His research training includes international experiences at the Monaghan Lab (Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland), where he worked on bioreactors for real-time FLIM-based metabolic imaging of stem cells under the mentorship of Prof. Michael Monaghan and Prof. Manuela T Raimondi, and at the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Group (Ghent University, Belgium), focusing on advanced organoid-based in vitro models under Prof. Ruslan Dmitriev. These experiences shaped his expertise in microfluidics, bioengineered culture systems, and biomimetic fluidic platforms to investigate inter-organ communication in the nervous system.
He is currently the Young Principal Investigator of the EAR2BRAIN project, funded by Fondazione Cariplo’s “Young Researchers” grant (2024), where he leads a multidisciplinary team investigating sound-driven fluid exchange in ear–brain communication and its implications for dementia and hearing loss.
RESEARCH TEAM
Matteo De Marchi
Email: matteo.demarchi@polimi.it
Research Fellow
Luca Forestan
Email: luca.forestan@mail.polimi.it
MSc student
During his bachelor thesis Luca worked on “Regenerative Therapies and Innovative Pre-Clinical Studies to Restore Inner Ear Functions” analyzing the literature to identify the most promising regenerative strategies and preclinical models for treating inner ear disorders. In recent years, he has developed an interest in tissue engineering and biofabrication and their applications in regenerative medicine. For his master’s thesis he decided to keep on working on inner ear models! His project aims to fabricate and test models of the deformable components of the inner ear, focusing on the vestibule and the oval and round window membranes, to be integrated into a biomimetic 3D cochlea-on-chip model.
Giorgia Pistelli
Email: giorgia.pistelli@mail.polimi.it
MSc student
Giorgia graduated in Biomedical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano in 2024. For her Bachelor’s thesis, she carried out an original project entitled “Cardiorespiratory effects during laughter and after 16 laughter therapy sessions in healthy subjects”. She is particularly interested in biocompatibility and cell culture, with the primary goal of developing clinically relevant in vitro systems to study diseases, especially neurodegenerative disorders. She is currently focusing on the development of a brain-on-a-chip platform to model meningeal drainage under pathophysiological conditions, aiming to precisely characterize the mechanisms occurring within the subarachnoid space and the cerebral parenchyma.
Andrea Sogno
Email: andrea.sogno@mail.polimi.it
MSc student
Andrea completed his Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano in 2024, with a thesis focused on the state of the art of cell delivery therapies for tissue regeneration. During his studies, he developed a strong interest in the computational analysis of biological structures and processes, particularly in their application to the development of novel therapeutic approaches for diseases. He is currently working on his Master’s thesis project, which focuses on the multiparametric computational analysis of inner ear–brain exchange dynamics through the cochlear and vestibular aqueducts.
Sofia Vezzani
Email: sofia.vezzani@mail.polimi.it
MSc student
Sofia completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Bologna in 2023, presenting a systematic review of the literature about the functional and postural evaluation of individuals with unilateral lower limb amputation. She developed a strong interest in biomechanics and fluid dynamics, particularly in their application to the design and quantitative evaluation of physiological systems. For her Master’s thesis, she is developing a perfusable biomimetic 3D models of the inner ear using advanced 3D fabrication techniques, aiming to investigate fluid dynamics and pressure distribution within the cochlear structures and inner ear ducts.
ADVISORY TEAM
Doct. Diego Albani
Department of Neuroscience – Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS
Role in the project: Project mentor and expert in molecular biology and neural disease modelling
Prof. Federica Boschetti
Politecnico di Milano, Associate Professor
Role in the project: Expertise in tissues biomechanics computational modelling
Prof. Ileana Jelescu
Dept. of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland; Assistant Professor
Role in the project: Expertise in high field preclinical MRI, and in glymphatic imaging using diffusion MRI.
ALUMNI
Martina Lodetti
Undergraduate Student
Chiara Mainetti
Undergraduate Student
Felice Merlini
Undergraduate Student
Alice Olivares
Undergraduate Student