Dr Cristina L Ronchi MD, PhD

Dr Cristina Ronchi

Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research
Hoffenberg Clinician Scientist in Endocrine Oncology

Contact details

Telephone
+44(0)121 414 6857
Email
c.l.ronchi@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@CryRonchi
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Metabolism and System Research
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
B15 2TT

Cristina Ronchi is an Endocrinologist and clinician scientist with long-standing expertise in endocrine tumors. Her research field mostly focuses on genetic studies and investigations of molecular markers involved in the pathogenesis and prognosis of adrenocortical neoplasia.  She is particularly active in research dissemination and collaborates with several world-leading groups around Europe. Clinically active as a Consultant in Endocrinology, she actively participates in clinical trials. Dr Ronchi is regularly involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students at the School of Medicine.

Qualifications

  • Clinician Scientist and Consultant in Endocrinology
  • PhD 2008CCT
  • Endocrinology & Diabetes 2005
  • MBChB 2000

Biography

Dr. Ronchi studied Medicine and obtained the Specialisation in Endocrinology at the University of Milan (Italy). From 2010 to 2017 she worked at the Division of Endocrinology at the University Hospital of Würzburg (Germany), where she most recently led the section “Translational Tumor Endocrinology”.

She has obtained several fellowships, prizes and grants as financial support for her projects. She has published more than 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and attended more than 105 national and international conferences as presenting author or invited speaker. Dr Ronchi is a member of four scientific societies and active as peer-reviewer for journals, grants and conferences.  Furthermore, she has been active in clinical activities as an Endocrinologist since 2005 and is involved in several clinical trials.  She regularly takes part in didactic activities including the supervision of graduate students.

Teaching

University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

Adrenal Lecture MBChB Year 1

SGT MBChB Year 1 and 2 (Adrenal, Endocrine Disorders)

Personal Academic Tutor MBChB Year 1 and 2 since 2019

Leader of MBChB Year 1 research Taster Experience

Undergraduate supervision: BMedSc (Clinical Sciences Intercalated Degree) course

 

University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany

Integrated Seminar “Endocrinological  Pathophysiology”- Medical School

Integrated Seminar “Tumorbiology” (Endocrine Tumors) - Medical School

Lection “Pathophysiology and Pathobiochemistry” (Endocrinology) - Biomedicine School

Lection “Clinical Chemistry und Laboratorium diagnostics” (Endocrinology) - Medical School

Seminar “Clinical Endocrinology” - Medical School

Lection and Seminar “Clinical Oncology” (Endocrinology) - Master in Biochemistry

Seminar “Rare Disease” (Endocrinology) - Medical School

Practical Seminar “Clinical cases” (Endocrinology) - Medical School

Postgraduate supervision

2013-2020 supervision of three MD Students (Esther Henning graduated 2020, Valeria Laufs graduated 2020, Raimunde Liang planned 2021)

2014-2020 Co-Supervision of two PhD Students

  • Juliane Lippert (collaboration with the Institute of Human Genetics, Würzburg, PhD planned for 2020)
  • Barbara Altieri (collaboration with the University of Rome, PhD finished 2019)

 Dr Ronchi is currently available for supervision of self-funded PhD students.

Research

  • Genetic studies in endocrine tumors.
  • Adrenocortical tumors: Pathogenesis of adrenocortical tumors and Cushing Syndrome. Prognostic and predictive molecular markers. Molecular targets for innovative cancer therapies. Precision medicine.
  • Pituitary tumors: patho-physiology, clinic characterisation and treatment.
  • Neuroendocrinology: patho-physiology, clinic and therapy of GH excess and deficiency. Therapeutic applications of somatostatin analogs. Regulation of ghrelin secretion in physiological and pathological conditions.

Other activities

2019- present           Member of the Editorial Board of Precision Medicine Journal

2018-present            Member of the IMSR Executive Board (UoB)

2018-present            Member of the AdrenoCortical Carcinoma Scientific Board (ENS@T)

2016-present            Member of the Non Aldosterone-Producing AdrenoCortical Adenomas Scientific Board (ENS@T)

2016-present            Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Endocrine Society

2015-present            Member of the Reviewer Editorial Board of Frontiers in Endocrinology

2018-2020                IMSR Seminar Organiser (UoB)

2016-2018                Member of the Task Force on Personalised Medicine and Precision Oncology at the University Hospital of Wuerzburg (Germany)

05/2014                    Qualification for Genetic Counselling (Germany)

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Weigand, I, Ronchi, C, Vanselow, JT, Bathon, K, Lenz, K, Herterich, S, Schlosser, A, Kroiss, M, Fassnacht, M, Calebiro, D & Sbiera, S 2021, 'PKA Cα subunit mutation triggers caspase-dependent RIIβ subunit degradation via Ser114 phosphorylation', Science Advances, vol. 7, no. 8, eabd4176. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd4176

Majidi, F, Martino, S, Kondakci, M, Antke, C, Haase, M, Chortis, V, Arlt, W, Ronchi, C, Fassnacht, M, Laurent, C, Petit, J-M, Casasnovas, O, Habra, M, Kanji, A, Salvatori, R, Ho, ATN, Spyroglou, A, Beuschlein, F, Villa, D, Limvorapitak, W, Engelbrekt Wahlin, B, Gimm, O, Rudelius, M, Schott, M, Germing, U, Haas, R & Gattermann, N 2020, 'Clinical spectrum of primary adrenal lymphoma: results of a multicenter cohort study', European Journal of Endocrinology, vol. 183, no. 4, pp. 453–462. https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-19-0506

Altieri, B, Sbiera, S, Herterich, S, De Francia, S, Della Casa, S, Calabrese, A, Pontecorvi, A, Quinkler, M, Kienitz, T, Mannelli, M, Canu, L, Angelousi, A, Chortis, V, Kroiss, M, Terzolo, M, Fassnacht, M & Ronchi, CL 2020, 'Effects of germline CYP2W1*6 and CYP2B6*6 single nucleotide polymorphisms on mitotane treatment in adrenocortical carcinoma: a multicenter ENSAT study', Cancers, vol. 12, no. 2, 359. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12020359, https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12020359

Weigand, I, Altieri, B, Lacombe, A, Basile, V, Kircher, S, Landwehr, L-S, Schreiner, J, Zerbini, M, Ronchi, C, Megerle, F, Berruti, A, Canu, L, Volante, M, Paiva, I, Della Casa, S, Sbiera, S, Fassnacht, M, Fragoso, M, Terzolo, M & Kroiss, M 2020, 'Expression of SOAT1 in adrenocortical carcinoma and response to mitotane monotherapy: an ENSAT multicenter study', The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa293

Drougat, L, Settas, N, Ronchi, C, Bathon, K, Calebiro, D, Gutierrez, A, Haydar, S, Voutetakis, A, London, E, Faucz, FR & Stratakis, C 2020, 'Genomic and sequence variants of protein kinase A regulatory subunit type 1β (PRKAR1B) in patients with adrenocortical disease and Cushing syndrome', Genetics in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41436-020-00958-1

Chifu, I, Heinze, B, Fuss, C, Lang, K, Kroiss, M, Kircher, S, Ronchi, C, Altieri, B, Schirbel, A, Fassnacht, M & Hahner, S 2020, 'Impact of the Chemokine Receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7 on Clinical Outcome in Adrenocortical Carcinoma', Frontiers in Endocrinology.

Jouinot, A, Lippert, J, Fassnacht, M, De La Villeon, B, Septier, A, Neou, M, Perlemoine, K, Appenzeller, S, Sibony, M, Gaujoux, S, Dousset, B, Libe, R, Groussin, L, Ronchi, C, Assie', G & Bertherat, J 2020, 'Intratumor heterogeneity of prognostic DNA-based molecular markers in adrenocortical carcinoma', Endocrine Connections. https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-20-0228

Altieri, B, Ronchi, C, Kroiss, M & Fassnacht, M 2020, 'Next-generation therapies for adrenocortical carcinoma', Best practice & research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beem.2020.101434

Dalmazi, GD, Altieri, B, Scholz, C, Sbiera, S, Luconi, M, Waldmann, J, Kastelan, D, Ceccato, F, Chiodini, I, Arnaldi, G, Riester, A, Osswald, A, Beuschlein, F, Sauer, S, Fassnacht, M, Appenzeller, S & Ronchi, C 2020, 'RNA-sequencing and somatic mutation status of adrenocortical tumors: novel pathogenetic insights', Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 105, no. 12, pp. e4459–e4473. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa616

Creemers, SG, Feelders, RA, Valdes, N, Ronchi, C, Volante, M, Van Hemel, BM, Luconi, M, Ettaieb, MHT, Mannelli, M, Chiara, MD, Fassnacht, M, Papotti, M, Kerstens, MN, Nesi, G, Haak, HR, Van Kemenade, FJ & Hofland, LJ 2020, 'THE IGF2 METHYLATION SCORE FOR ADRENOCORTICAL CANCER: AN ENSAT VALIDATION STUDY', Endocrine-related cancer.

Liang, R, Weigand, I, Lippert, J, Kircher, S, Altieri, B, Steinhauer, S, Hantel, C, Rost, S, Rosenwald, A, Kroiss, M, Fassnacht, M, Sbiera, S & Ronchi, C 2020, 'Targeted gene expression profile reveals CDK4 as therapeutic target for selected patients with adrenocortical carcinoma', Frontiers in Endocrinology, vol. 11, 219. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.00219

Chortis, V, Bancos, I, Nijman, T, Gilligan, L, Taylor, A, Ronchi, C, O'Reilly, M, Schreiner, J, Asia, M, Riester, A, Perotti, P, Libe, R, Quinkler, M, Canu, L, Paiva, I, Bugalho, MJ, Kastelan, D, Dennedy, MC, Sherlock, M, Ambroziak, U, Vassiliadi, D, Bertherat, J, Beuschlein, F, Fassnacht, M, Deeks, J, Biehl, M & Arlt, W 2020, 'Urine steroid metabolomics as a novel tool for detection of recurrent adrenocortical carcinoma', Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 105, no. 3, pp. e303–e314. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgz141

ENSAT EURINE-ACT Investigators 2020, 'Urine steroid metabolomics for the differential diagnosis of adrenal incidentalomas in the EURINE-ACT study: a prospective test validation study', The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 773-781. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30218-7

Bathon, K, Wigand, I, Vanselow, JT, Ronchi, C, Sbiera, S, Schlosser, A, Calebiro, D & Fassnacht, M 2019, 'Alterations in protein kinase A substrate specificity as a potential cause of Cushing’s Syndrome', Endocrinology, vol. 160, no. 2, pp. 447-459. https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2018-00775

Review article

Crona, J & Ronchi, C 2020, 'ENSAT registry-based randomized clinical trials for adrenocortical carcinoma', European Journal of Endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-20-0800

View all publications in research portal