Dr Roberta Migale is a Senior Laboratory Research Scientist in the Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics Laboratory, headed by Prof. Robin Lovell-Badge, based at the Francis Crick Institute, London, UK. Her research focuses on the genetic mechanisms underpinning sex determination and ovarian development. Her main research interest is understanding the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms controlling the formation and early stages of follicular growth within the ovary.  Dr. Migale obtained a PhD in 2016 from Imperial College London, working on preterm labour, supervised by Prof. Phillip Bennett and Prof. David MacIntyre. Her research has uncovered gene regulatory networks underlying premature and on-time activation of uterine contractions during labour. She has led several projects with international collaborators, resulting in publications of highly cited primary research articles. She is recipient of prestigious prizes by SRF, RCOG, SRI and Keystone society.