Profile
Aurora Vilardi
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About Me:
I am Aurora, a qualified pharmacist who decided to switch to research and study genetics. I am currently doing a PhD at the Leicester Cancer Research Centre, where I look into the role of genes behind food and gut inflammation. I love anything artistic, writing and drawing. I wish to become a science communicator.
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I am a sea-person and looking at a bright and sunny sky makes me feel happy. Inside I train for crossfit, outside I like hiking, climbing and swimming.
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My pronouns are:
She/Her
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My Work:
I am a PhD researcher studying the role of food in gut health. Try to imagine your gut as a fence and food as the maintenance you can do to the fence. My aim is to understand which food keeps the fence in good condition (and how) so that we can improve our diets and prevent diseased like cancer.
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In the lab, I try to get small copies of our gut by putting together the cells that live in it. To study the role of food I decided to focus on resveratrol and fructose. Resveratrol is found in grapes, wine, nuts and berries and is known to help against inflammation, while fructose is a sugar found in cakes, drinks and fast foods and it damages the gut.
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My Typical Day:
I am an early-bird, I have breakfast – usually with porridge and tea – I get ready and head to the lab around 9 am. I work in between the lab (yes, I use a lab coat), where I do the experiments, and the office, where I write my thesis and read scientific articles. By lunchtime I am usually starving – I love eating – so I take a break and then get back to work. I leave around 5 pm to go to the gym. When I get home, I have dinner and chill on the sofa with a movie or a book.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would like to organise an event focused on the power of training, especially for people with eating disorders. I would like to tell people about the mental and physical changes that one gets after training and how this can empower to overcome eating disorders.
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Education:
Humanitarian Studies School (Italy)
University of Camerino (Italy) – Pharmacy Degree
University of Leicester (UK) – PhD in Genetics
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Qualifications:
Well, school is different in Italy. We don’t pick individual modules but a school with pre-defined subjects. The school I picked focuses on Italian, Greek and Latin, both grammar and literature. I also studied english and math as main subjects. At the end of 5 years everyone has to pass an exam and then apply to university, where you need to pass a test before getting in. As long as you do it, everyone is completely free to change path and switch from humanitarian studies to science, for example – as I did!
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Work History:
During university, I worked as a tutor and librarian. After graduating, I briefly worked in a pharmacy and then started my PhD.
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Current Job:
I am a scientist!
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Employer:
University of Leicester
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Creative scientist, methodical planner, resilient - yet too petite - crossfitter
What did you want to be after you left school?
Teacher
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not really
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Journalist
Who is your favourite singer or band?
80s Italian songs
What's your favourite food?
Pizza!
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Cease competition and embrace collaboration among people, live in a house overlooking the sea, travel worldwide following summer
Tell us a joke.
I barely know one in my own language!
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