Dashboard – I'm a Scientist 2024

About Me:

I am originally from Italy but I lived in US before to come to live in Leicester to pursue opportunities to research and work with bacteria
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I was born and grew up in small town in North Italy (near Lake Garda) where my original family still lives. I was the first one in my family to go to university and the only one to have obtained a PhD. I moved to Leicester in East Midlands 12 years ago and I saw the city be transformed and become a lively place to live. I enjoy visiting my friends most of whom I met during my PhD and moved away from Leicester or live in Italy. I like to travel and in particular city breaks. I am part of a knitting club and a ukulele playing club. I like to watch sports on TV (in particular winter and summer Olympics game) and go to the movies.

In the past twenty year, I relocated in different countries in order to pursue my scientific interests in bacteriology. Most of my education occurred in Italy where I was born and where I obtained a BSc in Biological Sciences and I started to work with Helicobacter pylori. This interest led me to move to US to work with Dr Blaser where I stayed for six and half years. In 2005, I relocated back to Italy for one year and half and I worked on Foot-and Mouth disease virus. Finally, I came to UK at the beginning of 2007 to pursue a PhD in Microbiology with Dr Rajakumar. While working both in US and UK, I have enjoyed interacting with people coming from cultures different than mine and discovering the uniqueness that characterize them.
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C. elegans tiny worms on a lawn made by bacteria that they eat if they like it

Scheme showing the step required to carry out an assay with C. elegans called slow-killing assay

Assay that I invented using a modified slow killing assay with C. elegans

Non-nutrient agar assay done using amoeba plated and a very thin layer of bacteria

Amoeba moving from the center of a plate and eating the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Result obtained with slow killing assay showing the ability of diverse Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to shorten the life of C. elegans worms on plate

Ability of an amoebae (Acanthamoeba castellanii) to eat and spread on a plate laced with different type of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains

Use of HTA assay to show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial strains isolated from the blood of patients (known to be more dangerous) are also more likely to kill tony C. elegans worms than strains obtained from sputum of patients (known to be less dangerous)
My Typical Day:

Preparing media and/or growing bacteria in different conditions; organize lab; place orders; check equipment if reported as faulty; organize repairs; record and analyse results
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Growing bacteria on agar plate

Looking at bacteria down a microscope

Working at computer to analyze data and to organize equipment repair
What I'd do with the prize money:

To raise the profile of technicians among the general public

Candidate CV questions (extra)

Education:

I went to a Professional high school and I obtained qualification to work as Technician in Biology or Chemistry labs; then I obtained BSc in Biological Sciences (Bio-molecular focus) at Università degli Studi di Parma (Italy); finally I obtained a PhD in Microbiology at University of Leicester
Qualifications:

PhD in Microbiology; Technicians for Biology and Chemistry laboratory
Work History:

Part-time technician at University of Leicester; Research internship at Animal Health Institute at Brescia (Italy); Research assistant at New York University (NY, USA); visiting fellow at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN, USA); Training internship at Ospedale S. Orsola (Bologna, Italy)
Current Job:

Technician and Technical service manager at University of Leicester

My Interview
- How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
  
  Reliable, organized, enthusiastic about science
  
  What did you want to be after you left school?
  
  I wanted to be involved in scientific projects and research
  
  Were you ever in trouble at school?
  
  No, I was always a good and respectful student
  
  Who is your favourite singer or band?
  
  Queen
  
  What's your favourite food?
  
  Lasagne
  
  If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
  
  I wish I could work on my own research project; I wish for the creation of United States of Europe; I wish there could be more money for scientific and artistic projects (and less for weapons)
  
  Tell us a joke.
  
  A horse enters a bar and sits down on a stool. The bartender asks: "Why the long face?"