Profile

I am italian and I moved to London when I was 4 years old. I moved to Oxford during my university degree, which were the best years of my life! In my spare time, I am a wildlife and landscape photographer. I also love climbing and yoga! I have also done a lot of competitive fencing including taking part in the Oxford v Cambridge varsity match! Since the lockdown, I have been trying to grow my own veg in my parent’s garden. It is the first time I have ever grown my own vegetables and decided to throw myself in at the deep end growing a huge variety of things;  tomatoes, chard, courgettes, runner beans, pak choi, lettuce, parsley, basil, rocket, coriander and mangetout! Wish me luck!

I’ve recently finished my PhD, which is a qualification you achieve after writing a very long report (usually 100-300 pages!) about the research you undertook in 3-4 years! My research was based on creating new methods using MRI (a machine doctors use in hospitals to scan your body!) or a special type of microscope (confocal microscopy) to look at early stages of a disease called “atherosclerosis”. Atherosclerosis involves the build-up of fat, white blood cells and other materials inside the walls of your arteries. If this continues over a period of years, the artery might completely clog up. This is especially dangerous if this happens in arteries in the heart where it can cause a heart attack, or towards your head where it can cause a stroke.

My days are never the same! Some days I spend in front of the computer analysing my results. I have had to learn how to use different programmes to analyse my data. It’s really important to analyse it properly so you know what experiments to do next! I also make sure some time is dedicated to catching up on the latest research published in my field and having meetings with other scientists to discuss my work.

Other days are more hands on and involves me going into the lab to carry out some experiments! I’m lucky enough I get to use an MRI machine. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging and is a type of scan used in hospitals that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. It has lots of uses for example, it can be used to detect cancer, image the brain or any soft tissue injuries. I use it to look at arteries!

Finally, some days of the year I also get to attend and speak at scientific conferences. Scientists within my field meet up to present their work. It’s a great way to meet people and get up to date with cutting-edge science!