Alumni
Course: 2023-2024
I am a biotechnologist moved by a curious and collaborative attitude. Between 2004 and 2009, I studied Medical Biotechnology at the University of Milan (city where I am from). After joining two research laboratories at the San Raffaele Hospital (Milan) and the Babraham Institute (Cambridge, UK), from 2011 to 2017 I carried out a PhD and Postdoc at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (Barcelona, Spain). My project focused on studying antitumour compounds targeting a molecular mechanism called RNA splicing. Since 2018, I moved from academia to industry, becoming a Field Applications Scientist in Spain for Illumina (the company leading the Next Generation Sequencing technology field): I provide technical counselling/support to Spanish customers, with a special focus on genetic testing. Since the pandemics, I have been supporting public hospitals sequencing SARS-CoV-2 for surveillance purposes. I started being every day more interested in sequencing applications for global health and therefore I decided to join this MGH master.
“During the first months of the master, my objective was getting in touch with this ocean, learning how to use the compass and maps of this field, settling the basis for the future navigation. In other words, I have had the opportunity to enter the essence of Global Health: its historical evolution and main actors, details on epidemiological studies, surveillance, burden of disease, determinants of health and available tools. I especially value getting trained on critical thinking, through extensive interaction with professors and colleagues.
We are not taught unidirectionally the navigations rules, but we are stimulated to navigate ourselves, to practice and develop our own skillset. What I need from the master is exactly a critical mindset and multidisciplinary approach. I feel I am enlarging my views to see the big picture, or the horizon, before narrowing down to a specific topic. I find it essential to understand where I am on the map, but not to lose the destination while watching the compass.
Before starting the master, I was marginally involved in sequencing-based surveillance activities, and I got very interested in this field. Along the modules, I am learning about many more aspects of global health. Having a background in medical biotechnology and sequencing, I need these additional knowledge and tools for a proper navigation. Indeed, I am interested in applications of technology for healthcare. The WHO directed recent efforts on building guidelines for TB and other pathogens sequencing for surveillance and pandemics preparedness. Despite the high costs of technology, there is space for developing cost-effective strategies and finding partnerships between public and private sector for the common interest. But for doing this, it’s necessary to have a global view in mind”.
My future engagement in Global Health
I am highly motivated to get further insights into leading topics, like mental health, neglected diseases, extensive infections (like malaria, TB, HIV). It will contribute to set a solid basis to rely on. Technical skills can be acquired, but they need to be contextualized in a big and critical picture: that’s exactly what I am building through the master, learning interactively from key opinion leaders in the field. Although the journey can be sometime overwhelming or challenging, I am willing to go on learning how to tackle today and future challenges of human health. Thinking I might take part of this challenge is my main motivation.
Health has always been and keeps being the most compromised among human rights.
Although progress, technology and development are improving life for several people, global challenges and inequities are everyday more alarming. I think that most of humanity’s efforts should aim at improving people’s health in an equitable and multidisciplinary way. Among the most important topics to work on, I highlight climate change, resources distribution, mental health, and antibiotic resistance. On the other hand, we still need to keep working on the “unfinished agenda” of the fight of communicable diseases in low-income countries and be prepared for possible global pandemics. To maximise the results, we should rely on a OneHealth approach (involving environmental, agricultural and veterinarian fields) as well as on digital and AI (Artificial Intelligence) technologies. Although the horizon of “ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” might be hard to reach, it’s time to get closer step by step, with small but effective, sustainable, and fair approaches.