Hi all! I am Patrizia, a new member of ORBITAL-ITN. I come from Potenza, a little town in the south of Italy. There, I got my bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and then I moved to Pisa, where I did my master’s degree in Molecular Biotechnology. I worked in the field of cancer research at the laboratory of Molecular Biology and Nanomedicine at the University of Pisa, where I discovered- and fell in love with- nanomedicine. To continue pursuing this avenue of research, I applied for a Ph.D. program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, where I exploited my previous nanomedicine-related expertise for developing smart nano-based drug delivery systems suitable for targeting the posterior eye.

Thanks to the international and multidisciplinary character of my Ph.D. program, I had the amazing opportunity to fly to Ireland and carry out part of my Ph.D. research at Professor Kennedy’s lab at University College Dublin. This fantastic overseas experience allowed me to extend my knowledge in the field of retinal degeneration and implementing therapeutical strategies against vision loss. The collaboration with a high-level scientific team helped me extend my personal and professional network and approach to ORBITAL-ITN, whose research goals are in line with my scientific interests and skills. I am delighted to be part of this network, and my high commitment and willingness to help will offer my contribution to this amazing interdisciplinary team to improve human health.