What inspired you to come to the field of Biomedical Engineering? When did you first realize that you wanted to venture into this area?

I’ve always been interested in life changing solutions: solving health issues and improving the quality of life for patients. Engineering, because I’ve always been attracted to cutting-edge technology. So, I decided to pursue both my undergraduate and graduate studies in Biomedical Engineering. I was living in Milan, and Politecnico di Milano is the best engineering university in Italy. I grew passionate about the field especially during my time in Portugal as a visiting researcher for a year, when I was a graduate student. I had the privilege of working with a professor there, who inspired me. That’s when I realized that someday I would like to have my own lab and continue doing biomedical research. 

 

Did you start exploring research as an undergraduate student? What has your journey been like as a researcher? 

For my undergraduate research project, I was developing a catheter for drug delivery. It was a small project. And as a graduate student, I joined a biomaterials lab, where I started developing biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. I worked with natural polymers- alginate, pectin derived from natural sources, and I specifically focused on microspheres as a delivery system. We were working on an injectable system for cell delivery to a site of injury. I was studying the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into bone cells inside the microspheres- the microspheres would provide an environment for the cells to be immobilized and be differentiated, and when they’d be injected in a bone defect, they’d start to regenerate bone tissues. The microspheres would have a localized confinement at the site of the injury, and stay there for a while before they’d degrade for bone tissue regeneration. Part of my study was conducted in Portugal, and I had the opportunity to expand my knowledge in stem cells while I worked there as well. 

 

What led you to Brown University? What has it been like working for Dr. Coulombe? 

After graduate school, I did my first postdoc in Milan. But in Italy, the funding for research is not as good as in the U.S. At one point, I realized that I didn’t have sufficient research support. It was challenging to become a principal investigator due to the lack of funding. I was debating whether to stay in academia or find a position in the industry. I was open to possibilities. A friend of mine was working at WPI as a visiting researcher, and she saw the opening in Kareen’s lab for a postdoc with expertise in biomaterials and stem cells, and told me about it. I sent out my resume, and it was a perfect match! 

It’s been great! I found a very nice environment to conduct research. Kareen is a great mentor. When I started as a postdoc, the work was different than my expertise, so I had to go through training, and expand my knowledge on cardiovascular systems and regeneration. I used my time here to learn a lot. This year, I transitioned to a research assistant professor. Now I can develop my own ideas and conduct research, I am writing grants to support my own projects- it’s getting to the next level. It’s very exciting! I feel like this is the best place I could have ever found to start my research!  

 

Congratulations on your new position! So far, of all your work, what is something that you’re most proud of? 

Hmm… Of all my work, I am the most proud of a paper that’s in preparation right now. We plan to submit it by the end of October. So I really can’t talk much about it. But it will be my first paper as a last author- it’s my own research project, and I was working on it here at Brown, and collaborating with a team in Pavia, Italy, to develop this idea. I am really excited to have it published soon. Another work that I am proud of is a paper that was published in Biomacromolecules- it was my first paper that had a significant impact factor. It was a collaborative paper, with my work in Portugal. I was a young graduate student, and having a paper with a reasonably high impact factor was really exciting!

 

Would you like to share what you’re working on at present in the Coulombe lab? 

Currently I am working on developing biomaterials for revascularization therapy, focusing more on ischemic diseases, and am working to find a good therapeutic solution for ischemic diseases- combining biomaterials and growth factors. I’m also starting to explore the immune system a little more. The immune system regulates and initiates angiogenic processes, and I’m trying to leverage the immune system to start angiogenesis and healing the ischemic injuries. I am trying to combine vascular engineering and immune engineering to find therapeutics. 

 

As a scientist, how do you handle experimental failures? How do you handle moments when you feel like you’ve hit a dead-end? 

Experimental failures happen a lot in research. When students come to me with experimental failures, I tell them it’s normal in research. Experiments will fail, and you have to try again. Sometimes you hypothesize, and experiments don’t work out and your hypothesis is proven wrong. You lose time and effort, and your research is not exactly where you wanted it to go. But having good mentors always help. I manage to go through this process by telling myself that bad result is still result. The results may not be what you expected them to be, but you can always build something else from it. You gain knowledge from failed experiments. You are allowed to fail. I had mentors who’ve guided me through my failures, and now I try to be there for my students. I tell them, “You have learned from these experiments that didn’t work out, and now, you can move on to something else and work on that, based on what you’ve learned.” 

 

According to you, what are the top 3 qualities one must possess to be a great researcher? 

You need to have a strong motivation, that will guide you through your darkest moments as a researcher. You need to be open to being pushed outside of your comfort zone- if you need to learn new techniques and expand your knowledge, be ready for it. I personally attribute this quality to my success as a researcher. I brought in my expertise but was not afraid to change my focus of research and learn new things. And, be determined, especially if you have your own ideas. Don’t back down, and carry on with your ideas; have strong determination, but be curious and open-minded. 

 

What has it been like as an international to come here and start a life from scratch? 

It was difficult initially- it’s a different country, different language, and my friends and family were so far from me. The language, especially, can be a big challenge. But I think adapted really well, because I found a great working environment here. I felt included from my peers and colleagues. Being a part of a diverse research group is a great thing, and it holds true for all work environment. As an immigrant woman, I really value diversity and inclusion. 

 

It’s really inspiring to meet a mother and a determined researcher, like you. Last question, how do you balance your life? 

It’s hard work. You have to be really good at managing your time. You learn to organize your time better. You learn to make time for your family. I used to be a full-time researcher and work-oriented. Now I am learning to set aside some time for my family, because it’s important. I am still trying to find the optimal balance between family and research.