As a PhD student in the Human Physiology laboratory, led by prof Giulio Sancini, I had the opportunity to take part in the Virgilio program as a Tutor.

I strongly believe in this project because I think that the link between basic and clinical research is really important to obtain clinically relevant basic and translational research results.

With this in mind, it is essential to offer medical students the opportunity of an intensive training in scientific research.
I believe it is a great occasion for medical students to learn the basics of being in a laboratory.

The students I got to know in this project are highly motivated and have a strong desire to learn and take part into research activities. The experience in each laboratory is very intense and the students have the opportunity to work alongside their tutors and follow them in activities ranging from the laboratory management to the design of experiments and their execution and the discussion and interpretation of the results obtained.

I think that as a tutor it is essential to guide the students in the discovery of research activities by providing information on the organization of a laboratory, the planning of experiments, establishing times and methods of execution and the design of an appropriate and scientifically valid strategy to obtain a solid result in response to a question. I also think it is essential to provide a theoretical background that allows them to understand the experiments. Moreover, at the same time, it is important to provide the tools that allow them to learn independently, guiding them in reading scientific articles and reviews.

Precisely by virtue of the involvement of Tutors in this training activity, I believe, it is also a wonderful opportunity for Tutors to transmit quality information and share their research experience in a limited timeframe.
Virgilio Program offers the chance to gain research experience under the mentorship of Tutors so I strongly recommend this experience to all medical students who want to deepen the link between basic and clinical research and who are proactive, curious and eager to discover the world of research.

Giulia Terribile

PhD Student in Neuroscience
School of Medicine and Surgery
University of Milano-Bicocca