Lab Experience Personal reflection – Giorgio Ratti

I got the opportunity to do my 2nd lab rotation at the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG), University of Oxford, UK.

Period of stay: August 2nd – October 1st.

PI of the laboratory: Ana Domingos.

I was placed under Dr. Conan O’Brien as my Tutor.

The laboratory focus was on neuroimmunometabolism and in particular the project I was involved studied the role of immune system in the adrenal gland and its role in hormonal production and regulation.

I got an in-depth learning experience as part of this ongoing project, spending more than 300 hours in the lab. I carried out all the steps from taking adrenal gland from the mice, micro-surgically getting rid of the fat surrounding them, cryo-sectioning, antibody staining, ELISA, flow cytometry, and using confocal microscopy to visualize adrenal macrophage expression. 

I also had the opportunity to use human adrenal glands and write as well as validate adrenal gland explant protocols. In addition, I was given the responsibility to run the project independently for one entire week. This gave me an opportunity to discuss various ideas and establish models to prove them. It was a great occasion to challenge my critical thinking and provide quality work autonomously. 

The best part

The best part was that I had my bench, they trusted me, they trusted me more than everyone else did. The fact of being able to independently carry out activities was motivating, but it has its downsize as well, as sometimes it is not easy to keep the focus and when you make mistakes, you must face the situation and understand what to do next. I was lucky to have the support and guidance of my Tutor. I would advise that it is important to always admit your errors, you must be honest with yourself and your supervisor and admit your failures. Failures happen and you have to face that. Research and science can be frustrating sometimes.

There is one most important thing that I learnt, an obvious secret, that is: reasoning and reasoning more. 

We discussed everything: papers, models, protocols…this is what I loved! And always look at facts. You can only form your own opinion once you have the data to back them up, if not, it can be detrimental.

Lastly and most importantly

Lastly and most importantly: people are much more important than everything else. A project could last for years, but the lessons you learn from people, will remain with you forever. So, I encourage everyone to build strong relationships, to be respectful, humble and to do your best in what you believe in and for those who believe in you. Those connections and life lessons will last forever and give you the strength to fulfil your dreams. I truly believe this is the only way I want to achieve my dreams.

I consider Oxford experience as a milestone in my career as a medical researcher.

Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank Virgilio program for fueling my passion in research.

Sharing the Feedback I received from Tutor – Conan O’Brien

“Giorgio was incredibly enthusiastic, hardworking, punctual, and managed his time very well in the lab. On the few occasions when he was left to work unsupervised, he exceeded my expectations on what he would achieve during this time. We spoke often and in great detail about experiments, the direction of the research, and Giorgio researched and wrote a new experimental protocol which will be used in our research in the future.”