From brain injury research to a new perspective on science: my Lab experience at Mario Negri – Anna Tocchetti

I got the opportunity to do my first lab rotation at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, in the Laboratory of Traumatic Brain Injury and Neuroprotection.

PI of the laboratory: Prof. Elisa Zanier
Tutor: Dr. Francesca Pischiutta

The lab focuses on traumatic brain injury, neuroinflammation and neuroprotection, by investigating the mechanisms of brain damage and potential therapeutic strategies.

My experience & learnings

Having the opportunity to attend my lab rotation at the Mario Negri Institute was definitely a meaningful experience. I had the chance to take a closer look at how a large laboratory works and how all its different parts cooperate.

I had no idea how difficult research could be: going from studying a single cell to studying the same processes in a whole organism is a completely different thing! Experiments do not always work as expected, and technical problems, variability between samples, and unexpected results are all part of the research process.

I have to admit that, at the beginning, it was quite hard to work with such microscopic models as neonatal mouse cortex samples, especially after years of taking a more macroscopic approach to studying medicine. However, I was kindly guided through the whole process by the wonderful lab team, who also showed me how a good working environment is the foundation of good research!

One thing is sure: after this rotation, my approach to scientific literature has radically changed. Having seen how scientific evidence is actually produced, I now have a greater awareness of the long and complex process behind those results.

In the end, I want to sincerely thank the Virgilio Program once again for this opportunity, as well as Prof. Elisa Zanier, Dr. Francesca Pischiutta, and the whole laboratory team for welcoming me and making these weeks such a meaningful learning experience.