Giulia Zuccarini
During my bachelor in Biological Science, at the University of Turin - Italy, I decided to do an internship in a developmental neurobiology lab, triggered by a curiosity for the topic.
Surrounded by many groups studying different aspects of life sciences, I realized the thousands of possibilities this world offers and that, above all, I wanted to study one of the most complex and fascinating problems of nature: how the brain works.
I continued my studies with a master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology, with a focus on Neurobiology, during which I worked on my own exciting project, studying the development of the endocannabinoid system in the zebrafish larva. I went to Tel Aviv University to complete some experiments to conclude and publish my work, and here I got even more excited about this amazing animal model. Convinced that I wanted to become a great neuroscientist, after graduation I continued to work in the lab as research fellow while looking for the right PhD program.
I was looking for a PhD project where to learn how to study neuronal circuits and related behaviours, a topic that has always intrigued me and I haven’t had a chance to explore yet. When I first discovered about Zenith, I was really excited: studying systems neuroscience by taking advantage of all the possibilities offered by the transparent brain of zebrafish – exactly what I wanted to do! Finding out more about the program and its partners, definitely convinced me: up until now, my little experience is limited to topics closely related to my cellular/molecular background and I feel I need a broader approach to research. I believe that the multidisciplinarity and collaborations that Zenith encourages are something absolutely necessary to become a complete neuroscientist, and I’m looking forward to learning how to tackle the questions of neuroscience with a more critical approach, by acquiring new skills in the fields of genetics, behavioural analysis, imaging, optics and modelling.