Interviews with Scientists: Agnese Solari
Agnese Solari was born in Chiavari, a small town near Genova in Italy. She completed her undergrad degree in Biological Sciences at University of Genova, then went on to do a masters in Experimental Applied Biology, curriculum Human Biology and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Pavia, Italy. In 2015, Agnese won a six-month Erasmus Traineeship grant at the Neuroscience Department at the Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche in Spain.
After her traineeship, Agnese returned to Italy to start her PhD in Experimental Neuroscience at the University of Genova. Currently, she is a third year PhD student working on cancer stem cells in human primary brain tumors like glioblastoma and meningioma at the Pharmacology Lab of Professors Barbieri and Florio.
We spoke to Agnese all about her work, her interests, and what a typical day in the lab looks like for her.
Thanks Agnese for taking the time to speak with us! First of all, tell us more about your PhD...
I am working on meningioma and glioblastoma tumor models. Several recent studies suggest that initiation and progression of malignant tumors are driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs) characterized by self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. Conventional antineoplastic agents often fail to hit CSCs which repopulate the tumor mass, causing relapse. Recently, CSCs and their functional role have also been studied in benign tumors such as meningioma.
In particular, I am studying the role of putative CSCs in meningioma as determinants of tumor aggressiveness (about 12% of meningiomas recur, representing a serious therapeutic challenge!) I prepared primary cell cultures from human meningiomas and I am evaluating stemness markers, proliferation rate, ability to form meningospheres, and differentiation in mesenchymal lineages.
Did you always want to be a scientist when you were younger, and why?
Yes! I’ve been interested in Biology since I was a little girl. When I was 9 years old my parents gave me an encyclopedia of Biology on CD-ROM which showed different samples you could zoom in on like a virtual microscope. Shortly after, I received a kids’ microscope! And my story is still ongoing…
What advice would you give to someone just starting their PhD?
Don’t be shy, always discuss your doubts with your supervisor and colleagues who have more experience. Learn as many techniques as possible, keeping your curiosity and enthusiasm alight! Attend meetings and congresses of young researchers in order to gain confidence in your skills, and to make new scientific and interesting connections.
What are you enjoying most about your PhD?
I really appreciate the kindness of the people I am working with, and the possibility of improving my expertise in imaging and microscopy techniques. That’s one of my passions!
Tell us a bit more about what you’re working on at the moment...
At the moment I am preparing my PhD thesis. My project is focused on meningioma, studying the role of putative cancer stem cells in these benign tumors as determinants of their aggressiveness. In particular I am isolating the endothelial cell subpopulations by immunomagnetic sorting, and evaluating their functional characteristics such as proliferation, self-renewal ability, migration, etc.
What does a typical day in the lab look like for you?
My typical day in the lab starts with having a look at “my” cell cultures, and consequently planning further experiments. I might wait for a possible call from the department of neurosurgery and in that case, I receive a sample after surgery to perform primary cell cultures. I might also do a bit of work at my computer for statistical analysis, and to read a few articles.
If you weren’t a scientist, what do you think you’d be doing?
I love handcrafting, so I think I might have fancied being a wood carver or goldsmith.
Outside the lab, what do you enjoy doing?
At the weekends I like spending my time with my friends and family. On rainy days, I love to relax at home with my three cats. In summer, as soon as I’m outside the lab, I like going to the beach and swimming. I also like flying and travelling to discover new places.
What do you think are the biggest challenges currently facing life scientists and their work?
In Italy little money has been invested in research, but I think that early career researchers, and not only the younger ones, have been discouraged by the lack of recognition and value of their work as real job.
Which scientists working today do you most admire, and why?
Elena Cattaneo, she is an Italian pharmacologist and and co-founding director of Center for Stem Cell Research at the University of Milan. Last September I had the pleasure of meeting her at Stem Cells for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Rome. She is a strong woman, politically engaged in Parliament, and internationally recognised for her major commitment to research ethics and research policy, and for increasing knowledge and engagement in research among the general public.
What’s your favourite science quote?
“Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.” -- Oscar Wilde
What do you think is the greatest scientific discovery of all time?
Penicillin, a mould that saved many lives.
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Thank you so much Agnese, as with all our brilliant interviewees we wish you the very best of luck with your research!
Follow Agnese on Twitter @Agnese20874062
Find Agenese on Researchgate here and find her publications here.
Agnese is also the co-editor of an Italian blog La Scienza in Pillole, which you can find on Facebook @scienzainpillole
