Profile
Giulia Paci
My CV
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Education:
I am originally from Italy, where I attended school and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Master’s in Applied Physics at the University of Bologna (the oldest one in the world!). I then moved to Heidelberg in Germany to start a PhD at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. In October 2019 I moved to London to join University College London for a postdoc.
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Qualifications:
The Italian school system is a bit different from the one in the UK, but my school studies focused on scientific subjects, especially physics and computer programming. After high school, I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and a Master’s degree in Applied Physics at the University of Bologna. I then moved to Germany for my PhD at the EMBL.
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Work History:
During my Bachelor’s studies I worked part-time at a Language school in my hometown as a secretary and supervising English language tests. I also did some babysitting and helped in Italian-English translations. In 2014 I moved to Germany to start my PhD and 6 months ago I came to the UK to work as a postdoctoral researcher at UCL.
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Current Job:
Right now I am a postdoctoral researcher at UCL and the LMCB (Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology). I work jointly in two research labs trying to understand the role of mechanical forces in the development of organisms.
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About Me:
I’m a researcher at UCL (physics + biology = biophysics) passionate about science education and communication. I love cats, reading and cooking Italian delicacies!
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Read more
I live in London with my partner and our 2 kittens Chai and Moka. After finishing my University studies in Italy (where I’m from) I spent 5 years in Germany for my PhD, and moved to the UK 6 months ago to join UCL as a postdoctoral researcher. I love doing and communicating science, and London has an amazing community for this with many opportunities – for example, I’ve recently become a volunteer at the Science Museum where I will do guided tours on different topics (medicine, women in science). Aside from science, I love reading (both books and comics), watching movies/TV series and cooking.
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My Typical Day:
I start off with some nice coffee and commute to UCL with the tube, usually listening to podcasts or audio messages from friends. In the lab, I do experiments at the microscope and also spend some time at the computer, analysing the data, making presentation, reading emails and reading research articles.
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Read more
I typically start my day by feeding my two kittens Chai and Moka and doing a quick yoga session at home. After a nice cup of Italian coffee, I pop on the tube and get to UCL. A typical day in the lab involves some time to catch up on emails, check recent papers that might just have been published on scientific journals, and keep track of my weekly goals and planned experiments. I typically spend some time in the “fly room” every day, to take care of the fruit flies (Drosophila) I use in my experiments: I change them in vials with fresh food, pick male and female flies to start crosses, and so on. My experiments typically involve spending time at the microscope where I can look at tissues (for example the fly wing) while I stretch them with a special mechanical device. At the end of the day, I like to commute back home by bus and read a nice book.
One of the microscopes I use in my research
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Curious, rational and kind
What did you want to be after you left school?
Engineer / scientist
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Iron Maiden
What's your favourite food?
Pasta! In particular, tagliatelle with ragu "bolognese" from my hometown
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