Giulia left Rome for Sydney almost five years ago for “overseas experience” – she’s still here.
Post doctoral researcher Dr Giulia Silvani has “loved the idea of Australia” for as long as she can remember. Wanting an “overseas experience” after completing her PhD at Sapienza, University of Rome, conducting her research at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), she arrived in Sydney in 2019 just a couple of months before COVID.
“Basically, for three years I was stuck, but I was lucky, because I had so many opportunities. I started at Victor Chang [Cardiac Research Institute] and then worked as a post doc at UTS. And I am now in my second year here at UNSW.”
Giulia is a biomedical engineer who is tackling one of the biggest challenges in oncology – the most aggressive type of brain cancer, glioblastoma or GBM. Her research focus is to develop a 3D microenvironment based on microfluidic technology to replicate cancer tissues to help understand the mechanism of their aggressiveness.
She says her recent $200,000 Research Rebels grant over two years from the Charlie Teo Foundation will enable a PhD student to work with her on her project.
“It’s very exciting for me because the grant means I can begin to build my own team and hopefully it will help when I apply for funding in the future, especially big grants like a DECRA [ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award],” Giulia says.
As a UNSW Women in Maths and Science Champion, it’s no surprise that Giulia “loves engaging with students and sharing her passion for science”.
“I really love teaching – I take care of part of a course in polymer science – and I also have a couple of students following my research in the lab. We have a lot of fun together,” she says.
From serious pianist to playing for pleasure
Giulia began playing the piano when she was five, before her feet could reach the pedals.
“I started because I was copying whatever my best friend did at the time, and she started piano lessons. I came home and said, ‘Mum, I want to learn the piano’. And my mother started crying, because she had always wanted to learn as a child.
“My friend stopped playing after only a week, but I kept going. I was quite serious about it and went to the Conservatory and entered lots of competitions. But when I was studying engineering at university, it was very intense and busy, so I stopped taking lessons and just play for pleasure now. I have a piano at home and am always playing,” she says.
A documentary street photographer
When Giulia was in primary school, she always had a camera in her hand. To begin with, It was one of those where you use it, develop the photos and throw it away
“My parents worked for Alitalia, the airline, and they travelled a lot when they were young. I grew up with huge albums of photos of my parents in exotic places like Bali and Thailand. My father lived for a while in Australia because he was doing long-haul flights,”
Growing up with those photos made Giulia realise that she wanted to travel. So she went to India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Africa – always with a camera in her hand.
“I really like documentary street photography. I like to tell a story with my photos, to describe a moment. I concentrate on the composition and the meaning. Even if it’s an ‘ugly’ photo, I think it’s important to send a message with it,” Giulia says.
“I like to capture memories – to keep a moment forever.”
What’s the best advice you ever received?
I am translating from the Italian, but something like, ‘When you are happy, try to notice it and embrace the moment’.
What makes you happy?
Travelling, 100%. I like to be challenged when I travel, not to take it easy.
What day in your life would you like to relive?
I have been away from my parents’ place for five years now and there’s no specific day, but I would like to be there in summer, having lunch in the garden and laughing with them and my brother.
What’s the best thing you’ve read in the past year?
The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli. It’s the fifth time I’ve read it.
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