Fabiola Iommazzo is just 23 years old but she is pretty sure about her future career goals: her greatest wish is to become an oncology researcher. And it’s with this young student attending the Università degli Studi di Milano that we are kicking off our new project, Meet our talents. A series of videos where the talents supported by our foundation share with us their university choices and reveal to us their biggest dreams.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m Fabiola, I’m 23 years old and I was born and raised in Varese, where I’ve completed the Bachelor of Science in Biology at Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. I’m now attending the Master’s degree in Biomedical Omics at La Statale in Milan. I perfectly remember when I fell in love with the world of science: it happened at a conference on nanomedicine during the last year of high school. After that event, in fact, I decided to apply to Biology. I’ve loved my Bachelor’s degree as it has taught me to appreciate the universe of infinitely small things and love every aspect of nature.
What’s your degree all about?
My Master’s degree focuses on the application of omic technologies to biomedical research. Omics enable you to extract a lot of data from a cell. We must bear in mind that biological systems are extremely complex, especially if affected by a disease: they therefore need to be studied with a holistic approach. You can compare omics to a puzzle: every piece gives you a specific information, but it makes sense only as a whole.
Why have you chosen this path?
First of all, because it’s very innovative. Until very recently, I had no idea what omics were as we didn’t cover this topic during my Bachelor’s degree. When I discovered that these techniques were revolutionising the world of research, I was immediately intrigued. Secondly, because it gives me the chance to learn more about hot topics such as precision medicine, early diagnosis and data analysis. Last but not least, because we have a lot of labs and we are just a small group of students: I believe that the less we are, the more we learn and are able to build productive relationships with our professors.
What do you love the most about your degree program?
The teaching method: it’s very interactive. We discuss about things, we share our thoughts, we speak about what’s happening in the science world today. Furthermore, professors teach passionately and are always eager to help you out.
What are your future goals?
I passed through many stages: at one point, for example, I even wanted to be an art restorer. Now, I’m absolutely sure about my future: my dream is to become an oncology researcher. If you think about it, treating a cell affected by cancer is a bit like restoring an art work. You must figure out how the art work looked like before deteriorating, and then you can start fixing it. The same thing happens with cells affected by cancer. I’ve chosen to dedicate my life to research as research means to me curiosity, observation and awe: there’s nothing ordinary when you think about nature.