How can mathematics help us understand how the immune system reacts to mRNA vaccines? That’s the question Federica Vanone started exploring during a research internship at COSBI, where she developed her Master’s thesis project “A first principles approach to decode the interferon response to mRNA vaccines in antigen presenting cells.”
After completing her Master’s in Quantitative and Computational Biology at the University of Trento, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at the University of Trieste, Federica began her PhD in Applied Mathematics at the Gran Sasso Science Institute (L’Aquila) in November 2022.
In this interview, she reflects on her research journey, her experience at COSBI, and what she has learned along the way.
- What is your role today and what are you working on? I am currently a third-year PhD student in applied Mathematics at GSSI – Gran Sasso Science Institute (L’Aquila). My research focuses on mathematical modelling of ion and fluid transport across the corneal endothelium to understand the mechanisms involved in corneal hydration.
- In this role, has anything you learned during your thesis at COSBI turned out to be useful?During my thesis at COSBI, I learned how to approach a biological problem and to translate it into equations, which is the basis of my research now. I improved in scientific writing, and I learned the importance of having a rigorous method to keep track of my progress, easing the writing process. Moreover, I had the chance to work in an interdisciplinary team, which is essential for research between Mathematics and Biology.
- How did your time at COSBI contribute to your personal or professional growth? The experience at COSBI and the exchange with people working there helped me in taking a decision about my plans after graduation, when I was still undecided whether to apply for a PhD. Personally, it also helped in understanding how to cope with the downsides of research, to overcome its difficulties and not to be discouraged by the less productive periods.
- Looking back, what is your best memory of COSBI? My best memory of COSBI is related to the comfortable and friendly working environment. Sharing the office with colleagues, spending time together during the breaks and participating to presentations and scientific events held there made me feel part of a team, despite the brief period I spent there.
- What advice would you give to students who are just starting their research journey? It’s difficult to know what being a researcher means before trying. So, when you start your first research project, I would suggest exploring all the aspects of the job to understand what it means and if it suites you, also exploiting the interaction with colleagues and their experiences.
Wishing Federica the best for her journey, we are thrilled to see what she’ll do next! Stay tuned for more alumni stories!
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