Camilla’s adventures in Canada

Camilla Romagnoli is a third-year PhD student at CeMi. She went to Canada for her internship and this is her story 🙂

Hi there! I’m Camilla, currently in the third year of my PhD. From August to December 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Professor Francis Rodier’s lab at the CRCHUM (Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal) in Montreal, Quebec. My project focuses on senescence and how mechanical properties impact the senescent phenotype. Professor Rodier is a pioneer in the field of senescence, and his research has laid the groundwork for our understanding of this topic, so the goal during my visit was to absorb as much knowledge as possible regarding senescence induction and assessment.

Being part of Professor Rodier’s lab, which operates within the cancer department of CRCHUM, provided me with invaluable insights into the intersection of cancer treatment, DNA damage response, and senescence. I had the privilege to experiment with cutting-edge techniques such as irradiation for inducing senescence and analysing cancerous tissues from patients to observe senescence markers pre- and post-treatment. Additionally, I gained insights into DNA damage response and the time dependency of senescence. During my time there I also participated to the annual CRCHUM conference and I was awarded with the Best Poster Prize!

I’m immensely thankful to Professor Rodier for welcoming me into his research group. My time there was amazing not only from a scientific point of view, but also very enriching from a personal perspective: I met many new people from different backgrounds, started new friendships, experience the breath-taking Canadian foliage, and I even got the chance to see whales (but not bears unfortunately)!

Overall, my visit to Montreal was a memorable journey filled with learning, discovery, and unforgettable experiences. I’m truly grateful to the school of engineering for the Scholarship, for the chance to immerse myself in a new culture, explore amazing places, and deepen my understanding of senescence research.