VISITING RESEARCHER IN JAMMU (INDIA)

 As a member of the board of the International Society of Ethnopharmacology (ISE), I was invited to give a presentation at the International Conference on Traditional Medicine and Phytopharmaceuticals (ICTMP) & the 11th International Congress of the Society for Ethnopharmacology (SFEC2024). The theme of the conference was "Ethnopharmacology in the Development of Phytopharmaceutical Drugs." My presentation, titled "Of the Essence of Bergamot," brought a touch of Calabria, where bergamot is produced, to that remote and fascinating part of India, the city of Jammu, the capital of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, at the foothills of the Himalayas. In India, Ayurvedic medicine—with its treatments based on medicinal herbs, a predominantly vegetarian healthy diet, yoga, massages, and meditation—is very widespread. This inclination towards a "natural" lifestyle sparked curiosity about the pharmacological properties of this ancient Calabrian fruit, the bergamot.

 Prof. Domenico Vittorio Delfino, Professor

 

VISITING RESEARCHER IN HANOI (VIETNAM)

 I have been visiting research, clinic and university facilities in Hanoi since 2006.  I have established a very good relationship with the researchers of the Institute of Chemistry of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).  In those laboratories, they collect and catalog medicinal plants from the Vietnamese medical tradition and extract their active ingredients.  Here, in Perugia, we test their bioactivity with our biotechnological methods.  Thanks to this, we have published interesting articles on ethno-pharmaceuticals.  In Vietnam, I, my collaborators and students have participated in field research of medicinal plants and attended hospitals where Vietnamese Traditional Medicine is practiced in the form of medicinal plants, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, massage, Qi Gong, Tai Chi.  Added to this was an exciting experience about culture with the Vietnamese people.

 Prof. Domenico Vittorio Delfino, Professor

 

ERASMUS IN GLASGOW (SCOTLAND)

Hi, I am Martina Carlini, I am a PhD student in Inflammatory and Infectious Patologies, Therapeutical Strategies and Biolaw at the Dept. of Surgery and Medicine of Perugia. I was for 3 month in Glasgow, in the Centre For Virus research for the abroad period of my PhD. I was there in a group working in my field of study, so it was a very important experience to me. It was great to have suggestions and the possibility to share ideas and knowledge about my project.

It was also great to see how other groups are working, other laboratories and new techniques. The Centre was new and very well equipped.

Also the interaction with international people gave me the possibility to improve my English and to came in contact with different culture from all around the World. This experience has enriched me from a human and scientific point of view.

 

Dr. Martina Carlini, PhD student

 

 

ERASMUS IN BERLIN (GERMANY)

 

 

Hi everyone! I’m Fiorenza. It is a real pleasure to share my experience:  in September I moved to Berlin for 4 months, working in Max Planck Institute  according to my PhD program. I worked with an important scientific group in my research field and I had the opportunity to improve and learn new skills.  People in the laboratory were kind with me and I grew from a professional and personal point of view. Berlin is an amazing city and I enjoied a lot, meeting international people becoming also friends. At the beginning I was afraid to go in Berlin completely alone but then I loved the city, people and my life there. I think that everyone should do a similar experience.

 

Dr. Fiorenza Malena, PhD student

 

 

 

ERASMUS IN MARTINSRIED (GERMANY)

Hello everyone, I am Sofia Rossini and I am a Researcher at the Medicine and Surgery Dept. of University of Perugia. I’m very grateful to share with you my abroad research experience! I spent four months in a relevant research institute in Martinsried, located on a comfortable campus with strong support for international students. I had a room in the guest house, very close to the institute, and I could reach every service in Martinsried by a peaceful walk. Luckily, in the institute, I met very nice and kind people, who were fundamental in my adapting to the new environment and in making the experience more interesting! We were a group of international students, from Germany, Italy, France, Swiss, and Greece, with different habits but the same objective: do research and laugh! The “lab life” was attractive, as I learned a lot of advanced techniques and got important results for my research. However, the best aspect was that the time in Martinsried passed slowly, away from the chaos of the city and immersed in the snow. It was a very productive, but relaxing experience for me! I love this place, and still bring with me a very good memory of that fantastic period!

Dr. Sofia Rossini, Researcher.

 

ERASMUS IN BRAGA (PORTUGAL)

 

 

Hi everyone! I’m Chiara, I am a Researcher at the Medicine and Surgery Dept. of University of Perugia. I had the pleasure to stay in Braga (Portugal) at the University of Minho for six months. It was an amazing experience during which I met new people, established collaborative contacts, and had the opportunity to acquire new technical skills useful for my work. I left from Perugia alone, with many emotions about how that experience would be, and now I’m proud of all the challenges I overcame and of the person I have become after Erasmus. I really appreciated the Portuguese culture, the cities, the landscapes, and the food. I tried to learn the language to better feel part of the group, and sometimes I really miss saying “Bom dia” to my colleagues once they arrive in the lab. In my opinion everyone should have an international experience as these are life-long memories.

 

Dr. Chiara Suvieri, Researcher.