My journey to Israel began with curiosity. During my PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy, my PhD supervisor encouraged me to pursue an international secondment. That decision brought me to Israel for a year as a visiting PhD student in the laboratory of Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro at Tel Aviv University, drawn by the lab’s international reputation in nanomedicine and drug delivery and by Israel’s culture of scientific innovation. That year proved transformative. I experienced firsthand an academic culture that encourages initiative, interdisciplinary collaboration, and translational thinking. Discussions moved quickly from fundamental mechanisms to clinical implications. Engineers, biologists, and clinicians interacted closely. Scientific ideas were constantly evaluated not only for their novelty, but for their potential real-world impact.

When I completed my PhD, returning to Israel for a postdoctoral fellowship felt like a natural next step. I was honored to be offered the opportunity to continue in the same research environment that had already shaped my scientific perspective so profoundly. Today, as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Cancer Biology & Immunology at Tel Aviv University in the laboratory of Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, my research focuses on developing next-generation nanomedicine platforms to improve targeted drug delivery. I am particularly interested in neuroinflammatory diseases, including brain cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.

Starting a postdoc in a time of national stress was not something I anticipated earlier in my career. When the situation escalated, I would be dishonest if I said I did not pause. I had conversations with my family in Italy, who naturally worried about my safety and asked whether it was wise to continue. I asked myself the same question. Returning was not a purely professional decision; it was also personal. But what ultimately guided me was the conviction that meaningful work should not be suspended by fear. The colleagues I work with continued to show up with commitment and resilience, balancing personal concerns with professional responsibility. Seeing that determination made my choice clearer. I realized that being part of a scientific community also means sharing in its challenges, not only its successes. What has stood out to me most is the determination I see in the academic and medical communities to continue building, teaching, treating, and researching. Even amid uncertainty, the work of developing better therapies remains deeply relevant because disease does not pause, and the need for medical progress remains constant. The experience reinforced my belief that science is a long-term endeavor, driven by purpose and responsibility.

One of the greatest challenges in treating brain diseases is the blood–brain barrier, a protective biological shield that prevents most drugs from reaching the brain. While essential for protecting neural tissue, it represents a major obstacle for therapy. My work involves designing nanoscale delivery systems capable of overcoming this barrier, enhancing therapeutic precision while minimizing unwanted side effects. To test and refine these strategies, I develop advanced microfluidic models of the blood–brain barrier and three-dimensional disease platforms that better mimic human physiology. These models allow us to evaluate drug transport, efficacy, and safety in systems that are more predictive than traditional laboratory methods. By integrating formulation science, bioengineering, and disease biology, we aim to create smarter and more effective therapeutic approaches.

An important dimension of my professional growth here has been participating in Teva’s BioInnovators Forum. Having followed a continuous academic path, from undergraduate studies to PhD and directly into postdoctoral research, I realized that understanding the industrial side of pharmaceutical development is essential for meaningful translational impact. The BioInnovators Forum offers insight into how discoveries move beyond the laboratory: through regulatory processes, clinical development, manufacturing strategy, and commercialization. For an academic researcher, this exposure is invaluable. It strengthens the ability to design research not only with scientific rigor, but with a clear pathway toward patient benefit.

Science today is deeply international. My journey from Italy to Israel, first as a visiting PhD student and later as a postdoctoral fellow, reflects the importance of cross-border collaboration in tackling complex medical challenges. In the laboratory, ideas are guided by evidence and shared goals. Ultimately, my decision to build part of my career in Israel has been grounded in scientific excellence, intellectual curiosity, and the drive to develop therapies that can truly improve patients’ lives. That mission remains constant, regardless of circumstance, and it continues to shape my work every day.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)