We discussed this with Costanza Montagna, UniCamillus researcher who returned to Italy in 2021
Research is a career path stimulated mainly by passion, curiosity, the movement of ideas and more. A combination of what has been done in the state of the art, and what still needs to be done, which comes to life in the heads and goals of scholars. How does it feel to decide to dedicate your life to research, perhaps even leaving your home country? And what does it feel like to return? What does Italy offer in terms of research?
We asked Costanza Montagna, researcher at UniCamillus University and graduate in Cellular and Molecular Biology. After a PhD course that began in Italy and continued in Denmark, she returned to her homeland in 2021. But she has been collaborating with UniCamillus since 2018, as she herself reveals.
Why did you specifically choose Denmark for your PhD and post-doctoral studies?
“I chose Denmark because of an opportunity I could not pass up. During my PhD at the University of Tor Vergata in Rome, my mentor had the opportunity to move and set up a new unit at the Danish Cancer Institute (DCI) in Copenhagen. I enthusiastically accepted the proposal and moved there in 2014. It was a choice that brought me great satisfaction, both academically and personally. Indeed, Denmark is a country at the forefront of scientific research as well as civil rights and work-life balance. During this long Danish period, I had two children and never felt my career threatened.”
What did you find stimulating and rewarding about working abroad? And what were the challenges?
“During my first period in Copenhagen, I completed my thesis in the Cell Biology laboratories of the prestigious DCI. The Danes are kind and helpful people, but they have very different cultural and social habits from ours. The early days were therefore complicated, but the excitement of being able to work in a state-of-the-art research centre with the best available technology pushed me forward without looking back. Moreover, the Danish scientific reality is highly international, making us expats feel a little more at home. Afterwards, I moved as a post-doc to the Institute of Sports Medicine in Copenhagen (ISMC, DK, first Sports Science Institute according to the Shanghai 2020 ranking). This period (2017-2021) was crucial for my scientific independence as I led the cell biology side in a sports laboratory.”
What were the significant differences between working in Italy and abroad in your research field?
“Working in Copenhagen has been a very rewarding and educational experience. Denmark is experiencing a true scientific and cultural renaissance. Scientific research is based on cutting-edge technology and the research centres are constantly being updated. In Italy, research funding is unfortunately scarce. In numbers, research and development funding represents 2.89% of the GDP in Denmark, compared to 1.33% in Italy (2.24% on average in the 27 EU countries, Eurostat data 2022). In 2020, the Fondazione Umberto Veronesi, for which I was a researcher for several years, launched an appeal to the government to bring Italian funding into line with European funding, but unfortunately to date we are still lagging behind. Moreover, salaries are inadequate, thus limiting the creation of an international network of excellence.”
What motivated you to come back to Italy?
“Although my scientific career was progressing successfully, I felt the need to return to Italy, in search of a greater sense of belonging and familiarity with the cultural context. In addition, my eldest child would soon be starting primary school, and this moment really pushed me not to wait any longer. In 2021, I decided to return to Italy and the Fondazione Veronesi allowed me to take the first step, awarding me the Post-doctoral Fellowship Award for three consecutive years. During this time, I worked as a senior post-doc at the University of Tor Vergata researching new molecular mechanisms useful in the therapy of rhabdomyosarcoma.”
How did you get to UniCamillus? And what are your main responsibilities here?
“In 2023, I became a Type B Researcher (RTB) at UniCamillus, a university I had been working with for years. UniCamillus is an international university, and this allows me to breathe the Copenhagen air. I have now been working with UniCamillus since 2018, the year it was founded. Teaching gives me a lot of satisfaction, and I enjoy being in daily contact with students and people from other countries. I feel as if I am facing a wider world. In addition to teaching, which is my great passion, I am in charge of the MSc Human Nutrition Sciences programme. I am therefore often busy trying to offer our students updates and seminars that can make a difference in the world of work, but also sow the seeds for their possible future scientific research.”
What are the current or future research projects to which you are contributing or intend to contribute?
“My experience in cancer biology and muscle tissue biology led me to study rhabdomyosarcoma, a paediatric tumour, which originates from muscle cells, unfortunately still with a difficult prognosis. Studying the molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis is my main interest.”
How do you assess the support provided by UniCamillus for the academic and professional career development of its faculty members and researchers?
“UniCamillus is a young university, which invests in young people. This attitude has enabled the creation of a strong network of researchers from different disciplines, which is unique in the scientific landscape, and I am sure it will lead to great scientific collaborations and satisfaction.
The science laboratories are currently being enriched with good technology, which will allow us to be a scientific pole in the near future.”
What advice would you give to young researchers who are considering working abroad? And to those who would like to return to Italy?
“I would recommend anyone to spend a period abroad. It is an enriching and mind-opening experience. For some it is tiring, for others it is natural, but it is always worth it.
Returning to Italy can seem very difficult and tortuous, and sometimes it is. Yet, once this first obstacle has been overcome, it can give great satisfaction and make us really feel the strength of a change that we all wish for our country.”
If you too would like to pursue a university career, or if you are abroad and are thinking of returning to Italy, we would like to remind you that the UniCamillus application procedures for fixed-term lecturers and researchers are open. Deadlines between 2 and 16 May 2024, depending on the application and specialization area. We are looking forward to working with you!