Fabio Alfieri is a PhD student at the European Institute of Oncology in Italy who received an EACR Travel Fellowship to visit and work at the New York University Langone Health in the US between May and September 2024.
The EACR, with support from Worldwide Cancer Research, provides Travel Fellowships of up to €3,500 to enable early-career cancer researchers to gain new skills through a short-term visit to a lab or research group in another country.
You can read about other Travel Fellows and their experiences here.
Name: Fabio Alfieri
Job title: PhD student
Home institute: European Institute of Oncology in Italy
Host institute: New York University Langone Health in the US
Dates of visit: 01 May – 30 September 2024
Other organisations that funded your trip: EMBO
Research: During my internship in NYU Langone Health, I studied how chromosome copy-number changes – having extra or missing chromosomes – influence cancer evolution. We started from healthy cell lines from five different tissue types, we induced random copy-number changes, and tracked their evolution over a month. Using cutting-edge technologies and algorithms, we were able to monitor the genomic profile of thousands of single cells to understand how these alterations evolve over time.
Why did you choose the host lab?
Since the beginning of my PhD in 2020, I’ve been deeply interested by Teresa Davoli’s work. Her research closely aligns with my own PhD projects, both in terms of previous studies and ongoing investigations, making her lab a perfect fit for my internship.
Since I’m enrolled in a computational biology PhD program at the European Institute of Oncology in Italy, my home lab is entirely computational. Joining Teresa’s Lab gave me the opportunity to perform in vitro experiments and directly apply computational analysis to my own experiments. This experience also allowed me to refine my lab skills and gain a broader understanding of experimental research.
I really loved my host institution mostly because my hosting lab is part of the Institute of Systems Genetics at NYU Langone Health. Being in such a multidisciplinary environment gave me the opportunity to attend talks and seminars on topics beyond cancer research. This diversity greatly enriched my experience.
Did you take part in any interesting local activities?
I think that having the opportunity to live in one of the most iconic cities in the world, New York City, is a cultural activity in itself! To be honest, I feel as though anything meaningful I might add about New York City has already been said. Listing the experiences I’ve had would be reductive and incomplete, and for this, what I can do is just to be thankful.
I wish to give thanks to the rich mosaic of people and experiences that make up this amazing city. The vibrant community of East Harlem, which has been my home for the past five months, has welcomed me and showcased the beauty of diversity. I wish to give thanks for Central Park, for really being my “backyard”, and always providing me a safe and peaceful refuge from the city’s hustle and bustle. Whether I was enjoying a leisurely stroll, having a quiet moment on the bench or a picnic, the park has been my sanctuary amidst the chaos of the city. I wish to give thanks to all the extraordinary world-class museums and theatres, which always offered a tiny piece of Italy during times of homesick. And last but not least, thanks to the beautiful people I met along my journey. Each encounter, whether brief or deeper, has enriched my experience and left a lasting impression on my heart! Living in New York City has truly been a transformative experience, and one I will forever carry with me.
What was a personal highlight of your trip?
Honestly, the personal highlight of this trip was the day I received the sequencing data from my first single cell DNA sequencing experiment. I was thrilled to analyse and eventually visualise the results of months of work – it was an incredibly rewarding moment!
Did you have a personal mentor or anyone who particularly helped you?
My project team was mainly composed by my host supervisor, Teresa Davoli, my teammate, Manjunatha Kogenaru, and my supervisor in Italy, Martin Schaefer. Each member played a vital role in the development of this project.
Teresa provided invaluable feedback throughout my entire internship, guiding me through complexity of experimental design and interpretation. She had an exceptional ability to nurture my scientific curiosity, continuously offering new ideas and perspective on experiments without ever making me feel overwhelmed. Her mentorship style truly inspired me!
Manjunatha was a fantastic teammate, providing technical support and mentoring me from the basics of molecular biology to the design complex single cell DNA sequencing experiments.
Although Martin was based in Italy, he remained actively engaged, offering critical thinking and ensuring my work aligned with my PhD goals. His support was particularly helpful in framing my work within the larger field.
I would also like to thank Pooja Vikraman, a PhD candidate, and Paolo Mita, a faculty professor at NYU Langone, for their stimulating scientific discussion and strong personal support throughout my experience abroad.
Does your lab plan to do any future collaboration or publication with the host lab?
We are currently planning complete the experiments related to this project at NYU, after which we will conduct the computational analysis in Milan. Hopefully, this collaboration is expected to lead to a potential joint publication.
Want to find out more?
If you are interested in applying for the Travel Fellowship scheme, please click here for more information: EACR Travel Fellowships.
