| Please introduce yourself in a few sentences.
Carolina: "My name is Carolina Buizza, and I come from Lecco, Italy. I am a PhD student in the Translational Neurology group led by Prof. Gesine Paul. I hold a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from the University of Milan, where I developed my passion for neuroscience during an Erasmus research project at the Donders Institute in the Netherlands. My PhD focuses on studying the interaction between pericytes and surrounding cells in glioblastoma and ischemic stroke."
Elin: "My name is Elin Arvidsson, and I am a third year PhD student in the CNS Gene Therapy group at BMC A11. My work focuses on the use of viral vectors and gene regulation to find new approaches to combat Parkinson’s disease. Outside of the lab I enjoy reading, drawing, painting, music, and hanging out in nature."
| Why did you join the WCMM Fusion committee?
Carolina: "I have always had a deep appreciation for art, so when I discovered the opportunity to contribute to an event merging science and art, I was immediately excited. I loved the idea of bringing creativity and science together in such a unique way, and I was excited to be part of the team making it happen."
Elin: "I first had the pleasure of working with the WCMM communications team during my time in the WCMM Research School during 2023-2024. When the idea of a scientific art exhibition then came up for discussion, I jumped at the opportunity of being part of organizing the event. The concept of crossing the boundaries between science and artistic expression and allowing a glimpse into the world of research through a creative medium spoke heavily to me. That, and I enjoy any opportunity to come up with a poster design."
| Which part of the event was your personal favorite?
Carolina: "I personally enjoyed the picture exhibition the most. Through the canvases, I had the chance to learn about other people's work and get a glimpse of what different imaging techniques can reveal—showing how beautiful science can be, beyond just boring graphs."
Elin: "The day before the event when we were arranging the submitted artworks onto the canvas boards. Seeing the exhibition physically coming together after months of planning and cooperation with the team was thrilling. Watching all the people standing around the exhibition area and discussing the images really set the tone for the smashing success of the event."
| What was the biggest challenge during the organisation?
Carolina: "To be honest, I did not encounter any major challenges. The atmosphere within the organizing team was excellent from the very beginning, and the collaboration flowed smoothly throughout the entire process. I felt that everyone was highly engaged, which made the experience enjoyable and efficient."
Elin: "In my opinion, the organization and planning of the event went very smoothly thanks to the fantastic work of my fellow committee members. To me, the main challenge would be fitting everything we wanted into the schedule. We were thrilled to have such a great cast of speakers, and it would have been wonderful to have given some more time for the panel discussion. In the end, however, I am very happy with how the program worked out."
| Can you name one main takeaway/lesson from organising the event? What would you do the same/different next time?
Carolina: "Keeping an audience engaged for an entire day can be challenging, so I was afraid that having the whole afternoon filled with talks would be tiring. Anyway I believe we managed to keep people interested until the very end by selecting great talks and interesting activities. For future events, incorporating more interactive elements could be an idea to enhance audience participation and involvement. "
Elin: "Teamwork is key. The collective excitement and collaborative spirit within the organization committee, together with the engagement of the attendees, is what made the event into a success. For any similar future events, I would encourage the same level of enthusiasm, as I believe the final product reflects it."
| Any final words for other students?
Carolina: "I hope this event sets the stage for more exciting science & art collaborations in the future. If you ever get the chance to contribute to a similar initiative, go for it!"
Elin: "Artistic expression and visualization are powerful tools, particularly in science. I think this was beautifully highlighted during the keynote talk by Joana Carvalho and made additionally clear through the short presentations of selected exhibitors. Incorporating art into science invites discussion and allows us to bridge gaps in understanding of otherwise complex or intimidating research topics, and I would highly encourage other research students to reflect on how artistic expression could be used to help convey their own work."
Thank you for joining us in this month's WCMM Fireside Chat!