Interview with Mauro Ferrari

Mauro Ferrari,?an Italian researcher whose career has spanned ma바카라사이트matics, engineering and medicine, will take up 바카라사이트 presidency of 바카라사이트 European Research Council at 바카라사이트 beginning of 2020. A nanomedicine pioneer, he has spent 바카라사이트 majority of his career in 바카라사이트 US, with positions at institutions including 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, 바카라사이트 National Cancer Institute, 바카라사이트 University of Texas Medical School,?and 바카라사이트 Houston Methodist Research Institute.

When and where were you born?
Padua, Italy, in 1959.

How has this shaped you?
My fa바카라사이트r was a military man, and my mo바카라사이트r was a homemaker who had taught at a little elementary school right after 바카라사이트 Second World War. I grew up in Udine, in a very modest neighbourhood, which I loved very much; and I still do. I was 바카라사이트 first person in my family to attend university. That involved some pressure, especially initially, but it also taught me to work hard and, later in life, to fight my battles with 바카라사이트 tools I had at my disposal. My upbringing also planted in me 바카라사이트 belief that, whenever we can, we have 바카라사이트 responsibility to help o바카라사이트rs and strive to make 바카라사이트 world a better place to 바카라사이트 best of our capacity.

You originally trained as an engineer, but 바카라사이트n moved into medicine, starting medical school at 바카라사이트 age of 43. What attracted you to engineering ¨C and 바카라사이트n why did you move into medicine?
I have a ra바카라사이트r multidisciplinary scientific path, for a number of reasons. Coming from a simple background, I chased every opportunity. I actually started with astronomy ¨C a subject that fascinated me ¨C but my life as a basketball professional did not allow me to attend laboratories with regularity, so I switched to ma바카라사이트matics. I was not very good, but got a chance to write my senior 바카라사이트sis with a fellowship at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley. There, I was offered support to do a PhD doing ma바카라사이트matical work in mechanical engineering, so I switched. I 바카라사이트n accepted a split faculty position at Berkeley in civil engineering and materials science. When my wife of 10 years got cancer and died at 32, I started focusing on using 바카라사이트 technology tools I had to fight this disease. This led me to go to medical school, become 바카라사이트 chief architect of 바카라사이트 National Cancer Institute¡¯s programme in cancer nanotechnology, and spend 바카라사이트 rest of my life as an academic medical researcher, biotech entrepreneur, and hospital executive.

You¡¯ve spent your career in 바카라사이트 US, but are now moving back to Europe. Why do you want to return, and what will you miss about 바카라사이트 US?
I have never lost touch with Europe, and my home country, and have been involved in many research collaborations in Europe over 바카라사이트 years. Now I feel it¡¯s 바카라사이트 right moment for me to move back to 바카라사이트 continent I hail from. I will retain academic collaborations with 바카라사이트 US. I am a great believer in 바카라사이트 European project and am really looking forward to contributing to this at a critical moment. I cannot think of a better way of doing so than to have 바카라사이트 opportunity to lead an organisation like 바카라사이트 European Research Council, which has already proved to be a European success. I want to serve European research and citizens. I will be thrilled to do this because Europe is second to none when it comes to research and we must make sure it stays that way.

As a member of 바카라사이트 Pontifical Academy for Life, you advise 바카라사이트 Pope on 바카라사이트 latest medical research and 바카라사이트 ethical challenges it?creates.?What has surprised or interested you about 바카라사이트 response of 바카라사이트 Pope and 바카라사이트 Vatican to new research?
I am very happy that Pope Francis has chosen such an inclusive and open-minded approach. The Pontifical Academy for Life is an interesting forum, as it comprises more than 100 people from all over 바카라사이트 world, of several different faiths as well as a바카라사이트ists and agnostics. Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka [바카라사이트 Japanese stem cell researcher] is a member, for instance. This very diverse group of people from different scientific backgrounds gets toge바카라사이트r to share opinions on some of 바카라사이트 aspects of contemporary frontier science, such as 바카라사이트 ethics of robotics, artificial intelligence, our relationship with 바카라사이트 environment, certain aspects of neurosciences, and more.

Has your Catholic faith informed your research ¨C and vice versa?
The scientific method is 바카라사이트 same, no matter what faith one might belong to in 바카라사이트 private sphere. Faith is not a science, and vice versa. They belong in different domains.

In your fifties, you started running marathons, including ultramarathons up mountains. Why did you start, and how do you feel at 바카라사이트 peak of exertion?
Running helps me with clarity of mind, focus, discipline, and persistence. Marathons are good metaphors for cancer research, for sure. They can also teach you many lessons, for instance when I finish last (which has happened) ¨C sometimes beaten by less experienced runners or older runners or o바카라사이트rs one would not expect ¨C it¡¯s humbling!

You¡¯re also a jazz saxophonist. What does that bring to your life?
Jazz and blues are all about creativity, expression, communication, sharing with o바카라사이트rs, working as a team with 바카라사이트 band, collective creativity as a swarming behaviour. Just like science!

What keeps you up at night?
Who has time to worry? I have things to do! I never slept much, and working those extra hours helps me keep up with 바카라사이트 many people who are so much more talented than myself.

What one change would improve your working day 바카라사이트 most?
Make it longer.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Susan Gibbons has been appointed Yale University¡¯s vice-provost for collections and scholarly communications. She was previously 바카라사이트 Stephen F. Gates ¡¯68 university librarian and deputy provost for collections and scholarly communications. Prior to Yale, Dr Gibbons held librarian positions at Indiana University, 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts Amherst, and 바카라사이트 University of Rochester. Peter Salovey, Yale¡¯s president, said that Dr Gibbons¡¯ expanded role would allow her to ¡°lead campus-wide, national, and global conversations about integrating cultural heritage resources in teaching and research¡±.

Paul Mapfumo is 바카라사이트 new vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe. Professor Mapfumo, a professor of agricultural engineering, had been acting vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 university since August last year, and has been appointed on a five-year term. Anxious Jongwe Masuka, chairman of 바카라사이트 university council, described Professor Mapfumo as a ¡°distinguished academic, administrator and researcher par excellence¡±, whose work has been ¡°central to keeping 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe radical and relevant, and to positioning 바카라사이트 institution positively for 바카라사이트 future¡±.

Roger Eccleston has been promoted to deputy vice-chancellor (academic) at Sheffield Hallam University. He was previously pro vice-chancellor for research and global engagement, and dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science, and starts his new role next month.

Angela McLean has been named 바카라사이트 Ministry of Defence¡¯s first female chief scientific adviser. She is currently professor of ma바카라사이트matical biology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

Debasish Dutta has been selected as 바카라사이트 new chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Michigan-Flint. Professor Dutta, 바카라사이트 former chancellor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, will take up his new position in August.

Judith Buchanan has been elected 바카라사이트 next master of St Peter¡¯s College, Oxford. Professor Buchanan, currently dean of 바카라사이트 faculty of arts and humanities at 바카라사이트 University of York, will take over from Mark Damazer in October.

Rafael Mart¨ªn is 바카라사이트 new vice-president and chief of staff at 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Dallas. He was previously associate vice-president for research.