Loreto Villacura has been awarded an ANID scholarship to participate in an internship at Sapienza University of Rome, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, boasting over 700 years of history. It stands as the largest university in Europe and is internationally recognized among the top institutions.
The research group, operating throughout Italy, undertakes various projects and boasts highly equipped labs and a strong publication record. Dr. Lorenzo Massimi, the internship mentor, has been a member of the Italian Aerosol Society (IAS) since 2017 and joined Working Group 1 in 2022. Since then, he has also been associated with the Institute of Atmospheric Pollution at the C.N.R. (CNR-IIA). In February 2023, he achieved the National Scientific Qualification (C.S.N.) of tier II in the competency sector 03/A1, covering the scientific-disciplinary sectors CHIM/01 and CHIM/12.
The internship, situated within the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics, and Natural Sciences at the Department of Environmental Biology, will involve tasks such as sampling atmospheric particles and analyzing their oxidative potential as well as their macro and micro components, with a particular emphasis on the analysis of trace elements. Additional activities will explore the oxidative stress induced by atmospheric particles on model organisms and apply multivariate statistical analysis techniques to process collected data. This will help in identifying correlations between chemical composition, particle sources, and their capacity to cause adverse effects.
This internship is expected to be a profoundly enriching experience and will greatly enhance our understanding of air quality issues in Chile, in addition to expanding our international networks.