I graduated from the Dental School of Medicine, dreaming to become a successful maxilo-facial surgeon. I discovered instead that I was not built for a career in the surgical field, since my curiosity toward innovations pushed me always to look for ‘alternative’ ways of doing things. So I discovered the clinical research domain and I worked as a research associate for a couple of years. An intense period, with long working days and plenty of time dedicated to learning. I was fortunate to meet demanding people along this professional journey and I quickly managed to find the role that best suits me. And 5 years later, I took the bravest decision of my life (until that time), that of leaving my home country, my family and my job to move to a new country and start a research career in the dental field. Here I am, 6 years later, living in a new society, fully adapted to a new culture, happy and fulfilled. It was one of my most criticized decisions, widely rejected by colleagues who thought I was making the biggest mistake.

And it turned out that it was the boldest and best step I could ever take. I managed more than 7 clinical studies, traveled on 2 continents to discuss with clinicians, provided input for the development of innovative tools and had the chance to present work results in front of large audiences.