As part of my MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship, I am undertaking a secondment at Sapienza University of Rome. A secondment is a temporary research placement that enables MSCA fellows to expand their skills, build collaborative networks, and gain experience in complementary research environments.
My host is Prof. Alessia Nava, who leads the ERC-funded project MOTHERS (MOdelling THe Evolution of the mother–infant RelationshipS). The MOTHERS laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for advanced histological and isotopic analyses of dental tissues, supporting innovative research into early life trajectories and maternal–infant relationships in past populations.
This secondment offers a valuable opportunity to collaborate with Italian researchers working at the intersection of histology, archaeology, and palaeontology. These exchanges help me refine my own methodologies and expand the scientific scope of my work through exposure to diverse expertise.
Thanks to the efficient rail connection between Trieste and Rome, the secondment is organized as a series of shorter, regular visits rather than one continuous stay. During my current visit, I am focused on imaging histological sections using the high-resolution equipment in the MOTHERS lab, and selecting Pleistocene bone samples for comparative analysis of preservation conditions.
The placement has also opened new collaborative avenues. Through the secondment and my recent participation in the Baltimore conference, I connected with Prof. Paola Cerrito, an Italian researcher now based in Zurich. During this visit, I am examining some of her samples housed in the lab to explore new questions surrounding synchrotron-based XRF (SR-XRF) applications to human hard tissue and life history reconstruction.
With continued access to Elettra’s beamlines, there are still opportunities to conduct small-scale pilot experiments to test preliminary hypotheses. The secondment thus not only enriches my current research but also helps lay the groundwork for future collaborative projects.