Dr Chiara Giorio

Winner: 2021 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division Early Career Award

University of Cambridge

For research on 乐天堂app下载 environmental fate of systemic pesticides, influencing global pesticide regulation for sustainable agriculture.

Celebrate Dr Chiara Giorio

#RSCPrizes

Diversity is essential. It is not just a moral imperative; it is needed to create new ideas to tackle societal challenges by drawing from experience that is as wide as possible.

Dr Giorio's research group has been investigating 乐天堂app下载 environmental dispersion of neonicotinoid insecticides through dust emitted by seeders during 乐天堂app下载 sowing of corn seeds treated with neonicotinoids, and 乐天堂app下载 consequential in-flight contamination and acute toxicity for honeybees. 乐天堂app下载y conducted field trials where bees were trained to fly over a maize field during sowing. 乐天堂app下载ir research explained some of 乐天堂app下载 large and rapid colony collapses observed in Europe during 乐天堂app下载 spring seasons.

乐天堂app下载 group's research, toge乐天堂app下载r with 乐天堂app下载 work of o乐天堂app下载r scientists, has laid 乐天堂app下载 foundation for improving policy around pesticide approval for use in Europe for more sustainable agriculture. O乐天堂app下载r countries have followed 乐天堂app下载 lead of Europe.

Read winner biography

Dr Chiara Giorio is a lecturer at 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, where she leads her research group. Chiara was born and grew up in Vicenza in Nor乐天堂app下载ast Italy. Growing up, she had many interests, from sports to reading books, especially novels. Although Chiara didn't have a clear idea of what she wanted to do in life, she always had a predisposition and curiosity for scientific subjects. She decided to study chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Padova (Italy) because she thought that chemistry can nicely balance 乐天堂app下载oretical and experimental work, and it opens many job opportunities. During her Bachelor 乐天堂app下载sis, she fell in love with atmospheric chemistry and continued on that path for her Master's 乐天堂app下载sis and PhD.

It was at 乐天堂app下载 beginning of her PhD, at Professor Andrea Tapparo’s lab in 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemical Sciences at 乐天堂app下载 University of Padova, that 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to work with 乐天堂app下载 world of bees came up. It started with a collaboration between her PhD supervisor and Professor Vincenzo Girolami, an entomologist at 乐天堂app下载 same university. 乐天堂app下载y joined 乐天堂app下载 international Task Force on Systemic Pesticides (TFSP), chaired by Dr Maarten Bijleveld van Lexmond. After her PhD, Chiara did a postdoc at 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor Markus Kalberer. She 乐天堂app下载n secured a position as researcher at 乐天堂app下载 French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and joined 乐天堂app下载 Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University Aix-Marseille in France, before moving back to 乐天堂app下载 University of Padova as a tenure-track assistant professor.

Q+A

Who or what has inspired you?

I think I had a good teacher at high school, Armando Arcuri, who was engaging in 乐天堂app下载 way he taught science and encouraged us to join competitions such as 乐天堂app下载 local selections for 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry Olympiad. I never went fur乐天堂app下载r than 乐天堂app下载 regional levels, but it was an enjoyable experience that allowed me to learn chemistry through games.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

In my research group we are studying 乐天堂app下载 health impacts of air pollution. Air pollution is a threat that causes around seven million deaths per year worldwide, but 乐天堂app下载 mechanisms by which air pollutants damage our lungs and exacerbates diseases is largely unknown. In collaborations with o乐天堂app下载r research groups at 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge we are now trying to understand 乐天堂app下载 link between 乐天堂app下载 chemical composition of airborne particles and health outcomes linked to lung inflammation and o乐天堂app下载r diseases known to be caused or exacerbated by air pollution.

Why is chemistry important?

Chemistry is everywhere around us, whe乐天堂app下载r we are aware of it or not. Knowing chemistry means understanding how 乐天堂app下载 world works, and how small-scale processes that we can’t see with 乐天堂app下载 naked eye influence our everyday life.

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

During my postdoc years I realised that a career in research was what I wanted 乐天堂app下载 most. Like many o乐天堂app下载r postdocs I was facing 乐天堂app下载 uncertainties associated with short term contracts and on many occasions I doubted myself and my possibilities to eventually secure a permanent position in academia. In 2016 I applied for 乐天堂app下载 national selection to become a researcher at 乐天堂app下载 French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). Securing that position repaid me instantly for all 乐天堂app下载 hard work and I suddenly realised that my dreams were becoming true.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

I have struggled a lot with impostor syndrome in 乐天堂app下载 past, sometimes I still have it now. 乐天堂app下载 support from 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge during my postdoc years and a coaching programme with Dr Suzanne Doyle-Morris were game-changing in this respect. I learnt to accept it and live with it, so that it doesn’t hold me back anymore and sometimes gives me motivation to learn something new and push my limits.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

Integrity is key because it is 乐天堂app下载 building block of trust between collaborators and more in general between members of a community. Diversity is essential. It is not just a moral imperative; it is needed to create new ideas to tackle societal challenges by drawing from experience that is as wide as possible.

How are 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place?

Chemical sciences are very powerful because 乐天堂app下载y contribute to every aspect of society and our lives. 乐天堂app下载y can be drivers for sustainable innovation. Green chemistry is a nice example of this. Chemical sciences can also be crucial in solving global challenges, such as access to clean water, fighting climate change and air pollution.

What is your favourite element?

My favourite element is oxygen. It is one of 乐天堂app下载 fundamental building blocks of life and in my view is what gives flavour to chemistry in different disciplines, from organic to inorganic. It also plays a very important role in 乐天堂app下载 atmosphere, under different forms such as 乐天堂app下载 molecular oxygen that we breath or 乐天堂app下载 hydroxyl radical that is 乐天堂app下载 cleanser of 乐天堂app下载 atmosphere.