THE celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025 with a special episode of “Un caffè con THE”
On February 11, 2025, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, THE – Tuscany Health Ecosystem will dedicate a special episode of Un caffè con THE to the role of women in research and innovation.
Established in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, this day aims to promote the full and equal participation of women and girls in scientific fields, strengthening access to education, training, and career opportunities.
Through our contribution, we aim to give a voice to female scientists who, through their work, are transforming the world of research and health, inspiring future generations.
THE strongly supports the global #WomenInScience campaign, reiterating the importance of diversity and inclusion in scientific progress.
In this episode, we spoke with Ileana Armando and Maria Cristina Ceccarelli.
Ileana Armando, who holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin with a focus on bionanotechnology, continued with a PhD at the University of Brescia, focusing on sensors and printed electronics for in vitro cellular models. Since December 2023, she has been engaged in a post-doctoral position at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Pisa, working on the integration of graphene sensors into microfluidic blood-brain barrier models (BBB on chip) for monitoring complex biological phenomena and applications in medicine.
Maria Cristina Ceccarelli, currently a PhD candidate in her final year at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Technology (Pontedera branch), is involved in the development of organ-on-chip systems, with a particular focus on the blood-brain barrier and the use of stimulus-responsive nanoparticles for immunotherapy applications. She holds a degree in Medical Engineering from the University of Tor Vergata and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, specializing in nanotechnology and bioartificial systems, from the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome.
