Switch STEMM: change perspective
Science is not distant: it is made of people, stories, and choices.
Yet, far too often, educational paths are still influenced by gender stereotypes that limit opportunities and talent.
With this awareness, the University is launching the project “Switch STEMM: change perspective”, inspired by the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and developed within the framework of the 2022–2027 Strategic Plan, with the aim of highlighting the contribution of women researchers in STEMM fields.
The role of female role models is central: making scientific careers and experiences visible means offering concrete points of reference that can challenge conventional thinking and overcome stereotypes and cultural biases. The initiative, addressed to local high schools, aims to promote gender balance in educational choices, particularly in scientific and technological fields.
FOR WHOM? WHY?
“Switch STEMM: change perspective” is aimed directly at high school students in their final three years.
The goal is to encourage an open and engaging dialogue with women scientists working in STEMM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine), offering students concrete opportunities to explore these disciplines, spark curiosity and interests, and engage with positive role models who challenge traditional role divisions.
WHERE AND WHEN?
First edition: Monday, May 11, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Povo 2 campus (Polo Ferrari 2, Via Sommarive 9 – Povo).
The morning is designed as an immersive, participatory, and stimulating experience in which science becomes storytelling, play, and encounter.
HOW?
Introduction
The day will open with an introductory session led by Professor Marta Biagioli, Delegate for Equity and Diversity Policies of the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology.
Escape Room
At the heart of the experience will be a scientific escape room featuring a multi-stage pathway organized by the five STEMM Departments/Centers participating in the initiative (Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, Physics, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science and Information Engineering, Mathematics). Each station will be dedicated to a woman scientist representing a specific disciplinary field.
Through puzzles, logic games, quizzes, and small challenges, students will work together to solve problems inspired by the work and discoveries of these women scientists. At the end of the morning, participants will receive a short booklet dedicated to the scientists featured in the escape rooms.
Speed Dating with Research
During the initiative, students will also take part in “speed dating with research.” In an informal setting, small groups of students will have the opportunity to meet researchers, technologists, and professors, ask questions, hear stories about academic and professional paths, and discuss expectations, doubts, and opportunities.
Our scientists
Michela Alessandra Denti, Professor
Born in Pisa 55 years ago, I spent my childhood and adolescence in Calabria, where I attended a scientific high school. I graduated in Biology in Pisa in 1994 and earned a PhD in Molecular Biology from the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa in 1997, conducting RNA research in the United States and Greece.
After my PhD, I continued as a postdoctoral researcher in Greece in a plant molecular biology laboratory, and from 2002 at Sapienza University of Rome, where I worked on RNA-based therapies. In 2008, I won a position as assistant professor at the University of Trento, where I founded my RNA Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory at CIBIO. I became associate professor in 2014 and, following a competitive selection process, full professor in 2025. During this journey, my two children were born: Francesco in 2009 and Claudia in 2014.
Veronica De Sanctis, Technologist
I am a molecular biologist and geneticist specialized in functional genomics and NGS technologies. After earning my PhD at Sapienza University of Rome, I carried out research activities in Italy, Europe, and the United States, collaborating also with Professor Michael Grunstein’s laboratory at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Since 2011, I have coordinated the NGS sequencing facility at the University of Trento, supporting genomics and transcriptomics projects and promoting innovation in core facilities. I am also involved in enhancing the role of technical-scientific staff and supporting professional development.
My international experience, gained by living across several continents, has strengthened my inclusive approach, based on gender equality, respect for individual differences, and appreciation of cultural diversity.
Irene Pecchini, PhD student
After completing my Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology in Trento, I am now in the final year of my PhD in the Experimental Cancer Biology laboratory at CIBIO. My research mainly focuses on brain tumors and the role of the immune system in their development.
Giulia Boscato Sopetto, PhD student
My name is Giulia, and I am a PhD candidate at CIBIO in the Autoimmunity and Inflammation Laboratory. I come from a small town in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, where I attended a technical high school specializing in health biotechnology.
I moved to Trentino in 2019 to enroll in the Bachelor’s degree program in Biotechnology. I then continued my studies with a Master’s degree specializing in immunology, microbiology, and virology. I became deeply passionate about these subjects, leading me to complete an internship in a laboratory focused on vaccine development and immune responses.
My journey is now continuing through a translational PhD between biology and medicine, where I am specializing in autoimmune diseases and B cell-mediated autoimmune responses.
Sara Morini, Researcher Post-Doc at CIBIO
I graduated in Biotechnology from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and earned a PhD in Bioengineering at Instituto Superior Técnico of the University of Lisbon.
I currently work as a researcher in the cultivated meat group, aiming to develop an alternative to traditional meat that is safer and easier to produce on a large scale without relying on animal exploitation.