(Jun. 12) – The road from the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” to the Mississippi State University is long: “to be a teaching assistant you must pass a lot made of examinations and tests in English, but in the end result is worth the wait.” So says Giuliano Colosimo, 26 years old biologist from Rome who earned a PhD from a genetics laboratory in Mississippi. The subject of his research is the iguana Cyclura carinata. Colosimo started to take interests in this species after a journey in the Galapagos Islands, where he collected blood samples from the Iguana Conolophus martae. “After the work on the field, I decided to continue my academic career with a Ph.D. in genetics and evolutionary conservation of the species,” says the young Italian researcher. His research aims at supporting the species conservation through the use of genetic information. Colosimo has moved to the U.S. because of a chance to grow as a professional, and he is currently at his second year in Mississippi. He thought that his period abroad could have been temporary and just for five years of the Ph.D., but today Giuliano is no longer so sure of returning to Italy, especially in this though period: “I didn’t find any difficulty to adapt myself,” concludes Colosimo. “The work environment is highly competitive, but who proves to apply himself and to work hard, he never has problems.” (Cma/Peg)
