Staff Profile
Sara: Lab Technician
What brought you to Dana-Farber?
I'm from Florence, Italy, and while in university there I specialized in molecular biology. I moved to this country because my boyfriend is a postdoc who got a job at Harvard University. I took an English [language] course for a month, started looking for research work in different places, and was very interested in Dana-Farber. David Pellman, MD, contacted me, and I really liked the lab. The people at all levels at Dana-Farber seem very motivated to work well and fight against cancer; it's something you can feel. Everyone in my lab really believes in what they're doing. I'm 27, and this is my first paid job.
What does your position involve?
I work closely with a postdoc, and we study the last part of cell division (cytokinesis). If the cell division is unsuccessful, the number of chromosomes can be altered — and this is implicated in cancer development. Another part of my job involves ordering supplies for the lab.
What do you enjoy in your spare time?
Cooking. When I was in Italy I lived with my parents, and my mom cooked everything. I watched her as I was growing up. Here, I cook dinner every evening. I have a notebook, and all my friends and relatives who come to visit me from Italy have to write down three to four favorite recipes. I use those. I really like to eat, too. My best recipe is lasagna with meat sauce (ragu). Our lab had a holiday party with Alan D'Andrea's lab, and I was the chef. I cooked some things like lasagna and gave recipes to people to make other dishes.
Achievement of which you are most proud?
This choice to move here to the U.S. It was not easy. I left a lot of things.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don't know.
I would like to sing and dance in a musical.
