Giulia Ferraris – Postdoctoral Researcher and Clinical Psychologist

Giulia Ferraris did her internship within U-CARE as part of her PhD programme at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Today, she is working as a Postdoctoral Researcher and Clinical Psychologist at a cancer center in Milan.

Giulia Ferraris completed her three-month internship within U-CARE in the spring of 2020, during her PhD studies. Her PhD programme was part of ENTWINE, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovation Training Network funded by the European Union. Giulia's internship coincided with the COVID-19 outbreak, which made it a challenging time for her, with family and friends living in Italy.

Why did you choose to do your internship within U-CARE?

– I chose to do my internship within U-CARE because it perfectly aligned with my research interest in informal caregiving. Another reason was the strong focus and expertise in developing and evaluating e-Health interventions, as well as your expertise in e-Mental Health.

What was your experience of your internship?

– The internship gave me the opportunity to be part of ongoing research projects and collaborations with a diverse team of researchers, clinicians, and system development experts. It also enabled me to recruit study participants living in Sweden for my PhD project. In addition, I took part in several exciting research project meetings, research seminars, and the U-CARE Venue.

What has been the impact of your internship?

– It has had a strong impact on both my academic and professional career. The meetings and seminars I attended deepened my knowledge of research methods, especially in e-mental health. I also had a great opportunity to expand my research network, and I’m still in contact with researchers I got to know during the internship period.

What was the best part of your internship?

– The best part was getting to know all the people within U-CARE and seeing how you collaborate. I would say that collaboration is the core strength of U-CARE as a research group. I also appreciated the transdisciplinary approach within U-CARE, it really broadened my perspective on transdisciplinary collaborations. Overall, it was a very stimulating environment, both for learning and innovation.

What are your future plans?

– I am currently aiming to become a licensed psychotherapist here in Italy. I’m not sure what I will be doing after that. Who knows, maybe there will be an opening for me to return to U-CARE in a new role, Giulia says with a smile.