Since I was a child, I was always fascinated by science. In Italy we have an excellent science communicator, the journalist Piero Angela, which I reckon is the "scientific father" of all the Italian scientists of my generation. When I was 8, an astronomer came to my class for a lecture, and built a little portable planetarium in the classroom. I was amazed! At that time, I actually wanted to became an astronaut. I knew it would have been unlikely, hence I decided that studying the cosmos would have been good enough. Later in high school, I understood that the scientific topic I was more interested in was actually biology. The funny part is that my biology teacher could not believe I was so interested, therefore she mistook my dreamy eyes during the lecture for a mockery! It was around that time that I first heard about astrobiology. It sounded like my dreams come true, the perfect link between my main two scientific interests. 

When I came to the university choice, it was not easy. I struggled between my first dream as a child (being an astrophysicist), and my new, more mature love (biology). Eventually, the last won, and I never regretted my choice. During my master and my PhD I specialized in microbiology (the study of microbes, or microorganisms), with particular interest toward the study of their metabolism in low oxygen, a condition that can be considered quite extreme. When I finished my PhD, I decided to give a chance to my old interest in space and I applied for a position as a postdoc in astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh. Luckily, my current supervisor was impressed by my enthusiasm, and gave me an opportunity. This is how I got here.
I need to thank my family that was very supportive since I was a child toward my interest in science, even when I struggled in taking decisions. I think it made a huge difference.