My name is Pierantonio Grimaldi (everyone calls me Peo) and I had the chance to visit UQCCR – Frazer institute (name change happened while I was there) in march-april 2026, through the ESCMID Observership programme. I’m an ID physician involved in research at Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.
My journey in antimicrobials PK/PD started a couple of years ago when I spent a few months during my post-degree residency in Infectious Diseases at Prof. Pea clinical pharmacology unit in Bologna: since then, thanks to the support received by Dr Gatti and Cojutti there, and my local tutors, I tried to integrate antimicrobials TDM into our Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme at Vanvitelli Hospital, Napoli, Italy.
Since my first readings in the field, I was always told one day I should have worked with Prof. Roberts and Prof. Lipman. When I was waiting to meet Dr. Hafiz Abdul-Aziz, my assigned tutor, I found myself thinking about the many times I read the position paper on antimicrobials TDM he chaired. Minutes later, I just found out he was the nicest person in the world, helping me out with research ideas, tutoring me with enthusiasm and involving me in several research projects.
During the first two weeks I took part of every meeting and got to learn the basics of PopPK modelling which is something as I clinician I could never really understand: thanks to Dr Patty Mitre, a couple of afternoons solved the mystery for me. During the second part of my staying, Prof. Roberts and Dr. Abdul-Aziz gave me some independent research to carry on: the greatest part about this was to hear their opinion about what I was doing.
Being 1600-kilometers from home can feel weird at times, when it’s summer weather but days last like a winter one. To get to enjoy the local light, flora and fauna you need to change your habits, as for example you can’t go for a run at 9 pm like you do back home because 9 pm there feels like the middle of the night, while 5 am feels like an European early afternoon. Nevertheless, people from CRE Respond (note afore mentioned) like Dr Diane, Melanie, Lumi (whose Italian is really good btw) made me feel at home from the first days, being always there when I needed some support or simply, a chat.
If you are a fan of antimicrobial therapy and think of suboptimal antimicrobial exposure as a disgrace, give a trip down Brisbane a shot. There’s a building with a couple of floors dedicated to antimicrobials, and lots of nice people with the same nerd interest you have.
