My name is Camilla Genovese, I am an Infectious Disease resident from Milan, Italy.
During my residency training, I started to develop an interest in infections in critically ill patients, which represent an intriguing challenge to Infectious Diseases professionals.
Their peculiar physiology, together with the complexity of the epidemiology of which we are used to working with in Italy, adds further complexity in managing infections. Indeed, the rates of antimicrobial resistant pathogens in my country are worrisome, and, together with important antimicrobial stewardship interventions, the optimisation of antimicrobial therapy is fundamental in achieving treatment success and avoid further emergence of resistance.
In Spring 2024, I had the opportunity to spend a few months in a Parisian ICU with a specific interest in infectious complications in critically ill patients. In that setting, I was fascinated by how an optimised antibiotic dosing, based on the pathophysiological characteristic of each patient, could really have an impact on the infection outcome; I had to learn more! That’s why, as soon as I finished my ICU experience, I got in touch with Professor Jason Roberts. 
And so here we are, February 2025: I spent one month at UQCCR, in the Antimicrobial Optimisation group lead by Professor Jason Roberts. With the help of experts, I had the opportunity to delve into the fascinating, yet complicated, field of pharmacokinetic modelling and dose optimisation in specific populations. On one side, I had the chance to further understand the principles of pharmacokinetics of antibiotics; having the possibility to discuss with researchers who contribute to the available evidence regarding this topic was mind blowing. Furthermore, collaborating with ID physicians, intensivists, and pharmacologists from all over the world, proved to me once again how interdisciplinarity is fundamental in our practice. On the other side, more practically, I learned how to build a pharmacokinetic model for an antibiotic in a peculiar and often overlooked population with my own data, going step by step with the modelling team and sharing my results and doubts during the weekly PK workshops.
The whole team was very welcoming! I really enjoyed how despite the hard work, they're always available for a chat over a cup of tea, either regarding difficult PK matters, or simply regarding the wonderful land in which we were working, Australia.
Although short, I really believe that the time I spent at UQCCR gave me the tools to better understand papers regarding this topic and to experiment modelling with my own data.
