Post-doc researcher Giorgia Bastianelli bids farewell to PSM
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Email3 years later, resilience has greater meaning for the scientist
From left: Dr. Andrea Vannini, Giorgia, and Dr Tim Miles, at the Eurocastanea Working Group Meetings in January 2026. Giorgia presented her reseaserch at the event, which was hosted at the University of Tuscia in Viterbo Italy.
Once a dominant forest tree and important agricultural crop, the American chestnut was devastated by chestnut blight in the early 20th century. Since then, researchers and growers have worked together to rebuild develop more resilient trees and production systems.
But for Giorgia and her colleagues on the forefront of plant pathology research, resilience is more than a research topic.
In June 2024, a devastating fire struck her home institution, the University of Tuscia in Viterbo, destroying decades of scientific collections housed in the Agricultural and Forestry Faculty. The loss was felt deeply across the research community, challenging scientists and students to rebuild years of work and continue moving forward. A year later, Giorgia says she is inspired by how her colleagues have responded. "They're finding ways to carry on. We all have to do it."
Whether rebuilding scientific collections, helping growers navigate challenges, or developing crops that can withstand future threats, resilience remains at the heart of agricultural innovation.
"It's been a great experience. I love MSU."
