{"id":98,"date":"2020-07-14T19:16:08","date_gmt":"2020-07-14T18:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/dobs-staff\/?p=98"},"modified":"2020-07-20T10:40:48","modified_gmt":"2020-07-20T09:40:48","slug":"in-profile-dr-stefano-sandrone-senior-teaching-fellow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/dobs-staff\/2020\/07\/14\/in-profile-dr-stefano-sandrone-senior-teaching-fellow\/","title":{"rendered":"In profile: Dr Stefano Sandrone, Senior Teaching Fellow"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the latest instalment of our Staff Profile series, we spoke to Senior Teaching Fellow Dr Stefano Sandrone<\/a>, who was recently awarded a President\u2019s Award for Excellence in Supporting the Student Experience<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Stefano
Stefano Sandrone<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Introduce yourself \u2013 who are you and what do you do?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am an Italian neuroscientist, a Senior Teaching Fellow and a Principal Investigator within the Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory (C3NL). I also have international leadership roles in research and education.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When did you join the College and where were you working before this?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In January 2018. Before joining the College, I was a Teaching Fellow at King\u2019s College London, where I completed my PhD and a brief postdoc.<\/p>\n

What is the most rewarding part of your role?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mentoring the next generation of neuroscientists.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the most challenging?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like taking challenges.<\/p>\n

What do you think is the most important factor in creating an effective and positive learning environment for students?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Four factors: respect, knowledge, enthusiasm and experience.<\/p>\n

With the switch to remote teaching and learning across the College, how has the MSc Translational Neuroscience programme been adapted?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I wrote a Neuron<\/em> paper<\/a>, which was recently published, where I explain how to exploit active learning to adapt neuroscience courses in a time of social distancing. On this note, I am keen on continuing mentoring the PhD students and the postdocs in the department who would like to get teaching experience.<\/p>\n

Last year, you received a Julia Higgins Award<\/a>, which recognises individuals, groups, and departments that have made a significant contribution to the support of academic women at the College. How did it feel for your work to be recognised in this way?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Provost
Provost Ian Walmsley and Professor Dame Julia Higgins presenting Stefano with his award last year<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was fantastic! But this is only one step forward towards fighting inequalities. There are many societal challenges we need to win, all together. This is what really<\/em> matters.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re not working, what hobbies or activities have you been most enjoying during lockdown?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am a very social person with many interests, from art exhibitions to football, from going to the Royal Opera House to enjoying my time in Cannes (including its Film Festival). All things I could not do during the lockdown, which I also spent far away from my family. Therefore, I focused on writing manuscripts on how to innovate neuroscience and neurology education.<\/p>\n

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