{"id":19412,"date":"2025-04-03T11:22:03","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T09:22:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/?p=19412"},"modified":"2025-04-03T11:33:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T09:33:31","slug":"my-name-is-daniela-and-this-is-my-path-off-the-beaten-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/my-name-is-daniela-and-this-is-my-path-off-the-beaten-track\/","title":{"rendered":"My name is Daniela and this is my path off the beaten track"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you had asked me at sixteen what I wanted to be when I grew up, I probably would have said: \u201ca writer.\u201d I loved reading, I would lose myself in novels, and science, to me, belonged to a different universe. One I watched from afar, with a mix of curiosity and fear. There weren\u2019t many women scientists in the textbooks, and I didn\u2019t know any \u201cDaniela\u201d in a white lab coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, here I am: Professor of Clinical Pathology, head of the Unit of Laboratory Oncology Diagnostics at Federico II, researcher, lecturer, and\u2014yes\u2014still a woman who loves books. Only now, I also read scientific articles and write more papers than short stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My journey hasn\u2019t been one of straight lines. At first, getting a degree was more of a challenge than a calling. The early years were incredibly tough: endless lectures, difficult exams, and the constant feeling that I had to prove I was \u201cenough.\u201d
Enough competent, enough strong, enough \u201ctechnical\u201d for a world that often seemed to operate solely on male standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had no female role models. But I had a tenacious instinct. And a deep belief: science isn\u2019t just numbers or protocols. It\u2019s also empathy, intuition, and attention to detail. It\u2019s about listening to people, not just data. And on this ground, I finally began to flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I discovered the clinical potential of cancer biomarkers. That\u2019s when I realized science isn\u2019t just math\u2014it\u2019s humanity. From that moment on, I never stopped: I\u2019ve published over 150 scientific papers, gathered thousands of citations in international publications, and received awards that still surprise and honour me to this day. Every recognition feels like a gentle touch on the shoulder of that girl who once didn\u2019t feel \u201cgood enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But my restless soul was seeking more. It sought movement, impact, transformation. That\u2019s how my commitment to innovation was born. I founded two university spin-offs, Elicadea<\/em> and Robosan<\/em>, which conduct pioneering research in advanced diagnostics and laboratory medicine automation. These are initiatives where science steps outside the academic halls and becomes real solutions for real people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These projects embody everything: vision, risk, passion, and collaboration with young researchers who remind me every day why I chose this path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, I also had the privilege of being selected by the U.S. Consulate in Naples to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the most prestigious professional exchange program in the U.S.\u2014a unique experience where I got to connect with innovators and leaders from all over the world. It was one of those moments that makes you say: \u201cOkay, I\u2019m doing it. And I can do even more.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there\u2019s my commitment to women. Upon returning from the IVLP, I launched in Italy\u2014in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State\u2014the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program, aimed at providing women with entrepreneurial ideas the knowledge, resources, and network to launch or scale successful ventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I work to create spaces where women can express themselves, grow, and feel legitimized in building their own path\u2014even when it\u2019s uncomfortable, unconventional, off the beaten track. Because I know what it\u2019s like to be the only woman in a technical meeting, to feel judged more for the tone of your voice than the content of your ideas. But I also know how powerful sisterhood can be.
Women lifting each other up can truly make this world a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, when I walk into the lab or step into a classroom, I don\u2019t just bring my titles, my papers, my patents. I bring all my versions of self: the insecure girl, the passionate scientist, the professor who wants to open doors\u2014not close them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve learned, one thing I\u2019d shout to every young woman stepping into science or innovation, it\u2019s this: There is no single way to be a woman.
You can be creative, emotional, pragmatic, dreamy, rational, and deeply human\u2014all at once. You don\u2019t have to choose who to be. You can be it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My motto?
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to fit the mold. You can create a new one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if I\u2019m here today, it\u2019s also because I met women and men who believed in me. Now, my mission is to do the same for others. Because truly, we rise by lifting each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Daniela Terracciano, Professor of Clinical Pathology and Researcher \u2013 University of Naples Federico II<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you had asked me at sixteen what I wanted to be when I grew up, I probably would have said: \u201ca writer.\u201d I loved reading, I would lose myself […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,674],"tags":[653,694,693],"class_list":["post-19412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-non-categorizzato","category-stem-women","tag-health","tag-lab","tag-science"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19412\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/donne4.it\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}