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VISITING STUDENT

Name: Isabel Carr
Affiliation: Georgetown University, Class of 2026
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

🎓 Academic Focus

Isabel is a third-year student at Georgetown University majoring in Biology with a minor in Italian through the College of Arts & Sciences. During her year abroad at the University of Bologna, she deepened her interest in microbiology while experiencing the rich culture and academic environment of Italy.

🎨 Hobbies

Drawing, painting, and playing the piano.
She also enjoys boxing, running, and experimenting in the kitchen with cooking and baking.

📚 Favorite Book

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

💬 Favorite Quote

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” — Albert Einstein

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"During my time at the JRC, I gained a greater understanding not only about experimental design and data analysis, but how research directly informs public policy and real-world decision-making. I learned about the potential of wastewater surveillance as a tool for monitoring disease outbreaks and tracking antibiotic resistance and environmental pollutants. As someone just beginning a career in STEM, learning about these kinds of interdisciplinary applications has been incredibly motivating. It gives me hope for the future of science and innovation where collaboration between research and policy can drive meaningful, positive change.”

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VISITING SCIENTIST

Name: Dr. Cindy R. Friedman
Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

🎓 Academic & Professional Focus
Dr. Friedman is Senior advisor in Division of Global Migration Health at the CDC and a seasoned leader in infectious disease and public health genomics with over 20 years of experience.
At the CDC, She drives groundbreaking programs centered on pathogen surveillance, particularly in travel-related and airport settings, to detect emerging global health threats.

🎖️ Expertise & Impact
Her leadership supports early warning frameworks crucial for pandemic preparedness and scalable genomic surveillance systems.
Most recently, Dr. Friedman led the Cruise Ship Task Force for the COVID-19 response, helping navigate the safe disembarkation and repatriation of more than 260,000 passengers and crew, while providing critical support for the triage and medical evacuations of 41 COVID-19-affected cruise ships.

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📚 Research & Contributions

Leveraging a Strategic Public–Private Partnership to Launch an Airport-Based Pathogen Monitoring Program to Detect Emerging Health Threats

The Impact of Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance on SARS-CoV-2 Variant Detection in Arriving International Air Travelers– United States

Cruise ship travel in the era of COVID-19: A summary of outbreaks and a model of public health interventions

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Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-r-friedman/

ResearchGate

https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Cindy-R-Friedman-10155739

Other Links

1. https://www.nafsa.org/people/cindy-friedman-md

2. https://phgkb.cdc.gov/PHGKB/cdcPubFinder.action?query=all&Mysubmit=authorPub&authorID=1868072

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INSTITUTIONAL VISITORS

Name: The JRC Board of Governors

The JRC Board of Governors is made up of representatives from the EU Member States and the countries associated to Horizon Europe.

They have a double responsibility: on one hand, they assist and advise us on the strategic role of the JRC and its scientific, technical and financial management; on the other, they represent the interests of the JRC in their respective countries, helping us cultivate continuous and close links to EU Member States.

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The JRC Board of Governors visited the Water Laboratory, gaining first-hand insight into the scientific innovation and operational work supporting EU water policy. The visit was an opportunity to highlight the lab’s key contributions to used water monitoring and water quality assessment, with a focus on flagship projects such as JRC EU4S DEEP and JRC WATERLAB.

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Dr. Simona Tavazzi, JRC Water laboratory scientist.

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The tour began with an introduction by team leader Bernd Gawlik, who used a painting created by a team member to spark a discussion on the emotional and societal value of water: how we perceive it, how much we use, and the importance of the urban water cycle.

This opened up a broader reflection on why we treat water, how it is processed for public supply, and how used water can serve as a valuable resource.

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Bernd Gawlik showing Water Laboratory facilities and introducing the work carried out by the team.

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Short Video - The JRC Board of Governors visiting the Water Laboratory

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Short Video - The JRC Board of Governors visiting the Water Laboratory

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Colleague Caterina Cacciatori provided an overview of "the Gems of Water” initiative, a global citizen science project aimed at enhancing environmental monitoring through the co-development of methodologies and stakeholder engagement.
The initiative focuses on deploying advanced analytical technologies capable of screening for up to 400 pesticide residues in water samples.

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Caterina Cacciatori describing "the Gems of Water"  initiative.

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The Board was then guided through the laboratory facilities and activities of the lab on the antimicrobial resistance and pandemic preparedness.

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Bernd Gawlik presented the EU Wastewater Surveillance Dashboard, emphasising the team's continued efforts in pandemic preparedness and the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in wastewater.

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A lighthearted moment was the symbolic reference to "the Manneken Pis"  of Brussels, offering a playful yet meaningful  link to water’s role in culture, myth, and  resilience. According to legend, the young boy  saved Brussels by extinguishing a burning fuse  with his urine.

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Share point Directorate D

1. https://eceuropaeu.sharepoint.com/sites/ORG-jrc-d/SitePages/Visit-of-the-Board-of-Governors.aspx

2. https://eceuropaeu.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/ORG-jrc-d/Shared%20Documents/Presentations/JRC_BoG_WaterResilience_OceanPact_190625_vs7_CLEAN%20(002).pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=YuUVyH

3. The JRC Board of Governors visits Ispra

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VISITING SCIENTIST

Name: Dr. Monika Kornacha
Affiliation: Uniwersytet SWPS (SWPS University, Poland), Assistant Professor & Head, Emotion Cognition Lab, Institute of Psychology, Katowice
From: Katowice, Poland

🎓 Academic & Professional Focus
Dr. Kornacka is a psychologist specialising in emotional regulation in mood disorders, transdiagnostic processes, especially repetitive negative thinking and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). She investigates executive function training and integrates cutting-edge technologies (mobile apps, eye‑tracking, VR/AR) into clinical research and interventions.

🎖️ Expertise & Impact
As Head of the Emotion Cognition Lab (ECL), she leads an interdisciplinary team from psychology, IT, engineering, and UX, employing a living‑lab methodology to translate lab findings into real‑world applications.

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Dr. Monika Kornacha visiting the Water Laboratory, hosted by Dr. Elaine Van Rijn (on the right).

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📚 Research & Contributions

A Mobile Ecological Momentary Intervention for Reducing Experiential Avoidance in the Context of Rumination: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

The role of avoidance and beliefs on perseverative cognitions in the link between task-unrelated thoughts and psychopathology symptoms

Differences in anxiety, worry, and perceived stress among naturally cycling women and oral contraceptives users: a cross-sectional study investigating the role of contraceptive

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Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-kornacka-a7b6ba83/

ResearchGate

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Monika-Kornacka

Other Links

1. https://english.swps.pl/monika-kornacka

2. https://english.swps.pl/science-and-research/discover-our-potential/meet-our-researchers/33366-meet-our-researcher-monika-kornacka

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VISITING PhD STUDENT

Name: Patricia Allgaier
Affiliation: University of Oxford, PhD Researcher in Water Science, Policy and Management
From: Southern Germany

🎓 Academic & Professional Focus
Patricia has an interdisciplinary background in Agricultural Sciences and Fashion & Textiles, which sparked her interest in the critical role of water across different systems. This led her to pursue a master's degree in Water Science, Policy and Management in the UK. She is now in her first year of a PhD focused on the EU Regulation 2020/741 on water reuse, with a particular emphasis on its agricultural implications and implementation challenges.

🎨 Hobbies

Drawing, painting, and playing the piano.
She also enjoys boxing, running, and experimenting in the kitchen with cooking and baking.

📚 Favorite Book
Not a regular reader of fiction, her PhD keeps her quite busy with academic material. However, a recent volunteer experience on a pilgrimage to Lourdes inspired her to begin reading the Bible for the first time.

💬 Favorite Quote

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” — Genesis 2:15
This verse has become a guiding principle in Patricia’s work on agriculture and water stewardship.

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Patricia Allgaier (on the left) and Roberta Maffettone (on the right), Water Lab scientific project officer who organized Patricia's visit.

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INSTITUTIONAL VISITORS

Name: Danish Ambassador Peter Taksoe-Jensen and colleagues

Ambassador Taksoe-Jensen’s visit highlighted the strong collaboration between Denmark and the European Union in advancing scientific research and policy on environmental challenges. It was an opportunity to showcase the JRC’s role in innovative water management, supporting the EU’s mission to ensure clean, sustainable, and accessible water for all. This visit, part of the Danish Cultural Semester, was further enriched by the presence of Salvatore Pasquariello, Prefect of Varese, who also joined the morning session.

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Bernd Gawlik describing the pivotal role of scientific innovation in shaping water policies and water security on a global scale.

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Caterina Cacciatori presenting "The Gems of Water" initiative.

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Giulio Mariani, JRC Water Laboratory scientist.

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Bernd Gawlik describing JRC’s projects addressing global water issues, from contamination to public engagement on wastewater surveillance. 