Giulia is the recipient of a PhD in Neuroscience of the University of Liège and she was a postdoctoral research associate investigating sleep, circadian rhythms and mental health in young people at the University of Edinburgh. She was a member of the Chronopsychiatry Research Group and the Circadian Mental Health Network, both established by Prof Daniel Smith.

Here is her account of her time in Montpellier:

Autumn 2024 saw Giulia embark on a month-long scientific escapade at the University of Montpellier, courtesy of the Scientific High Level Visiting fellowship. Her guide? None other than Prof Marie Charpentier, Director of Research at the Institute of Evolutionary Science of Montpellier (ISEM) and the mastermind behind the Mandrillus Project in southern Gabon.

Giulia dove headfirst into a project that married her expertise in sleep and chronobiology with the fascinating world of Mandrills. This unique blend of human and non-human primate research promised groundbreaking insights:

"We collaborated on a project that investigates the link between sleep, circadian rhythms and immunity in Mandrills. This has been a unique opportunity for me to extend my expertise in sleep analyses and chronobiology – a topic that I further explored whilst at the University of Edinburgh, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences – to a non-human primate species. I also acquired new knowledge in evolutionary theories and comparative approaches thanks to the discussions with the members of the Evolutionary anthropology team: this has allowed me to gain new perspectives that will benefit my future research."

- Dr Giulia Gaggioni

Giulia's scientific sojourn wasn't all work and no play. She fell under the spell of Montpellier's beauty and nearby Mediterranean beaches. The pièce de résistance? An e-bike adventure through lagoons, complete with pink flamingo sightings, courtesy of the Campus France team.

With plans to present her study at the 2026 European Federation for Primatology conference in Montpellier, Giulia's adventure in cross-species chronobiology is far from over. The city of her scientific awakening awaits her return, promising more discoveries and a heartfelt "bonjour" to her ISEM colleagues.

The SSHN 2025 call for applications is now open: https://uk.ambafrance.org/Scientific-High-Level-Visiting-Fellowships-SSHN-2025