Professor Arvo Viltrop’s job shadowing visit to Milan: Strengthening Research Management and Collaboration

Professor Arvo Viltrop on 10-14 March 2025, completed a job shadowing visit to Milan, focusing on research management and academic collaboration. Hosted by top experts across multiple institutions, the visit provided insights into laboratory operations, research infrastructure, and interdisciplinary approaches in veterinary and biomedical sciences.

Key learning outcomes:

• Research infrastructure & laboratory operations: Gained insights into food safety, veterinary, and biomedical research facilities.

• Research management & collaboration: Explored best practices in project coordination, teamwork, and academic partnerships.

• One Health approach: Learned about integrated research across veterinary, environmental, and biomedical sciences.

• Professional networking: Engaged with experts to foster collaborations and exchange knowledge.

Highlights of the visit:

Laboratory of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin (Lodi)  - Prof. Viltrop visited the research facilities at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (DIVAS), interacting with Profs Vallone, Tirloni, Stella, Chiesa, Ghidini, Panseri, and Drs Lorenzi and Nobile. He explored research areas in food safety, mycology, bacteriology, and chemistry, while observing laboratory infrastructure and discussing key achievements with experts.

Veterinary Hospital (Lodi) - A visit to the veterinary hospital allowed Prof. Viltrop to gain valuable knowledge about clinical and laboratory operations, biosecurity procedures, and isolation units for production animals and horses. Profs Zani and De Zani provided an overview of research and medical protocols in veterinary healthcare.

PhD Defense and Academic Exchange - Prof. Viltrop attended a PhD defense, interacting with Profs Brevini, Gandolfi, Pennarossa, and Drs Arcuri and Di Filippo. Observing the PhD defense process and discussing the structure of doctoral studies in Italy and Estonia provided valuable comparative insights.

One Health Unit (Milan)  - At the Department of Biomedical, Surgical, and Dental Sciences (DISBIOC), Prof. Viltrop met with Profs Bonizzi and Soggiu to discuss interdisciplinary research. The visit reinforced the importance of an integrated One Health approach in addressing global health challenges.

Building future collaborations

Beyond gaining academic and research insights, the visit was an excellent opportunity to strengthen international networks. The collaborations initiated during this visit are expected to contribute to future projects in research management and innovation. This visit highlights the significance of international knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing research excellence.