spotLights episode 13 features experimental biophysicist Giulia Paci

In this episode of spotLights, we speak with Giulia Paci, an EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow working in the Tissue Mechanics Lab led by Prof Yanlan Mao. She is an experimental biophysicist with a strong interest in exploring how things like physical forces shape development and balance in living systems. Giulia is also part of Development’s third cohort of Pathway to Independence (PI) fellows – providing support to researchers as they transition from postdoc to Principal Investigator.

We discuss her recent preprint describing 3D segmentation in densely packed epithelia.  We explore the technical and conceptual challenges of getting the work to the preprint stage and Giulia also reflects on the broader benefits of preprinting—for visibility, collaboration, and early-career development.

Read the aRxiv preprint discussed:  https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.19203

Listen to the spotLights episode ⬇️ 🎧