Board Members

I am Peter and I’m President of the PhD and Postdoc Association! I’ve been involved with the PPA for the past two years and previously served as Co-Head of the Social Committee, where I helped organize lots of events to bring our community together— BBQs, Concerts, cultural evenings, and more. I love being president because I really believe that PPA makes PSI a more fun, supportive and connected place, and I want to help PPA do that. In my mandate I push for better support for early-career researchers and make sure everyone’s voice is heard.

My name is Giulia Malvicini, and I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Lab of Nano and Quantum Technologies. I joined PSI in October 2024 and have since participated in several events organized by the PPA and the Sport Club. I believe these are valuable parts of the PSI community, which is why I decided to become an active member of PPA, offering my support according to my time and abilities. I consider myself a social, proactive, and reliable person, and I love to engage more closely with PPA initiatives.

Hi everyone! My name is Deborah, and I’m currently a PhD at the Center for Life Sciences. My research focuses on engineering light-activatable receptors into optogenetic tools for biomedical research. I’ve been part of the PPA’s Green Team almost since I started my PhD at PSI, and now I’m excited to run for election as the team’s head. Sustainability is a cause close to my heart, and I’m passionate about implementing new initiatives to make PSI a better place for both employees and the environment. Additionally, I’m eager to organize events that bring people together, foster connections, and offer opportunities to learn something new. Thank you for your support — I’m looking forward to making a difference together!

I am a PhD student in the Laboratory for Nano and Quantum. During this year at PPA and at the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of PSI (DEICO, former KfC), I have been involved in several projects to improve the well-being of PhD students, postdocs and generally every employee of PSI. The awareness of mental health issues, that I contributed to raise after our 2024 survey, has already allowed measurable improvements this year. In May this year, I organised the 2nd edition of the Cultural Diversity Party. DEICO is now working towards making PSI more inclusive for disabled or neurodivergent people. My goals for the next months will be to keep the existing efforts going and, still, to improve the mental health of young researchers at PSI.

I am Chiara Berretta, EPFLglobaLeaders MSCA fellow and PhD student at the Laboratory for Sustainable Energy Carriers and Processes at PSI. My journey with PPA began with the smile you see in the photo, since my very first PPA events. Among the incredible people I met that day are those I now proudly call my best friends and, most meaningfully, my partner. In November 2022, just two months into my PhD, I was elected PPA Vice-President, and by February 2024, I became PPA President, a position I proudly held until 6 months ago. Over the past two years, I’ve led numerous initiatives, but I’m most proud of the PPA Survey 2024. Working in a team of five, we analyzed the data and presented the concerns of our community to the PSI directorate, leading to a 50-page report and two formal presentations to the Line Management. My last bit of *PPAttitude* was for the petition against the new travel expenses regulations, in which we succeeded! Beyond PPA, I collaborate with EPFL’s Research Office as spokesperson for the EPFLglobaLeaders fellows. After giving my all, I took a step back about 6 months ago to leverage my experience and support our community's career growth through the Career Committee.