Luca Arfini is Italian communications professional based in Amsterdam, passionate about telling impactful stories that connect with diverse audiences. In 2023, he founded Creative Tractus L.A to mainly focus on science communication. Luca studied Political Science & International Relations and European Studies, and is completing a part-time master’s degree in Science Communication and Public Engagement, further enriching his skills and knowledge on how to bring science closer to the lay public. Writing about health, sustainability, innovation, European affairs and human rights.
Contributor: Luca Arfini
The changing attitudes of Generation Z towards substance use and risky behaviours
For approximately 30 years, the Italian National Research Council has partnered with the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) to survey more than 113,800 students aged 15–16 across Europe to monitor adolescent risk behaviours. The latest findings reveal that, although cannabis, alcohol, and traditional cigarettes use among European teenagers has steadily declined, new behavioural and health ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Dr Margreet de Looze on adolescent health and risk behaviours
Margreet de Looze is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science at Utrecht University. Her research examines how social and cultural contexts shape young people’s health and well-being, with a particular focus on adolescent substance use, mental health, and sexual health. Over the past 17 years, her interdisciplinary and cross-national research has documented how adolescent ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Dr Sabrina Molinaro on substance use among adolescents
Sabrina Molinaro is the Director of the Laboratory of Epidemiology and Health Services Research at the Institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Research Council (IFC-CNR) in Italy. Over the years, she has conceived and led more than 50 research projects, including both competitive (European and national) calls and institutional collaborations with the Presidency of ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Dr Kamran Niaz on the World Drug Report
Dr Kamran Niaz is a public health physician with postgraduate training in public health, specialising in epidemiology. He is currently working as an epidemiologist in the Research Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Over the past 30 years, mainly working with UNODC and based in different countries, his main focus ...
Long Covid: The ‘invisible illness’ people must learn to see
In Europe, Long Covid has impacted around 36 million people over the first three years of the pandemic. However, the disease’s complexity, novelty, and often invisible symptoms, combined with a lack of public understanding, have led to many patients being dismissed or doubted by doctors, policymakers, colleagues, and even their loved ones. As a result, ...
Interview with Frederico Guanais on Long Covid: ‘awareness and understanding are essential’
Frederico Guanais is Deputy Head of the OECD Health Division, where since 2019 he has led work on patient-reported indicators, health statistics, people-centred care, climate and health, support to health reforms, and regional initiatives in Latin America. The ESMH spoke with him ahead of the STOA workshop “Long Covid: Current Realities, Future Directions” where he ...
Interview with Gez Medinger: ‘We should discuss why Long Covid is such a significant issue – for healthcare but also for the economy’
Gez Medinger is an investigative science journalist and patient advocate for Long Covid. He became ill with Covid in the early days of the pandemic. When he didn't recover, Gez put his efforts into researching the novel condition of Long Covid and turning his YouTube channel into a huge resource for patients. The ESMH spoke ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Dr Michael Hennessy Picard on space sustainability
Dr Michael Hennessy Picard holds a PhD in Law from the University of Quebec in Montreal (Canada) and is a Lecturer in International Environmental Law at the University of Edinburgh (UK). He is working on the regulatory oversight of satellite re-entry, ablation and atmospheric pollution. Can you explain the concept of “space debris” and what ...