Foundations

Fellowships 2020 - IBSA Foundation awards top 5 international projects by researchers under 40

5 areas of treatment, 162 projects submitted from all over the world and 5 fellowships worth a total of €150,000. These were the figures of the eighth edition of the IBSA Foundation Fellowships for scientific research which every year supports the work of young researchers under the age of 40 from universities and institutes all over the world who have distinguished themselves for their skills and for ground-breaking projects that could revolutionise the way particular diseases are treated in the future.

Akiko Omori, Sara Carmela Credendino, Yingying Cong, Jan Kroon and Anna Gryadunova are the young researchers who have won a €30,000 fellowship each. IBSA Foundation’s Scientific Board selected the winners in five fields of treatment: Dermatology, Endocrinology, Fertility and Urology, Orthopaedics, Pain Medicine and Rheumatology, and Coronavirus Infections, the latter being the special edition for 2020.

We are very proud of the success achieved with this year’s edition, attested by the record number of applications received, each constituting a project of extremely high quality and scientific value,” announced Silvia Misiti, Director of IBSA Foundation. “The response we received from young researchers, their enthusiasm and dedication are what motivates us to continue supporting and championing talent. We firmly believe that our health also depends on this, a lesson we have learned, more than ever, in the past year of the pandemic: investing in research and medical-scientific innovation means finding new solutions for the unresolved challenges in the health sector.

Furthermore, the live-streamed awards ceremony was held on 14 April 2021 with the participation of a highly esteemed guest. Prof. Alberto Mantovani, Scientific Director of Istituto Clinico Humanitas and Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Humanitas University, presided over the awarding of the fellowships and spoke on social responsibility in scientific research and the crucial role of clear and effective communication to generate greater engagement, culture and interest in science.

To watch the award ceremony with the awarding of the 2020 fellowships, please visit IBSA Foundation’s Facebook page (Italian) and YouTube channel (English).

Fellowships 2020 - IBSA foundation awards top 5 international projects by researchers under 40

Akiko Omori, Sara Carmela Credendino, Yingying Cong, Jan Kroon, Anna Gryadunova

THE WINNERS OF THE 2020 EDITION

  • Dermatology - Akiko Omori, Dept. of Biology, Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), Università degli Studi di Padova. Research project: “Exploring the role of mitochondrial morphology changes in melanoma stem cells
  • Fertility and Urology: Sara Carmela Credendino, Dept. of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples Federico II. Research project: “Direct and transgenerational effects of benzo[a]pyrene, a common environmental pollutant, on mouse fertility
  • Special Edition “Coronavirus infections” - Yingying Cong, Dept. of Cellular Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen. Research project: “Killing coronaviruses by striking at their heart
  • Endocrinology - Jan Kroon, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center. Research project: “Detoxifying glucocorticoid drug treatment: The identification of signalling partners that cause side effects
  • Orthopaedics, Pain Medicine and Rheumatology - Anna Gryadunova, Dept. of Biomedicine, Laboratory of Cartilage Engineering, University of Basil. Research project: “Nanoghosts as a gene delivery platform for CRISPR components in intervertebral disc repair

More details about the winners are to be found on the IBSA Foundation website.