Fondazione Cariplo Call 2023: 5 young UniSR researchers funded

In 2023 alone, Fondazione Cariplo selected 59 new projects in the scientific field, to which it allocated, with the resolutions in December alone, resources amounting to approximately 11.5 million euros. At the center of Cariplo's commitment are young researchers, with 42 projects selected in the fields of natural, human and social sciences and 8 million euros to support the careers of young researchers, offering them the opportunity to develop independent and competitive research projects.

Among these also 5 researchers from the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, winners of the "Young Researchers" call in the "Life Sciences" field.

The call "Young Researchers - Supporting postdoctoral researchers in the early stage of their career" is a two-phase call that fits into the strategic objective “Scientific Research: supporting multidisciplinary research for the well-being of people and for socio-economic development of communities".

Through this call, Fondazione Cariplo supports after graduation researchers in the early stage of their careers.The call is aimed at supporting research projects that aim to enhance the profile of the researcher through the construction of their research identity.

Out of 20 young researchers awarded, 5 are researchers at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. The following were awarded the financing:

• Luigi Albano, Neurosurgeon at the Gamma Knife Stereotactic Neurosurgery and Radiosurgery Operating Unit, with the project “Evaluation of spinal cord stimulation assisted by motor rehabilitation training for restoring motor function after spinal cord injury”;
• Giorgia Alvisi, researcher at the Targeted cancer gene therapy Unit, with the project “Intercellular transfer of telomeres to unleash long-term anti-tumor immune memory”;
• Svetlana Bezukladova, researcher at the Neuroimmunology Unit, with the project “Unveiling the role of neurokinin-1 receptor in regulating myelination and neuroprotection”;
• Tommaso Perini, researcher at the Age-Related Diseases Unit, with the project “Targeting the mitochondrial protease ClpP: a novel strategy to boost anti-cancer immunity in multiple myeloma”;
• Laura Veschetti, researcher at the Infections and Cystic Fibrosis Unit, with the project “Unravelling the impact of Pseudomonas aeruginosa microRNAs on microbe-host interaction and drug response in chronic respiratory diseases”.

Thanks to the support of the Foundation, researchers will be offered the opportunity to develop an independent project, collect preliminary data functional to the proposed study, develop methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or innovative techniques. In designing research, contamination between different disciplinary areas, methodologies or approaches is encouraged, which is fundamental for supporting scientific progress and providing solutions to the complex problems that characterize our society.