Five UniTS PhD graduates were awarded € 3,000 each in the inaugural edition of the PHD Innovation Award, the prize designed to celebrate the merit, innovation and creativity of young scientists in the year of the University of Trieste’s 100th Anniversary.

The winners are:

Francesco Armillotta, PhD Course in Physics, with a thesis entitled ‘Mono and Bi-metallic Tetra Pyridyl Porphyrin Monolayers from Uhv to Near - Ambient Conditions’, supervisor Erik Vesselli;

Beatrice Bartolomei, PhD Course in Nanotechnology, with a thesis on ‘Carbon Nanodots: from Purification Strategies to Multifunctional Materials’, supervisor Maurizio Prato and coordinator Alberto Morgante;

Luca Grisetti, PhD Course in Molecular Biomedicine, with a thesis entitled ‘The role of Aurora Kinase A in the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and in the Regulation of Programmed Death - Ligand 1’, supervisors Claudio Tiribelli and Devis Pascut, coordinator Germana Meroni;

Silvia Mauri, PhD Course in Nanontechnology, with a thesis on ‘Operando Soft X - Ray Absorption Spectroscopy Applications for the Investigation of Surface Reactivity of Heterogeneous Catalysts for Methanol Valorization’, supervisor Piero Torelli, coordinator Alberto Mogante;

and

Paola Tesolin, PhD Course in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, with a thesis on ‘Phenotypic High Throughput Screening Highlights Promising Molecules for the Treatment of SLC7A8 Dependent Age - Related Hearing LO’, speakers Paolo Gasparini and Giorgia Girotto, coordinator Paolo Gasparini.

The response from the call for applications for the first PHD Innovation Award was exceptional. Out of 220 eligible applicants, as many as 95 students applied (56% women), demonstrating their self-belief in the excellence of their work. 

The awards ceremony was opened with greetings from the Rector Roberto Di Lenarda, the Director of the UniTS Doctoral School Alessandro Baraldi, and speeches from the three external judges of the award: Maurizio Manzin, Professor at the University of Trento, with a speech on ‘Innovation and technoscience in the post-thinking era’, Silvia Gross, Professor at the University of Padova, with ‘Chemistry between past, present and future: a versatile tool for the green transition' and Anna Cereseto, Professor at the University of Trento, on ‘The genome editing revolution in the life sciences: from advanced therapies to the new agrifood’.

‘In recent years, UniTS has shown a firm commitment to strengthening higher education. Since 2019/2020, we have significantly increased the number of scholarships funded directly by the University, reaching almost 200 places in the latest call for applications for the 13 PhD courses,’ emphasised Prof. Baraldi. ’Not only have we increased the number of places available, but we have also seen an increase in course popularity. This year, for the 40th round of PhD grants, applications exceeded 1,000, marking an increase of 21% over the previous year and 53% over two years ago.’

In the photo: Prof. Alessandro Baraldi with the three winners present at the award ceremony