With deep sorrow, the University of Trieste remembers Professor Franco Cucchi, an esteemed lecturer and researcher who devoted his long and distinguished academic career to the study of geomorphology and applied geology, with a particular and passionate focus on karst phenomena and processes.

After graduating in Geology in 1972, Franco Cucchi began his scientific research career, first as a scholarship holder and contract researcher and, from 1981, as a researcher at the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of the University of Trieste. In 1988, he became Associate Professor at the Institute of Geography and Oceanography of the University of Messina, before returning to Trieste in 1991, where from 2002 he served as Full Professor in the scientific-disciplinary field GEO/04 – Physical Geography and Geomorphology.

Throughout his scientific career, he devoted particular attention to the study of karst phenomena, a field of research he pursued with rigour, enthusiasm and deep passion, contributing significantly to the understanding of geomorphological processes and karst landscapes. A pioneer of geological-technical mapping, he was among the first to recognise the importance of detailed knowledge of the territory, actively encouraging the sharing and dissemination of public data.

A highly respected lecturer and internationally recognised scholar, he was able to convey his enthusiasm for study and research to his students, guiding them throughout their education with expertise and dedication. In the same way, he generously shared his knowledge and experience with the many colleagues with whom he collaborated, contributing to the education and training of entire generations of professionals and researchers.

For many, Franco Cucchi was not only an authoritative scholar and a point of reference in the fields of geomorphology and karst studies, but also a mentor in both academic and personal life. His passion for research, his scientific curiosity and his ability to engage those around him left a profound mark on the academic community. His teaching and his contribution to research will remain part of the scientific and human heritage of the University of Trieste.

We remember him with our deepest affection and sincere gratitude.

Paolo Fornasiero, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Trieste’s Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Vice-Rector for Research, has been elected Corresponding Member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in the Class of Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences.

His election represents one of the most prestigious recognitions in the Italian and international scientific community and acknowledges Professor Fornasiero’s contribution to research in the fields of catalysis, advanced materials and chemistry for the energy transition.

Becoming a member of the Accademia dei Lincei is a great honour and a responsibility,” says Professor Fornasiero. “This recognition celebrates a journey built together with the many colleagues, researchers and students with whom I have had the privilege of working. I believe that, today more than ever, research must contribute not only to scientific progress, but also to the cultural and social development of the country, addressing the major challenges of sustainability, energy and innovation with scientific rigour and a spirit of collaboration.

Founded in 1603, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei is the world’s oldest scientific academy still in operation. Throughout its history, its members have included figures such as Galileo Galilei, Stanislao Cannizzaro, Quintino Sella, Benedetto Croce and Albert Einstein. Today, it is Italy’s foremost scientific and cultural institution and serves as a scientific adviser to the President of the Italian Republic.

Professor Fornasiero’s scientific career is internationally recognised. His research focuses primarily on materials chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, energy conversion processes and the development of sustainable technologies for reducing emissions and producing fuels and chemicals with a lower environmental impact.

The author of more than 370 scientific publications in leading international journals, Fornasiero is among the most highly cited researchers in his field and has served as coordinator and partner in numerous research projects funded by the European Union and by national and international organisations. Over the course of his career, he has received major scientific awards and is a member of prestigious international scientific societies.

His election to the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei also represents recognition of the scientific excellence of the University of Trieste, reaffirming its leading role in national and international research.

Burlo is joining forces with the University of Trieste for the “Accendi d’Oro, Accendi la Speranza” (“Light Up Gold, Light Up Hope”) campaign, promoted by FIAGOP – the Italian Federation of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology Parents’ and Survivors’ Associations – from 21 to 28 September 2026. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the challenges posed by childhood cancer and the importance of research in paediatric oncology and haematology.

The initiative is part of Gold September, the international childhood cancer awareness month promoted by the Childhood Cancer International network.

Since 1984, the specialist unit at the Trieste-based Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalisation and Healthcare (IRCCS) has treated more than a thousand children and young people and performed 480 haematopoietic stem cell transplants. Thanks to advances in treatment, cure rates now stand at around 80%.

The continuing improvement in cure rates is driven by several factors, including increasingly effective chemotherapy protocols, the use of innovative drugs such as monoclonal antibodies and targeted therapies, and advances in molecular and genetic diagnostics.

“Curing a child with cancer is possible today,” explains Dr Marco Rabusin, Director of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology at Burlo. “This important achievement is the result of significant technological advances, combined with collaboration between healthcare professionals, patient associations and families to build a therapeutic alliance.”

By joining the campaign, the University of Trieste reaffirms the importance of supporting scientific research to develop increasingly effective treatments and improve the chances of a cure for children and adolescents with cancer. The University will light up the façade of Building A in gold, joining monuments, buildings and landmarks across Italy in displaying the campaign’s colour: a gesture of solidarity with young patients and their families, and a call for a shared commitment to the future of treatment.

Cardiology at the University of Trieste received two European recognitions at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Munich.

Marco Merlo, Associate Professor of Cardiology and Coordinator of the Degree Programme in Medicine and Surgery at UniTS, has been elected Chairperson of the ESC Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases. Merlo also heads the Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Outpatient Clinic and leads clinical research within the Cardiology Department at ASUGI’s Cattinara Hospital, directed by Gianfranco Sinagra. His election reflects the Trieste group’s research into cardiomyopathies and heart failure, combining academic work with clinical care.

The congress also recognised “Impact of genetic testing on primary prevention ICD decision-making and clinical outcomes in dilated cardiomyopathy” as the best abstract in Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases. The research was presented by Annalisa Bernabei, a cardiology resident in Trieste.

Conducted under the scientific supervision of Alessia Paldino, Matteo Dal Ferro and Marco Merlo, the study examines the impact of genetic testing on decisions regarding implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for primary prevention and on clinical outcomes in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. It forms part of the Trieste Cardiology group’s clinical and translational research, aimed at translating scientific knowledge into tools for patient care.

On the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day, observed today, 21 September, the University of Trieste will illuminate the façade of Building A in purple, renewing attention to a disease that represents one of the major health and social challenges associated with ageing. This year’s observance highlights a particularly dynamic phase in research, marked by the emergence of new therapeutic options and by advances in early diagnosis.

The 2026 international campaign promoted by Alzheimer’s Disease International is specifically dedicated to timely diagnosis, under the theme The Earlier You Know, The More You Can Do: A Dementia Diagnosis Matters. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the benefits that a diagnosis can offer people living with dementia and their families, enabling earlier access to treatment, support and care pathways, while also helping to overcome the stigma that still surrounds the disease.

“World Alzheimer’s Day comes at a time of profound change: for the first time, drugs are available that can remove amyloid from the brain and slow the progression of the disease in its early stages,” says Alberto Benussi, Professor of Neurology at the University of Trieste. The University Neurology Clinic at ASUGI is among the Italian centres involved in administering these treatments and studying their use in clinical practice.

Precisely because these therapies are more effective the earlier they are started, research in Trieste is also focusing on early diagnosis, through new blood biomarkers such as p-tau217, one of the tools currently attracting international research interest for its potential to make the identification of the disease earlier and more accurate.

A further line of research, particularly significant in a city and region that are naturally multilingual such as Trieste, concerns bilingualism. “By studying more than seven hundred people,” Professor Benussi continues, “the group observed that speaking more than one language is associated with greater cognitive reserve and with a better ability of the brain to withstand the effects of neurodegeneration.”

The entrance examination for the University of Trieste’s degree programmes in the health professions took place today. A total of 875 applicants registered for 525 available places across eleven programmes based in Trieste, Gorizia and Pordenone. Applications reached an all-time high, up 31% on 2025.

Interest extended across the full range of programmes: when first, second and third choices are combined, every programme attracted more expressions of preference than available places. Each applicant could select up to three degree programmes, ranked in order of preference, to be considered for admission to each.

Applications increased for Psychiatric Rehabilitation (+69%), Dental Hygiene in Trieste (+42.4%), Dental Hygiene in Pordenone (+39.4%), Medical Radiology, Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy Techniques (+34.8%), Speech and Language Therapy (+30.2%), Physiotherapy (+21.5%, with a record number of applications) and Health Assistance (+17.4%).

Nursing also recorded a positive result, with first-choice applications rising by 21.2% compared with last year. This recovery significantly outpaced the national increase of 16.3% reported by FNOPI, Italy’s National Federation of Nursing Professions.

Physiotherapy remained the most sought-after programme, with 254 first-choice applications, followed by Nursing, with 143, and Speech and Language Therapy, with 112.

For the 2026/27 academic year, programmes will again be offered across the three locations. Trieste has 220 places in Nursing, 40 in Physiotherapy, 40 in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques, 30 in Medical Radiology, Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy Techniques, 25 in Dental Hygiene, 30 in Psychiatric Rehabilitation and 30 in Speech and Language Therapy.

Gorizia offers 40 places in Health Assistance and 20 in Environmental and Occupational Prevention Techniques. In Pordenone, Dental Hygiene and Dietetics each offer 25 places.

Women continued to make up a clear majority of those registered for the entrance examination, once again accounting for more than 70% of applicants.

Applicants’ places of residence also highlight the programmes’ appeal beyond the region: one in five lives in another Italian region, with Veneto accounting for by far the largest share, at 16.1% of all applicants. The most represented provinces were Treviso, Venice and Belluno.

The examination took place in buildings H3 and C1 on the Piazzale Europa campus. Applicants had 100 minutes to answer 60 multiple-choice questions: 23 in biology, 15 in chemistry, 13 in physics and mathematics, five in logical reasoning and problem-solving, and four assessing reading comprehension and knowledge acquired during previous studies. Admission rankings will be published within 15 days of the examination.

The University of Trieste, through Vanessa Nicolin, the Rector’s Delegate for Student Wellbeing and Inclusion, will coordinate the new national working group on “Inclusive placements in medical and healthcare education”. The group was established at the initiative of the Executive Board of CNUDD, the Italian National University Conference of Delegates for Disability, following the national congress held at the University of Trieste last May.

The working group will involve representatives of the national conferences of degree programmes in Medicine and Surgery, the Health Professions, and Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics. It will address the challenges of including students with disabilities and specific learning disorders in medical and healthcare placements, drawing on experience and good practice across universities. Its aim is to promote shared approaches that ensure inclusion and the full achievement of learning outcomes.

Initial activities will focus on mapping existing practices and drafting guidelines for submission to CRUI, the Conference of Italian University Rectors, to be shared subsequently with other universities.

The appointment of Nicolin, Associate Professor of Human Anatomy in the Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, was communicated on 9 September. 

Lucia Gardossi, who teaches Organic Chemistry at the University of Trieste, has been appointed Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by President Sergio Mattarella, in recognition of her contribution to green chemistry and the development of the bioeconomy.

The honour recognises a career that has long combined scientific research with public service. The nomination highlights Gardossi’s contribution to the development of the bioeconomy through her scientific and technical expertise, and her work at senior policymaking levels to help shape sustainability strategies in Italy, Europe and, more recently, internationally.

Gardossi was appointed directly to the rank of Officer under an exceptional provision available to the President of the Republic in cases of particularly distinguished merit. Under the rules governing the Order, first-time recipients are normally appointed to the rank of Knight.

Her research focuses on the use of enzymes in chemical processes, particularly to convert biomass and agricultural waste into materials from renewable sources. She graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from the University of Trieste in 1988. Following a period of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she obtained her doctorate in Trieste in 1993 and has since pursued her academic career at the University, where she works in the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Over the years, her research has also informed sustainability policy. She serves on the Board of SPRING, the Italian National Technology Cluster for Green Chemistry, whose Scientific and Technical Committee she chaired until 2024. She is also a member of the National Bioeconomy Coordination Group at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, contributing to technical documents that support national and international strategies. Internationally, she served as Vice-Chair of a European Commission advisory group for the implementation of Horizon 2020 and has collaborated with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), including as lead author of a report on the sustainability of agrifood value chains.

Professor Gardossi also serves on the scientific committees of Assobioplastiche and Ecomondo and contributes to the activities of the European Federation of Biotechnology. In 2020, her research on renewable and biodegradable plastics earned her the Tecnovisionarie Special Award for Research and Science. The nomination also links this recognition to her commitment to younger generations and equal opportunities for women in science.

The University of Trieste and the Trieste Police Headquarters (Questura di Trieste) have signed a memorandum of understanding under which the parties commit, within the scope of and in compliance with their respective institutional roles and purposes, to promoting, developing and strengthening opportunities and initiatives for collaboration. The agreement was signed by the Rector, Donata Vianelli, and the Chief of Police (Questore) of Trieste, Lilia Fredella.

The collaboration will cover several areas. It provides for advanced training programmes, seminars and supplementary teaching modules delivered with the contribution of State Police experts, as well as meetings and training conferences for University teaching staff and students on State Police topics of interest to the University. Similar training initiatives will be organised for managers and staff of the Trieste Police Headquarters, focusing on regulatory aspects relevant to their work. 

The agreement also provides for information sessions for students interested in pursuing a career in the State Police, and for the State Police's participation in the Career Day periodically organised by the University.

Other commitments include dedicated support for administrative procedures for international faculty and students at the University, the development of joint study projects on topics of shared interest — with particular attention to the scientific and technological fields — and curricular internships and research fellowships for University students to be carried out at the Police Headquarters. 

The parties will also collaborate on joint research activities aimed at producing publications, as well as on information, institutional communication and dedicated event initiatives.

Aneta Aleksova, Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Trieste, has been elected to the Board of the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) for the 2026–2028 term and appointed Co-Chair of Education, with a coordinating role in the association’s educational activities in the field of acute cardiovascular care.

The new appointments were officially announced during ESC Congress 2026, held in Munich from 28 to 31 August. Aneta Aleksova is one of the seven elected Ordinary Board Members of ACVC, the European Society of Cardiology association dedicated to the care of patients with acute cardiovascular conditions.

Following her election to the Board, ACVC President Alessandro Sionis appointed Aneta Aleksova Co-Chair of Education. During her term, the UniTS professor will contribute to coordinating the specialist training activities promoted by the association, including simulation-based and hands-on programmes such as the ACVC Simulation School and the ACVC-EAPCI Cardiogenic Shock School, a programme dedicated to the management of cardiogenic shock and organised across different levels of training. Her role will also involve collaboration with ACVC groups working in the fields of accreditation, artificial intelligence and research.

The new appointment is closely connected with Aneta Aleksova’s work at the University of Trieste in the field of simulation-based medical education. She is the Scientific Director of the University’s Centre for Medical Simulation and Advanced Training (CSMAA), where students and healthcare professionals can train in high-fidelity clinical scenarios using advanced technologies and simulation-based activities. Aneta Aleksova is also a certified instructor in Medical Simulation, Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).

Aneta Aleksova has also joined the ACVC research group coordinated by Professor Karl Huber of the University of Vienna, in recognition of her research on myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest. In recent years, she has received ACVC scientific awards for studies focusing on biomarkers in myocardial infarction and prognosis. The research was carried out at the Molecular Cardiology Laboratory of the ASUGI Cardiology Complex Unit, which she leads, through national and international collaborations.

The roles entrusted to Professor Aleksova within these European networks further strengthen the standing of Cardiology at the University of Trieste and of the ASUGI Cardiology Complex Unit, directed by Professor Gianfranco Sinagra.