Supporting the science of tomorrow: six researchers awarded at the 2024 edition of the IBSA Foundation Fellowships

Six research grants worth €32,000 each have been awarded to six researchers under the age of 40 from across the globe, selected as part of the 2024 edition of the IBSA Foundation Fellowships. The fellowships are designed to support projects in five scientific areas that often receive limited funding from major institutions worldwide: dermatology, endocrinology, fertility/urology, pain medicine/orthopaedics/ rheumatology, and healthy ageing/regenerative medicine.

The winning projects were selected by the Foundation’s Scientific Board for their feasibility, originality, scientific value, and relevance to the chosen therapeutic area.

Founded in 2012 with the aim of promoting an open, rigorous and accessible scientific culture, IBSA Foundation for scientific research has been committed for over a decade to supporting research and promoting dialogue between science and society. Since their launch, in 2013, the IBSA Foundation Fellowships have offered 58 scholarships, for a total value of over € 1.6 million. An international project that continues to grow over the years and which, in this edition, has reached a record participation of 259 projects from 45 countries.

RESEARCH, TALENTS AND VISION: A FORWARD-LOOKING COMMITMENT

The award ceremony for the 2024 edition – a moment of celebration and discussion among experts and journalists, designed to celebrate the winners of the 12^th edition of the Fellowship – was held on May 27, 2025, at Palazzo Giureconsulti (Milan, Italy). The ceremony opened with a roundtable entitled Investire nella ricerca indipendente per valorizzare i talenti e rafforzare la competitività (“Investing in independent research to enhance talent and strengthen competitiveness”), an opportunity to reflect on the current state of scientific research in Italy and Europe with some of its most authoritative exponents. Among them Alberto Mantovani (renowned Professor, scientist and science communicator) and Irene Bozzoni (Professor Emeritus of Molecular Biology at Sapienza University of Rome), as well as the members of the scientific board of the Foundation: Andrea Alimonti, Antonio Musarò and Domenico Salvatore.

Following the discussion, the six winners of the 2024 edition were officially announced:

• Ilaria Chiaradia, Charles Darwin Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy – Therapeutic area: fertility/urology (on the left in the photo)
• Prach Techameena, Karolinska Institutet, Neurobiology of Pain & Therapeutics, Saida Hadjab Group, Stockholm, Sweden – Therapeutic area: pain medicine/orthopaedics/rheumatology (in the centre of the photo)
• Masami Ando Kuri, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular genetics, Haniffa Lab, Cambridge, UK – Therapeutic area: dermatology (on the right in the photo)

• Enchen Zhou, University of California San Diego, Christopher Glass Laboratory, US – Therapeutic area: endocrinology
• Sergio Pérez Díaz, Karolinska Institutet, Division of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Medicine Department, Stockholm, Sweden – Therapeutic area: healthy ageing/regenerative medicine
• Vanessa López Polo, University of California San Francisco, Cardiovascular Research Institute, US – Therapeutic area: healthy ageing/regenerative medicine

“Supporting the talent of young researchers represents for IBSA Foundation a strategic investment, driving scientific progress and fostering a society that is more aware and better equipped to face future challenges”, stated Silvia Misiti, Director of IBSA Foundation for scientific research. “In a context where access to a scientific career is increasingly complex, our Fellowships serve as a tangible tool to support young researchers at a difficult time, promoting merit and innovation”.

TWO YOUNG SPANISH RESEARCHERS AMONG THE WINNERS

Among the projects selected by the scientific committee of the IBSA Foundation are those of two Spanish researchers: Vanessa López Polo (University of California, San Francisco, USA), aged 31, and Sergio Pérez Díaz (Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden), aged 39. Both have been recognised in the category of healthy ageing and regenerative medicine, with proposals focused on ageing-related mechanisms, approached from different yet complementary perspectives.

We are extremely proud to see two Spanish researchers awarded these prestigious fellowships. This recognition is yet another sign that the talent and innovation in our country hold enormous potential to make a global impact” said Felipe Hortelano Almedia, General Manager of IBSA Iberia.

CALL FOR 2025 APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

IBSA Foundation has officially announced the opening of the call for the 2025 edition of the Fellowships, confirming the award of six € 32,000 grants. As of this year, the IBSA Foundation Research Equity Prize will also be introduced: worth € 5,000, the prize will be awarded to the best scientific project developed in a laboratory, research institute or university based in a developing country.

Projects must be submitted by January 31, 2026, via the dedicated platform, accessible through the website of IBSA Foundation for scientific research.