News Release

Italian Chemical Society and Elsevier recognize three early-career researchers

The 2019 Reaxys SCI Early Career Researcher Award aims to promote young talent in the chemistry field in Italy

Grant and Award Announcement

Elsevier

2019 Reaxys SCI Award Winners

image: The 2019 Reaxys SCI Award winners (center) Denise Sighel (2nd Prize), Gianluigi Albano (1st Prize) and Marco Carlotti (3rd Prize) pictured with current and past members of the SCI Young Group and Elsevier representatives. view more 

Credit: Elsevier

Rome, September 12, 2019 - The Young Group of the Italian Chemical Society (Società Chimica Italiana, SCI) and Elsevier, a global information analytics business specializing in science and health, are pleased to announce the winners of the 5th Reaxys SCI Early Career Researcher Award during the XXXIX National Congress of the SCI Organic Chemistry Division held this morning in Turin. The Award highlights SCI's and Elsevier's ongoing efforts to promote chemistry research in Italy.

This year's three winners presented research projects in three different chemistry fields:

  • First prize was awarded to Gianluigi Albano, from the University of Pisa, for his research project on the preparation of highly innovative organic materials, with a view to their application as semiconductors in technological devices.
  • Denise Sighel, from the University of Trento, was awarded the second prize for her work aimed at identifying new molecules capable of selectively inhibiting the proliferation of "glioblastoma stem cells", considered responsible for this form of brain tumor--one of the most common and aggressive in adults.
  • The third prize was awarded to Marco Carlotti, currently a researcher at the Italian Institute of Technology, for his project on molecular electronics, which made it possible to develop a "molecular memory" (i.e., a molecule whose conductivity can be "switched 'on' or 'off'" through an electrical impulse). Carlotti's research was conducted at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
  • Members of the SCI young group were invited to submit an essay describing an original research project or idea that made use of a scientific database. The winning essays were judged by a jury of six chemistry experts from both Elsevier and the SCI, who evaluated the relevance, originality and innovativeness of the proposals:

  • Dr. Matteo Atzori, Post-doctoral Researcher at CNRS & Université Grenoble-Alpes
  • Dr. Emilia Paone, Post-doc Research Fellow at University of Florence
  • Dr. Valentina Lazazzara, Researcher at Foundation Edmund Mach
  • Dr. Elena Herzog, Senior Manager Innovation and Partner Development, Elsevier
  • Dr. Carlos Rodriguez del Rio, Customer Consultant Life Sciences, Elsevier
  • Dr. Carine Culot-Rypens, Customer Consultant Life Sciences, Elsevier
  • 2019 marks the fifth year of partnership between SCI and Elsevier to promote and recognize young researchers in chemistry in Italy and to support their career development.

    "Initiatives such as the Reaxys Award are fundamental tools for promoting and supporting the work of young researchers in the scientific field, both at a national and international level," said Leonardo Triggiani, Coordinator of the SCI Young Group. "The collaboration with Elsevier is growing and maturing year after year, giving us the opportunity to enhance and value people and research projects that bear witness to the leading role that Italy plays in the various disciplines of chemistry.

    "I am pleased to report of the increased involvement of the young chemists' community in the initiatives resulting from this collaboration, certifying that the direction taken is the right one, and calling us to an ever-increasing commitment that is attentive to the needs of our colleagues."

    Joerg Limberg, Vice President Europe, Elsevier commented: "We are pleased to continue to support this initiative, which thanks to the collaboration with the SCI Young Group, highlights the importance of the work of young chemists in Italy for the fifth consecutive year. We continue to work together in an effort to support the professional development and the individual projects of the researchers that conduct their work with great passion in universities across Italy."

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    Reaxys is a trademark of RELX Intellectual Properties SA, used under license.

    Notes for editors

    The essays were reviewed on the following criteria: 1) between 750-1500 words; 2) supporting evidence of accomplishments; 3) the degree to which the essay highlights how a scientific database helps achieve research goals; 4) level of innovation; 5) level of originality; 6) clarity of thought; 7) level of completeness; 8) impact and importance of the research topic to the field.

    Journalists wishing to interview the winners can contact them directly. For Gianluigi Albano at gianluigi.albano@dcci.unipi.it; Denise Sighel at denise.sighel@unitn.it; and Marco Carlotti at marco.carlotti@iit.it.

    About the Italian Chemical Society

    Società Chimica Italiana (SCI) is a scientific non-profit association with the aim of promoting the study and the progress of chemistry and its applications, and, in particular, to favor and improve scientific research in all fields of chemistry, to disseminate the knowledge of chemistry and the importance of its applications, within a context of progress and well-being of humanity, to promote and encourage the study of chemistry at universities and in schools of all levels, to promote development in all fields of Science. Its 3500 members are united by a strong interest in chemical sciences, as well as by their will to contribute to the cultural and economic growth of Italy and to improve human life and environmental protection.

    About Elsevier

    Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps scientists and clinicians to find new answers, reshape human knowledge, and tackle the most urgent human crises. For 140 years, we have partnered with the research world to curate and verify scientific knowledge. Today, we're committed to bringing that rigor to a new generation of platforms. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 39,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. http://www.elsevier.com

    Media contact

    Christian Palazzesi
    Elsevier
    +39 366 775 91 30
    c.palazzesi@elsevier.com


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