Cancer research, 12 investigators under 40 years of age selected as grantees
Projects featuring innovative ideas, which are not supported by vast publications and do not easily get funded as they are highly risky: 12 such frontier research projects were selected for funding under TRIDEO - TRansforming IDEas in Oncology research award, the call for proposals jointly launched by Fondazione Cariplo and the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC), last year. A call for proposals with a meaningful name and over €1 million funds allocated to support project ideas with the potential to transform cancer research. A call betting on scientific research that solicited the submission of research projects pushing the frontiers of knowledge to find remedies for those types of cancer that are mostly still not curable. Twelve scientists with a strong will to bring about a paradigm shift in cancer research were selected for their project as grantees under the call.
The selected grantees are all investigators under 40 years of age from the best research centers of Lombardy and the province of Novara. Most of them are female. The selected grantees received their award this morning at a ceremony held at Gallerie d'Italia, Milan, Italy. The grantees are: Alessandro Campanella, San Raffaele Foundation; Giuseppina Caretti, Milan University; Valentina Carozzi Milan Bicocca University; Emanuel Della Torre, San Raffaele Foundation; Francesca Ficara Humanitas Research Foundation; Federico Lazzaro, Milan University; Matteo Jacopo Marzi, Italian Institute of Technology Foundation; Elena Maspero Italian Foundation for Cancer Research, Molecular Oncology Institute (IFOM); Luca Mazzarella European Institute of Oncology Foundation - Monzino Foundation - CV Disease Center; Tracey Pirali Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro University; Arianna Sabò Italian Institute of Technology Foundation; and Tiziana Triulzi National Cancer Institute.
“By supporting these young investigators we are investing in our future” - said Giuseppe Guzzetti, President of Fondazione Cariplo. The submitted projects were reviewed by a panel of well-reputed international experts. Key elements in project selection have been the innovativeness of the cancer research project proposal, its potential to provide insight into those aspects of the disease that are still unknown and the soundness of its scientific approach. “We believe research is critical, this is why every year Fondazione Cariplo commits some €30 million to back over a hundred initiatives in this realm.”- added Guzzetti.
“Cancer is a disease that affects us all. Just think that in Italy there are 1,000 people who are newly diagnosed with cancer every day while some 2.9 million people live with a previous diagnosis of cancer. Research is the only way to respond to the challenges cancer poses. In these past few years there has been a steady acceleration in research, which has led to the development of novel prevention strategies and diagnostic tools as well as personalized treatments for many types of cancer. Sponsoring frontier research together with Fondazione Cariplo means investing in the brightest minds of our country to further improve cure rates.” - said Pier Giuseppe Torrani, AIRC President.
The collaboration between Fondazione Cariplo and AIRC does not end there: last week the 2015 TRIDEO Call for Proposals was launched. It is open to investigators under 40 years of age who work in Italy – excluding Lombardy and the provinces of Novara and Verbania, which were covered under the previous TRIDEO Call (the 2014 Call). As in the previous call €1million funds have been allocated to support some ten cancer research projects that push the frontiers of knowledge.