| During the Annual Conference of the CNR Department of Biomedical Sciences, the Giovanni Maga Prize—a distinction dedicated to young researchers who have distinguished themselves through the quality and originality of their scientific contributions in the research areas pertaining to the Department- was awarded. The initiative aims to promote emerging talent and to support the development of new generations of scientists in the spirit of scientific excellence. The evaluation criteria included originality, international relevance, potential applications, and the overall quality of the candidates’ scientific curricula.
The 2026 Edition Winners
The prize was awarded to two young researchers: Carla Lucia Esposito (IEOMI-CNR) and Giulia Bastianello (IGM-CNR). The research work presented by Bastianello focuses on the following topic: “Mechanisms leading to oncogene amplification and aneuploidy in response to mechanical stress.” The Director and the entire community of the “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza” Institute of Molecular Genetics extend their warmest congratulations to both recipients.
In Memory of Giovanni Maga
The ceremony also provided an opportunity to commemorate Giovanni Maga, in whose honor the prize was established. Maga served as Director of IGM-CNR and subsequently as Director of the Department of Biomedical Sciences. His scientific and personal legacy was recalled during the event by Giuseppe Biamonti, former Director of IGM and of the Department of Biomedical Sciences. “Giovanni Maga’s legacy has profoundly shaped Italian and European biomedicine. A rigorous scientist and a visionary Director of the DSB-CNR, he promoted a vision of research that was open, interdisciplinary, and capable of addressing global health challenges,” said Giuseppe Biamonti. “The prize that bears his name was created to nurture young researchers’ talent and to stimulate innovative solutions at the heart of molecular biology and viral replication mechanisms, in line with the scientific horizon that he himself helped to define.”
The Prize Awarded by IGM
The prize is part of a broader set of initiatives promoted in memory of Giovanni Maga, including one launched by the “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza” Institute of Molecular Genetics, directed by Marco Foiani. “In collaboration with the Maga family and the publisher Zanichelli, IGM has established this year a prize intended for young researchers working in the field of molecular virology or nucleic acid enzymology,” explains Institute Director Marco Foiani. “The award will recognize the best scientific paper published in an international journal between 2022 and 2025.”
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