On 11th February occurs the annual celebration of The International Day for Women and Girls in Science. The #NEVERMIND Consortium is happy to have wonderful examples of successful women in science.
Inspired by the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles, the NEVERMIND Consortium cares about the gender equity among its components. Gender equality is a key priority set with the Member States and Associated countries in the European Research Area, actions have been planned to increase the participation of women in research and innovation and improvement of their careers prospects and to improve gender balance in decision-making bodies.
In order to promote gender equality in research and decision-making, the #NEVERMIND project involves the effort of three female scientists as PIs: Dr. Bedoni of Fondazione Don Gnocchi, coordinator of the entire project, Prof. Re of Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca and Prof. Matteoli of Istituto Clinico Humanitas.
Besides, PIs are assisted and supported in their work by senior scientists involved as Co-PI, Dr. Saresella of Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi and Prof. Moresco of Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca.
This is not all, the Consortium takes advantage of the expertise and work of 28 women researchers specialized in the field of nanomedicine, biotechnologies, chemistry and neuroscience, that account for 62% of the resources of the Consortium.
Besides, among the young researchers recruited since the beginning of the project 6 out of 8 are young women researchers, with 80% of women among the young researchers involved in the project (under 40 years-old).
We are happy to be a concrete demonstration that in Italy and in Scientific research, there are wonderful examples of women with leading postions and with successful carreers.
Here below we report in alphabetical order, extracts of their CV and carreer paths that can be inspiration for young girls passionate for science, looking for real mentors.
Marzia Bedoni: graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Milan with a PhD in Morphological Sciences, she is co-founder of the Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Clinical Biophotonics (LABION) of Fondazione Don Gnocchi where she has carried out her Post-Doc granted by the Cariplo Foundation, Seed Capital and FP7 call. She is now Head of LABION, member of the Leadership Council of the International Consortium for Regenerative Rehabilitation (founded by University of Pittsburgh, Stanford University and Mayo Clinic), Vice-Chair of the Clinical Interface Group in the European Technology Platform of Nanomedicine and Founding Member of Italian Society for Extracellular Vescicle.
Michela Matteoli: graduated in Biological Sciences, with a PhD obtained at the University of Pisa, she was Postdoctoral fellow at Yale University School of Medicine. In 2013 she was awarded with the prestigious “Nature Award for Mentoring in Science” and she is currently member of TIWS “Top Italian Women Scientists”. She was Director of the Italian CNR Institute of Neuroscience from 2014 to 2018 and she is currently Head of Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Pathology, Chair of Neuro Center at Humanitas Research Hospital, Full Professor of Pharmacology at Humanitas University. Her main expertise include the molecular mechanisms of synapse dysfunctions in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases, glia-neuron interaction and inflammation, interactions between the immune and the nervous system during neuronal development and neuroncology.
Rosa Maria Moresco: with MSCs in Pharmacology and research experience at the PET-Cyclotron Center of San Raffaele Hospital and at the Institut d’Imagerie Biomedical, (Orsay, France), she is currently Full Professor of the Department of Medicine and Surgery of University of Milano-Bicocca with Research appointment at Center for Experimental Imaging of San Raffaele Hospital and IBFM-CNR. She is working on pharmacology and translational diagnostic imaging, particularly based on the use of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) for preclinical models characterization and drug development.
Francesca Re: graduated in Medical Biotechnology at the University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB) with a PhD degree in Neuroscience at UNIMIB, she was Postdoctoral fellow at University of Coventry and at Academic Medical Center of Amsterdam. Currently she is associate professor of biochemistry and nanomedicine at University of Milano-Bicocca. She made important advances in nanomedicine, studying the identification of ligands for specific tissue targeting and to overcome biological barriers (in particular the blood-brain barrier). She is expert in chemical functionalization of nanoparticles with different types of ligands, in the study of intracellular trafficking of nanoparticles and in the assessment of nanoparticles pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. In 2013, she awarded of “63rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting – Chemistry”.
Marina Saresella: graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Milano, with a PhD in Microbiology and virology. She is coordinator biologist and senior researcher at the Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology Laboratory of Fondazione Don Gnocchi. She has participated in more than 90 national or international conferences as a speaker or poster presenter or moderator of sessions, expert in basic immunology and in the study of the inflammatory processes occurring during the pathogenesis of neurological disorders.
