International Recognition: PhD Student Carmen Panepinto Zayati Awarded Two Prestigious Fellowships to Support Research Abroad

Carmen Panepinto Zayati, an engineer and PhD candidate in BioRobotics at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, has been awarded two prestigious fellowships to support her research stay at Harvard University: a Fulbright Scholarship and the Zegna Founder's Scholarship. Thanks to this funding, Carmen will spend the international research period of her doctoral program at one of the world's leading laboratories in the field of regenerative medicine.

These two fellowships rank among the most prestigious funding opportunities available to early-career researchers and further strengthen academic cooperation between Italy and the United States. Established in 1946 through an initiative of Senator J. William Fulbright, the Fulbright Program operates in more than 155 countries and provides scholarships for study, research, and teaching. The Ermenegildo Zegna Founder's Scholarship, established by the Zegna Group and administered by the Fondazione Zegna, supports outstanding Italian students and researchers pursuing advanced study or research abroad, with the long-term goal of encouraging them to return to Italy and contribute to the country's development.

At Harvard, Panepinto Zayati will continue the research project she began at the Regenerative Technologies Lab of the BioRobotics Institute, led by Professor Leonardo Ricotti. Her research combines engineering, biology, and regenerative medicine to investigate the mechanisms that enable highly regenerative organisms, such as axolotls, to regenerate their limbs, and to explore how these mechanisms might one day be applied to promote limb regeneration in humans.

Official ceremonies at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Quirinal Palace

In recent days, Carmen Panepinto Zayati took part in the Annual Fulbright Meeting hosted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Farnesina), in the presence of Giuliano Amato, President Emeritus of the Constitutional Court of Italy and Fulbright alumnus.

Representing all Italian recipients of the 2026–2027 Fulbright Program, Panepinto Zayati delivered a speech highlighting the value of the Fulbright Program as "a bridge connecting people, institutions, and countries." She emphasized that knowledge, dialogue, and mutual trust remain essential tools for building the future, particularly in a year marking the 80th anniversary of the Fulbright Program, the 250th anniversary of the United States, and the 80th anniversary of the Italian Republic.

In her remarks, Panepinto Zayati described the Fulbright experience not only as an academic opportunity but also as a responsibility: to represent Italy in the United States and to bring back new knowledge and expertise that can contribute to the country's future.

Finally, on July 2, together with the other Italian Fulbright scholarship recipients, Panepinto Zayati was received by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, during an official meeting at the Quirinal Palace.