International awards: Linda Paternò, assistant professor at the Institute of Biorobotics at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, is among the winners of the XXIII L'Orèal-Unesco “For Women in Science” Prize

Thanks to a project for the development of a robotic simulator for the human gastrointestinal tract, Linda Paternò, a bioengineering researcher at the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, is among the winners of the 23rd edition of the L'Oréal Italy UNESCO Award for Women in Science. The ceremony took place in Milan at the Museum of Science and Technology. Each year, the award grants six scholarships worth €20,000 each to six female researchers under the age of 35, based on the excellence of their projects in the fields of life and material sciences. The aim is to improve the representation of women in STEM fields.

The simulator for advanced training of clinical staff and for testing medical devices

The project ‘Bio-inspired soft robotic material for high-fidelity gastrointestinal simulators’ aims to develop an innovative robotic material composed of active elements made of silicone and crossed by a network of microchannels through which a fluid can flow. The goal is to create a simulator of the human gastrointestinal tract that can replicate its biomechanics, peristaltic motility, tissue properties, and mechanoreceptor function. The simulator will provide an advanced platform for training clinical staff and testing innovative medical devices, helping to reduce the use of animal models in accordance with the 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement).

The six winners

The jury, composed of a panel of distinguished Italian university professors and scientific experts and chaired by Prof. Lucia Votano, Affiliated Research Director at the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, after careful evaluation selected the six most deserving female researchers for their projects.

Sara Bagnoli

Sara is a neuroscientist with a PhD in neuroscience. Her research focuses on the study of brain ageing and neurodegenerative diseases. She is developing an innovative system to study brain ageing in vitro.

Project - Development of an innovative ex-vivo ageing model using a naturally short-lived vertebrate.

Host Institute - Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Bio@SNS laboratory.

Chiara Cattaneo

Chiara is a researcher with a PhD in molecular oncology and immunology. Her work focuses on the development of personalised immunotherapy strategies for solid tumours, with the aim of generating specific, powerful and long-lasting immune responses tailored to each patient.

Project - Personalised therapies against solid tumours: a new frontier in personalised treatment with immune cells

Host Institution - IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases.

Philippa Cole

Philippa is an astrophysicist specialising in the study of black holes and dark matter. She seeks to understand the nature of dark matter using gravitational waves, ripples in space-time generated by extreme cosmic events.

Project - Searching for dark matter signals with gravitational waves.

Host Institution - University of Milan-Bicocca

Alessia Ferrari

Alessia is a researcher specialising in water engineering. Her research focuses on the development and application of models to simulate floods and manage hydraulic risk.

Project - High-resolution modelling of urban flooding using climate projections

Host Institution - University of Parma, Department of Engineering and Architecture.

Alexa Guglielmelli

Alexa is an experimental physicist specialising in the study of optical biosensors and biointerfaces for molecular recognition. Her research lies at the intersection of biophysics and nanophotonics, focusing on the use of nanostructured and bio-inspired surfaces to enhance the interaction between light and biomolecules.

Project – BIO-META: Biointegrated Metasurfaces for Chiral Liquid Biopsy

Host Institution - University of Calabria, Department of Physics, Nanoscience Laboratory for Human Technologies (NLHT)

Linda Paternò

Linda is a biomedical engineer with a PhD in biorobotics. Her research focuses on the development of bio-inspired robotic devices capable of adapting to the environment by changing shape and stiffness, thanks to the use of soft materials and innovative actuation solutions.

Project - Bio-inspired soft robotic material for high-fidelity gastrointestinal simulators

Host Institute - Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, BioRobotics Institute

Linda Paternò received her MSc degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Pisa in 2016. Subsequently, she obtained her PhD in Biorobotics in 2020 from the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, where she currently serves as an Assistant Professor (RTDa) in the Surgical Robotics and Allied Technologies Area. Throughout her career, she has been involved in developing different robotic devices characterized by high compliance, shape-changing capabilities, and variable stiffness. These features enable the introduction of innovative functionalities in systems directly interfacing with the human body.