As part of the initiatives promoted in Canada for the Day of Italian Research in the World, the Italian Embassy in Ottawa organised yesterday in the Richcraft Hall of Carleton University in Ottawa the award ceremony for the 'Ingegno Italiano' prize, now in its second edition. The award is for Italian scientists and researchers working in Canada who have distinguished themselves for outstanding scientific achievements in the life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities. For this second edition, the prize was awarded to Prof. Giada Sebastiani of McGill University for her outstanding contribution to the translation of epidemiological, diagnostic and interventional discoveries and for her essential role in steering government policy towards effective solutions for patients suffering from fatty liver disease linked to obesity and diabetes, a major cause of liver transplants in North America and industrialised countries.
The prize was presented to the winner by the Italian Ambassador to Canada, Alessandro Cattaneo, who emphasised the extraordinary contribution of Italian scientists and researchers working in Canada to Canadian scientific life and to strengthening relations between the two nations. After the award ceremony, Prof. Sebastiani gave a lecture on 'Healthy Livers, Healthy Lives: Fighting a Silent Pandemic'. The event then continued with a scientific discussion on the Italian contribution to science in Canada, 'Italian Talent in Canada: Excellence and Collaborations'. Giada Sebastiani is Professor of Medicine and Hepatology at McGill University in Montreal. Ranked among the World's Top 2% Scientists, Professor Sebastiani pursues her research through interdisciplinary collaborations involving hepatology, endocrinology, radiology, primary care medicine, public health and gender medicine. Internationally known, in 2018 Prof Sebastiani co-founded the Canadian Fatty Liver Network, and since 2021 has chaired the Network's annual conference that produced the white paper outlining a national strategy for the management of fatty liver disease in Canada and internationally. In 2024, she was elected president of the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver. In the context of the Italian Ingenuity Award, four other scholars who have made special contributions to different fields of knowledge received special mentions: Prof. Carolina Tropini of UBC for life sciences, Prof. Cristina Conati of UBC and Prof. Damiano Pasini of McGillU for physical sciences and engineering, and Prof. Stefania Maggi of Carleton University for social sciences and humanities. The awarding of the prize was coordinated by the Scientific Office of the Embassy with the support of a Scientific Council composed of three internationally recognised scientists.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
