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The International Prize "The Technovisionaries ®", an integral part of the international conference “Women&Technologies ® 2008-2015”, is awarded every year to “visionary women” who, through their work in Research, Public Administration, or Business, have been able to "invent the future", combining innovation and technologies, maintaining an overall vision and a necessary focus on the individual.
Nominations for the III edition 2010 of the Prize were made online on the website www.womentech.info until October 22, 2010. Among the over 50 candidates, a selection of finalists was chosen, including the 5 winners, one for each competition category; in addition, a special mention was awarded.
The Jury is composed of 8 members, chosen from qualified representatives in the thematic areas of the different competition categories, the world of culture, and communication.
Jury Composition
Diana Bracco President of the special project Research and Innovation and Expo 2015 - Confindustria - President of the Expo 2015 Management Company.
Giovanni Caprara Journalist, writer, popularizer, responsible for the scientific editing of Corriere della Sera.
Deborah Chiodoni Director of External Relations and Press, Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci, Milan.
Giovanna Luini Gatti Writer, breast specialist doctor and scientific communicator of IEO.
Gianna Martinengo Creator and Chairperson of Women&Technologies ®.
Fabio Minoli Rota Central Director of Communication-Image, FederChimica.
Silvia Rosa Brusin Journalist, presenter and deputy editor of Leonardo, RAI3.
Federica Villa Head of the Presidency and Institutional Relations Chamber of Commerce of Milan.
1st Prize "Bio and Nano WomenTech"
The First Prize is dedicated to women who have devoted their passion and expertise in "technovisionary" to two fundamental areas of the relationship between science, health, and technology: Biotechnology and Nanotechnology.
Alessandra Biffi, San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, Milan.
Motivation: For her determination in researching gene therapies to combat genetic diseases in children. She has dedicated the last 10 years of her scientific career to studying various aspects of gene therapy, eventually testing its effectiveness against a severe neurodegenerative disease that strikes in early childhood: metachromatic leukodystrophy. Her results have been published in prestigious international journals and have allowed for the transition from laboratory research to human experimentation.
Award presented by: Alberto Cavalli, Undersecretary of the President for Universities and Research, Lombardy Region.
Special Award: Interdisciplinarily
Intended for women who have dedicated their "technovisionary being" to the study of the "Mind" in the field of Neuroscience, the interdisciplinary field par excellence.
Antonella Canonico, ILABS.
Motivation: She is a woman who has dedicated her life to the study of the mind. Through her essays including "Semi-immortality" and "The mind does not lie", she has provided important insights for everyday life and a concrete way to manage anxieties and stress. The results of her clinical work and research are evident not only in the published books, but also in the many oncology patients who have been supported by Antonella Canonico in managing pain, thanks to the contribution of her experience in the study of emotions, thoughts, and the human mind. Antonella Canonico represents a rare example of concreteness and scientific quality in a field often populated by personalities without true qualifications or attention to the deep needs of patients.
Award presented by: Marco Accornero, Member of the Board of the Milan Chamber of Commerce.
Special Prize: "Space" for health
Intended for women involved in aerospace innovation in the health field, or in the transfer of technology from aerospace research to the health sector. "Technovisionaries" from the extraordinary to the ordinary.
Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of Human Spaceflight, ESA.
Reason: She has been nominated for the work that her Directorate carries out in support of biomedical research in human spaceflights, particularly on the International Space Station, with the goal of acquiring fundamental knowledge for human adaptation to the space environment and promoting the transfer of such knowledge to medical applications that can improve the well-being of people here on Earth. A strong advocate of the fundamental role of research and technological development as sources of innovation to improve our living conditions, we believe that the example set by Simonetta Di Pippo, with her experience and ideas, should be recognized, especially for women who want to engage in aerospace innovation. To increase the visibility of women in the aerospace community, she founded the 'Women in Aerospace - Europe' Association (WIA-Europe) and is the first female director in the history of ESA and the only one in the world to lead the human spaceflight sector.
Award presented by: Carol Z. Perez, U.S. Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Milan.
Special Award: Emergency Women, Women in Emergency
Intended for women who have allowed, thanks to their "being techno-visionaries", significant innovations in the fields of Emergency Medicine and disaster, with particular attention to developing countries or those affected by calamities.
Sister Marcella Catozza, Kay La Association.
Reason: For the commitment shown during the mission in Haiti, which has been ongoing for five years, to ensure the construction and continuous management of a pediatric clinic within the Waf Jeremie slum, with special attention to the issue of child malnutrition. Especially in the recent earthquake that struck Haiti last January, Sister Marcella demonstrated what it means to be a Woman of Emergency - in an emergency, fighting day after day to ensure that the pediatric clinic continues its support and relief activities for the population.
Award presented by: Monica Guarischi, Delegate of the President for Equal Opportunities, Lombardy Region.
Special PrizeScientific Communication: If I say Health...
Intended for women, journalists or communicators, engaged in the complex task of making complex health-related issues accessible and "within everyone's reach" through various media and formats.
Daniela Mattalia, Editor-in-chief responsible for scientific information, PANORAMA.
Reason: She deals with important health, healthcare, and innovation topics in the medical/health world with competence and remarkable communication skills, knowing how to address science and medicine in an accessible way without falling into banality. Avoiding sensationalism, always verifying sources, with competence and professionalism.
Award presented by: Stefania Colombi, General Director of Gruppo Multimedica.
Special Mention
Maddalena Paganin, Post-doc at the Pediatric Oncohematology Laboratory, University of Padua.
Justification: Maddalena Paganin has received the highest number of nominations from the public, and is the youngest among all the finalists. Maddalena Paganin has already conducted high-profile research on a project for sequencing of acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemias, in order to identify the genetic variations underlying the development of the leukemic clone.
Award presented by: Marino Pron, Health Central Director, Municipality of Milan.
Award Ceremony
The award ceremony takes place during the gala evening held in the charming setting of Palazzo Cusani, at the conclusion of the Conference. The ceremony is hosted by Guido Romeo, science editor of "Wired".
Alessandra Biffi, winner of the 1st "Bio and Nano Womentech" Prize, will receive the Medal that President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano has chosen to award, as his representative prize, at the 3rd edition of the International Conference Women&Technologies®: e-Health Bio and Nanotech.
The winners of Special Prizes and Special Mention will receive a canvas from the ANITA' collection specially created for the International Prize "The Technovisionaries®" 2010. This is how the author, Carlotta Todeschini, describes the collection: "ANITA' is born from the need to communicate my emotions through a candid canvas that absorbs signs and paths; from a simple gesture emerges a mosaic of bold colors and light strokes, soft shapes and vigorous lines, a multitude of tiles that articulate as a unique identity, but that also know how to proceed alone. This collection is dedicated to women who have been able to combine "heart and invention" achieving prestigious goals in the service of others and therefore even more deserving of being remembered".
