Three Early Career Researchers Recognized by the Italian Chemical Society and Elsevier

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Sep 25, 2018, 07:01 ET

ROME, Italy, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The 2018 Reaxys SCI Early Career Researcher Award aims to promote young talent in the chemistry field in Italy

The Young Group of the Italian Chemical Society (Società Chimica Italiana, SCI) and Elsevier, the information analytics business specializing in science and health, are pleased to announce the winners of the fourth edition of the Reaxys SCI Early Career Researcher Award during the XXII International Conference on Organic Synthesis in Florence. The award recognizes and promotes young talent in chemistry research in Italy.

This year's three winners presented research projects in different chemistry fields:

First prize was awarded to Erica Del Grosso from the University of Rome Tor Vergata for her project on DNA technology, specifically the design of DNA-based receptor that is able to transiently and orthogonally load or release a molecular cargo under dissipative control.
Daniele Massella from the Polytechnic University of Turin received the second prize for the work done on bio-functional garments that can act as a wearable drug delivery platform and be employed as shields against the causes of skin illness.
The third prize was awarded to Francesca Arcudi, from the University of Trieste, for her research on Carbon Nanodots (CNDs) and the study of their surface, in order to further understand their potentialities as next generation luminescent materials.

Members of the SCI young group were invited to submit an essay describing an original research project or idea that made use of a scientific database. The winning essays were judged by a jury of six chemistry experts from both Elsevier and the SCI, who evaluated the relevance, originality and innovativeness of the proposals:

Dr. Leonardo Triggiani: Post-Doc Researcher in Physical Chemistry at the University of Bari
Dr. Raffaele Cucciniello: Post-Doc Researcher in Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry at the University of Salerno
Dr. Lorenzo Botta: Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Rome Tor Vergata
Dr Carlos Rodriguez del Rio, Customer Consultant Life Sciences, Elsevier
Sally Makady, Chemistry Solutions Marketing Manager, Elsevier
Carine Culot-Rypens: Customer Consultant Life Sciences, Elsevier

This is the fourth year that the SCI and Elsevier have collaborated together to recognize early career researchers in chemistry in Italy. The project aims to increase the visibility of young researchers' work and to support their career development.

"SCI is very proud of this initiative organized together with Elsevier and believes that the Reaxys platform is a fundamental tool able to accompany and support young chemists in their research", says Federico Bella, the Coordinator of the SCI Young Group. "Now in its fourth year, our collaboration with Elsevier to support young Italian researchers continues to grow. I am happy to announce that the winners of this year's award will present their research projects at the Merck-Elsevier Young Chemists Symposium to be held on the 19^th - 21^st November in Rimini."

"It is important to us to support researchers at any stage of their career and we are pleased to be able to raise the visibility of the research of these talented young chemists in Italy specifically", commented Petra Ullrich, Marketing Director Europe at Elsevier. "It's a pleasure for us to work together with SCI's Young Group and we are impressed how this community of chemists around academic and professional development has grown over the years."

Reaxys is a trademark of RELX Intellectual Properties SA, used under license.

The essays were reviewed on the following criteria: 1) between 750-1500 words; 2) supporting evidence of accomplishments; 3) the degree to which the essay highlights how a scientific database helps achieve research goals; 4) level of innovation; 5) level of originality; 6) clarity of thought; 7) level of completeness; 8) impact and importance of the research topic to the field.

About the Italian Chemical Society

Società Chimica Italiana (SCI) is a scientific non-profit association with the aim of promoting the study and the progress of chemistry and its applications, and, in particular, to favor and improve scientific research in all fields of chemistry, to disseminate the knowledge of chemistry and the importance of its applications, within a context of progress and well-being of humanity, to promote and encourage the study of chemistry at universities and in schools of all levels, to promote development in all fields of Science. Its 3500 members are united by a strong interest in chemical sciences, as well as by their will to contribute to the cultural and economic growth of Italy and to improve human life and environmental protection.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals advance healthcare, open science and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support and professional education, including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 38,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. www.elsevier.com