Today, Sara Carloni, Principal Investigator and Junior Group Leader of the Microbial Systems and Human Interfaces (MSHI) Lab at Humanitas Research Hospital, has been awarded the 2026 “Antonio Feltrinelli Giovani” Award for Biological Sciences, conferred by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, for her research in translational microbiology, focusing on the microbiota, the gut–brain axis, and host–pathogen interactions.

The award was presented during the Academy’s 2025–2026 Academic Year Closing Ceremony, held on June 12 in Rome in the presence of the President of the Italian Republic. As a recipient of the award, Carloni also becomes a member of the Centro Interdisciplinare Linceo Giovani, established in 2023 to strengthen dialogue with the new generation of scholars and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.

The “Antonio Feltrinelli Giovani” Award: recognising emerging research excellence

Established in 1942 through the bequest of entrepreneur and artist Antonio Feltrinelli and awarded by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, the Antonio Feltrinelli Awards are among Italy’s most prestigious honors in science and culture, comparable to the highest international distinctions. Often referred to as the “Italian Nobels”, they are awarded on a rotating basis across five major disciplinary areas – Historical and Moral Sciences, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Literature, Arts, and Medicine – to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to knowledge and society.

Alongside the traditional awards, the Academy established the “Antonio Feltrinelli Giovani” Awards, which recognise outstanding young Italian researchers at the early stages of their careers who have already made significant contributions to advancing knowledge in their respective fields.

The award represents not only recognition of achievements already attained, but also an investment in the potential of the next generation of Italian researchers and their ability to address the major scientific challenges of the future.

Sara Carloni and her contributions to biomedical research

Sara Carloni earned her PhD in Molecular Microbiology from the University of Milan and completed her postdoctoral training at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) and Humanitas Research Hospital, in the laboratory led by Professor Maria Rescigno.

In addition to teaching Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology at Humanitas University, she currently leads the Microbial Systems and Human Interfaces (MSHI) Lab at Humanitas Research Hospital, where her research focuses on the interactions among microbes, the endothelium, and the immune system in chronic inflammatory, neurological, and oncological diseases.

Her work has led to the identification of a novel vascular mechanism regulating the transmission of microbial signals from the gut to the brain, considered to underpin a new paradigm in neuroinflammation and behavior, thereby expanding our understanding of the processes linking the microbiota, the nervous system, and inflammatory responses.

In parallel, she is involved in research projects aimed at developing new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to combat multidrug-resistant infections, with potential implications for public health. Her research is characterised by a translational and interdisciplinary approach, integrating multi-omics data, experimental models, and clinical collaborations to translate biological discoveries into applications that can benefit patients. Her scientific output includes numerous publications in high-impact international journals, many as first and corresponding author, and reflects her growing leadership within the Italian biomedical research community.