Once again this year, the FameLab Genova initiative saw the active participation of RAISE among the organizations that contributed to the organization of the local selection of the renowned international science communication competition. The Genoese edition confirmed its status as a significant and eagerly awaited event in the field of science communication, offering an opportunity to highlight the talent and communication skills of young researchers.
The final event took place on Wednesday, May 7, at the LaClaque theatre in the historic center of the city. Numerous participants took to the stage, each tasked with presenting a scientific topic in just three minutes, clearly, engagingly, and effectively—without the aid of images or videos. Only small props were allowed, with the main tools being creativity and passion for science storytelling.
Carlotta Spattini and Anna Shabalova, both researchers at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), stood out among the contestants, winning first and second place respectively. The jury, composed of experts from both the scientific and cultural sectors, awarded first prize to Spattini for her talk “Molecular Harmony: Precision Tuning”, while Shabalova earned second place with “The Other Part of Love Hormone”.
The jury was made up of Alessio Caminata (INFN – Genova Section), Roberta De Donatis (CNR-IMATI and member of the RAISE Innovation Ecosystem), Eleonora D’Urso (actress and director), Teresa Pellegrino (Head of the Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications lab at IIT) and Walter Riva (Director of the Righi Astronomical Observatory).
At the same time, the audience had the opportunity to vote for the Audience Award, which was given to Hazem Ahmed – also a researcher at IIT – for his presentation “The Future of Memory”.
The overall quality of the presentations made the jury’s task especially difficult, highlighting the high level of preparation and the growing importance of science communication as a tool for societal engagement.
The two Genoese winners will participate in an intensive science communication masterclass to be held in Perugia from June 13 to 15, led by Wendy Sadler of Science Made Simple. They will then go on to represent Genoa at the national final, scheduled for September 27 in Perugia, where they will compete against the winners from seven other Italian cities: Ancona, Bari, Camerino, Catania, Cosenza, Ferrara, and Trieste.
The national winner will ultimately take part in the international final, representing Italy alongside winners from other countries, in a global competition dedicated to science and the art of sharing it.
The 2025 edition of FameLab Genova was promoted as a pre-event of the SHARPER European Researchers’ Night and was coordinated by IIT, in collaboration with numerous institutional and cultural partners: CNR, University of Genoa, INFN – Genova Section, Festival della Scienza, RAISE, Genoa Aquarium, The City of Children and Youth, Giacomo Doria Natural History Museum, Associazione Didattica Museale, the Genoa branch of ADI – Italian Association of PhD Candidates and PhDs, with media support from Scientificast.
