Born in 1948, Mantovani graduated in Medicine from the University of Milan and specialized in Oncology at the University of Pavia. After gaining experience in the USA and the UK, he worked at the Mario Negri Research Institute, the University of Brescia, the University of Milan, and Humanitas University. Among his awards are the Robert Koch Award, the European Oncology Award, the AACR International Pezcoller Award, the CIMT Lifetime Achievement Award, and the IAIS Lifetime Achievement Award. He has an H-index of 190 (Scopus). In 2024, he won the "Lombardia è Ricerca" Award for his discoveries on inflammation and cancer and the role of macrophages in immunity.

Prof. Lathrop was a major contributor to the first- and second-generation genetic maps (based respectively on RFLP and microsatellite markers), used to develop molecular and bioinformatics tools to assist with the discovery of genes responsible for many Mendelian diseases. He has also made major contributions to genetic approaches for the study of models of human disease in other mammalian species. His present scientific studies focus on using genetic and other high-throughput genomic approaches to identify DNA variants that predispose people to common diseases, particularly, lung cancer, asthma and cardiovascular disease, and to understand the effects of these in a biological and public health context.

Guido Kroemer graduated in Medicine from the University of Innsbruck and earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in Madrid. After training at the Collège de France, he began his career at INSERM, where he now leads a research unit focused on metabolism, cancer, and immunity. He is known for his discoveries on the role of mitochondria in programmed cell death and the immunogenicity of cell death in tumors. A professor at Université Paris Cité and a researcher at Gustave Roussy, he has received awards such as the Griffuel Prize and the "Lombardia è Ricerca" Prize (2019).

Kay‑Tee Khaw graduated in Medicine from Cambridge and earned a Master’s degree in Epidemiology in London. After training in London and a research period in California, she began her career in the UK. Since 1989, she has been a Professor of Clinical Gerontology at Cambridge, where she led the EPIC-Norfolk study on chronic disease prevention. Known for her work on healthy aging and the impact of diet and lifestyle, she has received honors such as Commander of the Order of the British Empire and the Bisset Hawkins Medal.

Thomas Christian Südhof earned his degree and Ph.D. from the University of Göttingen. After training at the Max Planck Institute and UT Southwestern, he began his independent career in 1986. In 2008, he became a professor at Stanford University. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 2013, he studies the mechanisms of neurotransmitter release and synapse formation.

Athanasios V. Vasilakos studied Computer Science at the University of Thessaly. After his Ph.D., he held positions at several universities, including Luleå and Kuwait. He is currently a professor at the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) at the University of Agder in Norway. His work focuses on cybersecurity, IoT, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data. With over 1,000 publications and an h-index above 130, he is among the most cited researchers in his field and has held editorial roles in major journals like IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing. From 2016 to 2021, he was recognized as a top researcher by Web of Science.

Aldo Maggioni graduated in Medicine from the University of Milan and specialized in Cardiology. He has had a long clinical and research career focused on cardiovascular diseases, directing major cardiology centers and working at the University of Milan. He is known for his studies on the prevention and treatment of hypertension and heart failure, with numerous publications and involvement in national and international clinical projects. He is currently the Director of the ANMCO-Heart Care Foundation Study Center in Florence.

Massimo Filippi graduated in Medicine from the University of Milan and specialized in Neurology. After research experience in Italy and abroad, he pursued an academic career focused on multiple sclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases. He is a full professor at the University of Milan and directs neurological research centers. Author of numerous publications, he takes part in international clinical studies aimed at improving diagnosis and therapies in the field of neurology.

Eva Vanna Lorenza Negri studied Mathematics and specialized in Medical Statistics at the University of Milan. She conducted research at IARC in Lyon and the MRC Biostatistics Unit in Cambridge. Since 2017, she has been Associate Professor at the University of Bologna, where she coordinates a master’s program. Author of over 1,000 publications with more than 60,000 citations and an h-index of 124, she has received several honors, including the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and a 2024 award from the Emilia-Romagna Region.

Massimo Francesco Piepoli studied Medicine at the University of Pavia, specialized in Cardiology, and earned a PhD from Imperial College London. After international experience, he became an Associate Professor at the University of Milan in 2017 and currently heads the Clinical Cardiology Unit at IRCCS Policlinico San Donato. Author of over 350 articles and co-author of European guidelines, he was appointed Vice President of the European Society of Cardiology in 2022.

Maria Luisa Brandi graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Florence, where she later specialized in Endocrinology. After research experiences in Italy and abroad, she focused her work on bone metabolism and skeletal diseases. She is a professor of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan and the University of Florence, and she directs the Regional Center for Rare Diseases of Mineral and Bone Metabolism. Recognized internationally for her contributions to the study of osteoporosis and rare skeletal disorders, she has authored numerous scientific publications and regularly takes part in multicenter studies. She has received several awards for both research and public outreach.

Paola Allavena earned her degree in Biology from the University of Turin, specializing in Immunology, and completed a PhD focused on inflammatory mechanisms in cancer. She is currently Director of Research at the National Cancer Research Institute (IST) in Genoa. Known for her work on inflammation in the tumor microenvironment and the role of immune cells in cancer progression, she has authored numerous scientific publications and is involved in national and international research projects aimed at developing immunomodulatory therapies. Since 2005, she has been head of the Laboratory Cellular Immunology at the Clinical and Research Institute Humanitas, Milan.

Hamid Reza Karimi received his B.Sc. in Power Systems from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, in 1998, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Control Systems Engineering from the University of Tehran in 2001 and 2005, respectively. Since 2016, he has been an Associate Professor of Applied Mechanics at Politecnico di Milano. His research interests include mechatronics and control systems with applications in automotive engineering, robotics, and wind energy. He is a member of several academies and committees, including Academia Europaea, IIAV, and ISCM. He has received numerous awards, including the Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher (2016–2021) and the IEEE Guillemin-Cauer Best Paper Award (2020).

Amalia Gastaldelli studied Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology at the University of Milan and later pursued a PhD on drug metabolism. With a solid background in pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, her work focuses on metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. She serves as Associate Professor at the University of Milan, where she oversees research and teaching initiatives. She has authored numerous publications and contributes to national and international projects aimed at developing new therapeutic strategies.

Paolo Melchiorre studied Chemistry at the University of Bologna, where he also earned his PhD. After research experiences in Denmark and Italy, he became an ICREA professor at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) in Spain. Since 2022, he has been a full professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Bologna. His work focuses on innovative catalytic methods, such as photocatalysis and asymmetric aminocatalysis, for the sustainable synthesis of chiral molecules. He has received several awards, including the Linceo Prize for Chemistry (2024), and has authored over 150 scientific publications.

Roberto Danovaro studied Biological Sciences at the University of Genoa and earned a PhD in Environmental Sciences at the University of Pisa. After experience in several European countries, since 2001 he has been a professor of Ecology at the Polytechnic University of Marche. He served as president of the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station in Naples from 2013 to 2022. His research focuses on marine biodiversity and ecosystems, particularly deep-sea environments and climate change. He has published around 500 articles and received awards such as the ENI Award and the World Biology Prize.