Laura Fratiglioni awarded the honor of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy
Laura Fratiglioni, senior professor at NVS, was awarded the honor of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy at a symposium on healthy aging at the Italian Embassy on April 28. She received the honor in recognition of her groundbreaking research in aging.
Fellow professors Maria Eriksdotter and Bengt Winblad, both at NVS, also participated at the symposium.
How did you experience the symposium?
"The symposium was organized by the embassy in Stockholm as one of many simultaneous meetings held at Italian embassies around the world to highlight Italian research collaboration with other countries. The theme “Healthy Aging: a route to walk” was chosen in relation to the ceremony that followed for my award. Two well‑known and internationally recognized researchers from NVS participated together with me. It was both delightful and interesting," says Laura Fratiglioni, senior professor at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society.
What does this honor mean to you?
"As a researcher, I have worked mostly in Sweden and at NVS and KI, but my medical training and my first experiences in neuroscience and epidemiology took place in Italy. It gave me a strong foundation, which has helped me enormously in my research here, and not least in collaborations with various Italian research groups. Therefore, I am truly happy to be recognized and honored by the President of Italy, a president I personally hold in high esteem. I would like to thank the Italian Embassy in Stockholm, which took the initiative to nominate me."
What was your first thought when you learned that you would receive this honor?
"It was a wonderful surprise. Sweden and KI have been very generous to me with fantastic honors for my work here. The Order of the Star of Italy is intended to honor my entire career and, for me, it comes full circle."
