Giulio Superti-Furga has been awarded the 2024 Lennart Philipson Award at the EMBL 50th Anniversary Scientific Symposium in Heidelberg. The Lennart Philipson Award was created to honour EMBL’s second Director General, Lennart Philipson (1982-1993). The Award recognises outstanding and validated contributions in translational research and/or technology innovation across the complete spectrum of life sciences.

Giulio Superti-Furga received the award for his research achievements, for the methods he developed and shared with the life sciences community, for the companies he had created, and the leaders in science and beyond he has trained throughout his ongoing and exceptional career. His research contributions have endorsed the translation of basic research findings towards novel therapies, and in doing so he has helped to support and develop the next generation of entrepreneurs and translational scientists. In short, Giulio Superti-Furga has created significant scientific, societal, cultural, and economic impact.

The EMBL Alumni Award was presented during a two-day Scientific Symposium, ‘From atoms to ecosystems – a new era in life sciences’, on 4-5 July 2024, marking EMBL’s 50^th Anniversary. The celebrations were held both, virtually and in person at EMBL Heidelberg.

Giulio Superti-Furga was a postdoc and then team leader in the Developmental Biology Unit at EMBL Heidelberg from 1991 to 2004. He is the Scientific Director of CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, which he has led since its founding in 2005. Superti-Furga is also Professor of Medical Systems Biology at the Medical University of Vienna, Scientific Director of the Italian Ri.MED Foundation and EU-LIFE Chair. Superti-Furga co-founded the biotech companies Cellzome, Haplogen, Allcyte (acquired by Exscientia), Proxygen, and Solgate. His major research accomplishments include the elucidation of basic regulatory mechanisms of tyrosine kinases in human cancers, the discovery of fundamental organisation principles of the proteome and metabolome of higher organisms, and the development of integrated approaches to understanding the mechanism of drug action at the molecular level. Giuio Superti-Furga was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, and in 2024 he received the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class presented by the President of the Republic of Austria, as well as the Wilhelm Exner Medal for findings and results that have initiated important trade-industrial applications. 

Giulio Superti-Furga: “When I came to EMBL in 1991, I met Lennart Philipson, a true mentor who would share advice over walks, pipe in hand. EMBL, for me, has been a beacon of inspiration and support. This spirit has driven my work in community building and translational research at Cellzome, CeMM, startups in Vienna, and with EU-LIFE. It's the backbone of my future projects in Sicily. The joy of discovery and the commitment to making a real impact in precision medicine are legacies of my EMBL experience.”