The prize is awarded yearly by the European Society of Cardiology to investigators under 45 years old who are involved in basic research and have recently established themselves as independent investigators. All the winners have sustained outstanding productivity over several years, resulting in a significant contribution to their chosen field. This year the award was presented at the ESC Congress 2025 in Madrid, where top scientists from all over the world gathered from Friday, 29 August until Monday, 1 September, to present their research and celebrate 75 years of the ESC and uniting the global community to push the boundaries of cardiovascular health.

Professor Santovito, who specializes in translational vascular therapy, won the 2025 prize alongside Professor Diana Lindner from the Heart Center of the University of Freiburg (Germany). He said that he feels truly honored to have received this award and thanked all his mentors, friends, colleagues, collaborators, and his team, without whose support this success would not have been possible. Congratulations to Donato!