(Jun. 4) – “The most extraordinary discovery is useless if it is not directed towards the improvement of human life, and especially of those who suffer,” said Rita Levi Montalcini. Following this example, the International Association of Medical Genetics (MAGi) of Trento, which had a long and deep friendship with the Nobel Prize, has chosen to help the poorest countries with scientific knowledge. “We work to put the needy countries in a position to take better care of their patients: the training is the first step,” explains Matteo Bertelli, geneticist, president and founder of MAGI. “To give substance to this belief, we decided to allocate a consistent part of our profits to cooperation projects.” Projects are developed both in their own and in collaboration with other organizations, such as the association from Trentino ‘Aiutateci a salvare i bambini onus’, led by Ennio Bordato, and the Istituto Toscano dei Tumori directed by Lucio Luzzatto. Both organizations currently hels Africa, Russia and the Balkans, providing several first-class medical skills. In less than a year there have been already made available two scholarships for PhD students of Russia and Africa, carried out genetic tests to help Russian children living in orphanages and began the building of a genetics laboratory in the Balkans. (Peg)
