The Italian Heritage and Culture Committee (IHCC) has conferred the 2015 Leonardo da Vinci Award on Robert Gallo, an Italo-American and an internationally renowned researcher in the field of immunology. The Director of the Institute of Human Virology and Professor of Medicine at the Maryland School of Medicine, Dr Gallo played a key role in determining that the HIV-1 strain of a group of viruses called retrovirus causes AIDS. The award ceremony, took place at the Italian Consulate General in New York, headed by Natalia Quintavalle. “Dr Gallo is one of the many outstanding figures of Italian origin to have achieved success in the United States and all over the world. It is a real privilege to have him here,” she said.
Robert Gallo, an American of Italian descent and internationally renowned researcher in the field of immunology
“This year the Board of Directors of IHCC-NY is recognising a world figure who stands out for his achievements in the field of medical science and we are very proud that Dr Gallo is here to accept the Leonardo da Vinci Award,” said Joseph Sciame, President of the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee (IHCC-NY). The winners of previous editions of the Leonardo da Vinci Award include author Mario Fratti, former First Lady of New York State, Matilda Cuomo, astronaut Michael Massimo and the poet Joseph Tusiani.
