Bertagnolli Knighted By the Republic of Italy

NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli received the Knight of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy from Mariangela Zappia, the Italian Ambassador to the United States, at the ambassador’s residence on Oct. 8.

“I was humbled to recently receive the honor of becoming a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy,” Bertagnolli said in a recent Linkedin post. “My paternal grandparents, Alfonso and Maria, immigrated to Wyoming from northern Italy in the early 20th century, eventually settling on the sheep ranch where I grew up. I’m so proud of their courage and that the agency I now lead continues to nurture many valuable collaborations with Italian researchers.”

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and senior officials from NIH attended the ceremony.