2025 Young Scientist Award winner Gabriele Ratti

The 2025 ABCD Young Scientist Award, funded by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, has been awarded to Dr Gabriele Ratti (30), Resident of the European College of Veterinary Microbiology, and head of the Microbiology Laboratory for I-Vet Diagnostics in Flero, Italy. He received his award at the World Feline Congress, held in Edinburgh, UK, last June.

Feline infectious diseases: genetic characterization of emerging and zoonotic pathogens

Gabriele’s study focused on the understanding of emerging infectious threats in cats and their broader implications for veterinary and public health. ‘Emerging viruses, such as domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), may impact feline health, requiring assessment of their presence, genetic characterization, and pathogenicity,’ he said. ‘While cats may not play a significant epidemiological role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission, continuous monitoring is recommended given the emergence of new viral variants.’

Contributing to One Health

Professor Margaret Hosie, President of the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD), congratulated the laureate, adding that ‘Gabriele’s research adopts a One Health approach to improve our understanding of emerging infectious threats in cats, with a particular focus on zoonotic infections. His work highlights the critical role of epidemiological surveillance in safeguarding the health of both cats and people.’

Dr Jean-Philippe Tronel, Head of the Global Technical Services for pet vaccines at Boehringer Ingelheim, added: ‘We warmly congratulate Gabriele with this award. As a company, we take pride in supporting independent research in the field of feline infectious diseases. We’re delighted to help nurture the careers of emerging scientists, which is why the Young Scientist Award represents such a valuable partnership between us and the ABCD.’

The Young Scientist Award, created in 2008, is presented annually to young scientists in veterinary or biomedical sciences, who have made an original contribution in the field of feline infectious diseases and/or immunology.