The Balzan Foundation collects scientific contributions, and dissertations from its prizewinners for periodic publications. The Balzan Papers journal has been digital since 2024, and here, some updates on the research projects of the Balzan prizewinners are also gathered.
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recent papers
A study of glacier-climate interaction in the Himalayas, where the Karakoram Anomaly (glaciers remaining stable or growing due to localized climatic conditions) confirms the difficulty and complexity of this research, which is the key to predicting our future.
Susan Trumbore
Trumbore’s project presents a new way of framing Amazon forest debates that challenges the “tipping point” concept, showing that resilience is possible if people curb deforestation and fires and adopt policies to limit future climate change.
Johannes Oerlemans
Oerlemans has been measuring glaciers since 1950. Here, he examines the complexities of developing models of climate change, concluding that precaution and respect for nature are key in attempting to predict changes and consequently take action.
Jeffrey I. Gordon
An update on Gordon’s project to develop culturally acceptable, affordable, and scalable treatments for undernourished Bangladeshi children. His team has revealed a causal link between gut microbiome development, systems physiology and healthy growth.
Originally set to end in 2022, Eva Kondorosi’s Balzan Research Project continues to support students through training, mentoring, and scholarships. It also helps young researchers attend conferences, give lectures, and conduct fieldwork.
Technology to remove excess CO2 from the atmosphere is now available. Senne Starckx describes two methods in use, direct air capture (DAC) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the latter earning Omar Yaghi the 2024 Balzan Prize and a share of the 2025 Nobel Prize.
