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Dr Iva Hafner Bratkovič from the National Institute of Chemistry is the recipient of the Prometheus of Science Award for Excellence in Communicationfor 2025, awarded by the Slovenian Science Foundation. She received the award for communicating complex scientific findings and achievements in the field of the immune system.

The Slovenian Science Foundation presented the awards on Monday, 29 June 2026, at a formal academy held in the hall of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia. The Prometheus of Science Awards for Excellence in Communication are intended for individuals, groups and organisations that make an important contribution to the public understanding of science and strengthen dialogue between the research community and society.

Dr Iva Hafner Bratkovič is a researcher at the Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology of the National Institute of Chemistry. Her group focuses on the mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and its modulation, from basic molecular and cellular biology to models of autoimmune diseases. She is also interested in the mechanisms regulating cell death, particularly pyroptosis induced by gasdermin D. The main goal of her group is to reconstruct and rewire innate signalling and cell death pathways using synthetic biology tools for various applications.

In addition to Dr Iva Hafner Bratkovič, the Prometheus of Science Awards for Excellence in Communication for 2025 were also presented to:

• the science editorial team of the newspaper Delo, for 40 years of continuous reporting and raising awareness about science and scientists through the Science section;
• Prof. Dr Mojca Kukanja Gabrijelčič from the University of Primorska, for the preparation of the handbook on giftedness and gifted children Why Teach Them to Walk If They Can Fly?;
• Prof. Dr Tomaž Grušovnik from the University of Primorska, for the authored works Environmental Glossary for Young People and Arguments on the Plate;
• a group of communicators from ACM Slovenia — Dr Špela Cerar, Dr Alenka Kavčič, Dr Rok Požar and Nežka Rugelj — for achievements in promoting computational thinking through the ACM Beaver competition;
• the University of Maribor, for the implementation of the oooScience! project in the period 2024–2025;
• the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, for a comprehensive, interdisciplinary and socially responsible programme of biomedical communication in the period 2024–2025;
• TV IDEA, Murska Sobota, for the design and production of the programme series Following the Trail of Progress in the period 2023–2025.

At the National Institute of Chemistry, we sincerely congratulate Dr Iva Hafner Bratkovič on receiving the award and on her contribution to bringing science closer to the public.