The Banco Sabadell Foundation Award for Biomedical Research marks its 16th edition with the aim of recognising young researchers with an outstanding track record in the fields of biomedicine and health sciences, who stand out in their respective specialist areas for their ability to innovate.
On this occasion, the panel of judges recognised Guadalupe Sabio Buzo, a CNIC Researcher with a PhD from the University of Extremadura, in collaboration with the British Medical Research Council in Dundee (Scotland), for her contribution to understanding why obesity causes cardiometabolic diseases.
Her studies are based on gaining an understanding of the factors that arise in people with obesity, such as the alteration of fat mass, the deregulation of internal clocks, and cellular stress, which could cause the onset of these diseases.
Her research also shows that the reason why men are more prone to cancer than women may be due to differences in hormone production by their body fat mass.
The Banco Sabadell Foundation Award for Sciences and Engineering, organised together with the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, aims to highlight the work of young researchers who stand out in the fields of mathematics, chemistry, physics and engineering.
This was the 5th edition of these awards and the panel of judges, chaired by Prof. Andreu Mas-Colell, recognised the work of Dr. Ana Tajadura-Jiménez, tenured professor at the Carlos III University of Madrid and holder of a PhD in Psychoacoustics from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, in the fields of engineering and applied acoustics. Her research focuses on the design of sensory technology to change people’s perception of their own bodies in real time, creating Body Transformation Experiences.
Throughout her career, she has led international multidisciplinary teams and projects, which have focused on advancing research into body perception through technology, as well as the design of body-centred interfaces that support people’s needs.
The Banco Sabadell Foundation Award for Economic Research seeks to recognise the work of Spanish research professionals in the fields of economics, business and social sciences.
The panel of judges at this 10th edition, chaired by Teresa García-Milà Lloveras, recognised Prof. Mónica Martínez-Bravo, doctor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and professor at the Centre for Monetary and Financial Studies (CEMFI), for her research work in the fields of political economy and economic development and, in particular, for her contribution to the analysis of factors determining the degree of success or failure of democratic transition processes.
Prof. Martínez-Bravo’s lines of research link economics and politics, combining questions of huge interest with models that illustrate and clarify the relevant mechanisms, together with careful empirical approaches capable of estimating causal effects showing their relevance. Her research is considered fundamental to understanding what determines the degree of success or failure of democratic transition processes and expands to topics as diverse and relevant as what can be done to overcome vaccine reluctance or what determines work effort outside conventional work environments.
Prof. Martínez-Bravo’s multidisciplinary research has been published in prestigious economic journals, she takes part in key international conferences in her fields of research and she is a member of several international academic associations. Prof. Martínez-Bravo has also collaborated in various initiatives to promote scientific quality in Spain and Europe.
