The College of Biologists of Catalonia decided to promote April 25 as the “Biologist Day“, in memory of the date when James Watson and Francis Crick published the structure of DNA, in 1953. The aim of the Biologist Day is to make this profession known to the public and to give it prestige by conceding awards that recognize careers of great professional value.

The 2021 Biologist Day Awards ceremony was held on April 22 this year. It was supposed to take place last April but the date has been postponed due to the health situation. The event took place in the Auditorium of the Official Association of Commercial Agents of Barcelona at 16:30 and could also be followed online. A total of seven prizes were awarded in all four categories.

This year, two IDIBELL members have been awarded these prizes. On the one hand, Dr. Milagro González Garrigues, head of occupational risk prevention at IDIBELL until mid-2021, has received an award in the category of Professional Career, which recognizes members with a career that adds value and distinction in the profession. On the other hand, Dr. Núria Sala i Serra, principal investigator of the nutrition and cancer group of IDIBELL and ICO, has been awarded in the category of Research and Investigation, which aims to recognize members who lead or participate in a research group in the different fields of Biology.

The full list of winners is the following:

For the category of Honorary Members:

• Margarita Salvadó i Costa. Specialist in Microbiology and Parasitology. Vice-Dean and member of previous CBC Governing Boards.
• Francesc Castelló Orvay. Retired Professor at the University of Barcelona; expert in marine aquaculture.

In the category of Professional Trajectory:

• Joan Puigdollers Fargas. Biologist and politician who has developed his professional career in various positions in the field of Public Health and the Environment.
• Milagro González Garrigues. Head of Occupational Risk Prevention at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute.

For the Research category:

• Núria Sala i Serra. Researcher at the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO-IDIBELL)
• Joan Pino Vilalta. U.A.B Professor of Ecology and Director of CREAF.

In the category Senior Associate:

• Fernando Pueyo Languiz. Health Technology Advisor, Retired. Member of the Official College of Biologists since 1982.