Laura Valle, researcher of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) at the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), has received a fellowship of the program L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science”. The award, presented on September 6th in Seville under the “XXII International Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology”, was delivered to five young Spanish female scientists for their outstanding work in the field of health and biomedicine. These grants are intended to support projects such scientific research in Spain.

The common denominator of awarded is to have developed part of their studies and work abroad, have less than 40 years and combine her role as researcher with their family life, being married women with children.

The scientific jury, chaired by Margarita Salas, from the CSIC at the Center for Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa”, and composed by Maria Blasco, director of the CNIO, and Celia Sanchez-Ramos, researcher at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, has very highly the awarded and the finalists, describing their work as “excellent”.

Awarded researchers

Laura Valle has a PhD in Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Navarra and she is currently working in the IDIBELL at the ICO, where is developing a project of great medical relevance of hereditary colon cancer.

The other awarded are Gemma Vilahur, researcher at the Catalan Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (ICCC), Inmaculada Ibañez, researcher and director of the group in the Hospital de la Paz, Irene Cózar, researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics (IBGM) University of Valladolid, and Eva Poveda, a researcher of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases Department of Hospital Carlos III.