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Researcher Ernest Giralt, Coordinator of the Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Programme of the Insitute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and Professor at the University of Barcelona, has been awarded the National Research Award 2011 by the Spanish Ministry of Science, worth 100,000 euros.
Giralt was recognized in the category of Science and Technology for his contributions to the design, synthesis, controlled modification and structure of peptides and proteins, as well as for his contributions to advancing the study of the function of proteins involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia, and more recently for the use of peptides in nanobiotechnology to create remote-controlled drugs.
Born in Barcelona in 1948, Giralt is the author of 16 patents and has published more than 350 in peer-reviewed journals, as well as various books that have become references in his field. He has received numerous national and international recognitions, including the Spanish Royal Chemistry Society’s medal in 2003 and the European Peptide Society’s Dimitrios Theodoropoulos Award. Ernest Giralt’s research focus is unique in Spain and lies at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine, which has allowed him to make pioneering breakthroughs in areas such as vaccine development.
The other researchers to receive the National Research Award 2011 are José Guinea in the category of Physics, Jordi Bascompte in Human Resources Science and Technology, Antonio Córdoba in Mathematics and Information Technology and Antonio Hernando in Technology Transfer.
The aim of the National Research Awards is to recognize the work of Spanish scientists and their contributions to advancing science, knowlege of humankind, and human progress.
More information: Ministery of Science
Ernest Giralt’s Research Group
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
