Fundación Jesús Serra announces the third edition of the FJS Research Awards in the fields of nutrition and diet

"The Awards are aimed at young scientists 45 years of age and under who are carrying out research in Spain"

Fundación Jesús Serra, part of Grupo Catalana Occidente, is repeating the call for the third edition of its Research Awards, which are aimed at scientists 45 years of age and under who are conducting their research in Spain and who specialise in the fields of nutrition and diet, and their impact on health. The Awards have a total allocation of €70,000, gross, divided into two categories, basic research and clinical research, which each receive €35,000.

The Awards, which recognise candidates' work during their career, will, in this third edition, evaluate the research project they are currently engaged in, considering its innovative characteristics, scope and impact, and the potential social benefit that can be achieved, among other factors.

The third edition of the Fundación Jesús Serra Research Awards had to be postponed in 2020 because of the situation caused by COVID-19. Fundación Jesús Serra has informed all researchers who had submitted entries, and others who might be interested, that entries already submitted will remain eligible for the competition unless participants expressly state otherwise, in which case the entry will be withdrawn. Those who decide to go ahead will only have to update any documentation that has undergone changes as of 11 January 2021, whether the application process has been completed or is in the process of completion, and each case will be evaluated individually.

Applications must be submitted between 11 January and 7 April 2021. The application must be made via the website https://www.fundacionjesusserra.org/premios-investigacion and candidates must be endorsed by their project managers or recognised professionals linked to universities, hospitals or research centres in Spain. The jury's decision will be announced during May.

The Chairman of Fundación Jesús Serra, Federico Halpern, points out that "these Awards are based on the need to support young scientists and encourage all research relating to nutrition, food and health, because the well-being of future generations depends on it." The Chair of the jury, Dr María Blasco, says that "a healthy, balanced diet can be fundamental in reducing the incidence of a large number of illnesses, including cancer. It is essential to raise awareness of the importance of our lifestyle and of research into the prevention of frequent illnesses in today's society. "

In the two previous editions, Fundación Jesús Serra has recognised the professional work and innovation in basic research of Dr Guadalupe Sabio, director of a research group at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) studying the role of stress-activated kinase proteins in the development of illnesses associated with obesity; and Dr Salvador Aznar, who heads a group at the Biomedical Research Institute of Barcelona (IRB Barcelona), for his work on the impact of dietary fatty acids on metastasis-initiating cells.

In the clinical research category, the winners were Dr Pablo Pérez, professor at the University of Córdoba and Director of the Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC) for his research on the role of the Mediterranean diet in alleviating mild cognitive impairment; and Dr Raúl Zamora Ros, group head at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IBIDELL) and at the Catalan Instituteof Oncology (ICO), for his work on dietary polyphenols (micronutrients with antioxidant activity) and their effects on obesity markers.

In this third edition, the jury will continue to have five permanent members and it will be chaired by Doctor María Blasco, Director of the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO). It will include such prominent personalities as Prof. Lina Badimon, doctor in pharmacy and Director of the CSIC-ICC Cardiovascular Research Centre; Doctor Mercedes Rincón, Director of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Anschutz; Doctor Carlos Macaya, Chairman of the Spanish Heart Foundation; and Doctor Pedro Mata, Chairman of the Spanish Foundation for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia. This prestigious jury will also include two non-permanent members, who were the winners of the Second Fundación Jesús Serra Research Awards: Doctor Salvador Aznar, and Doctor Raúl Zamora.

For the latest news, you can follow Fundación Jesús Serra Research Awards on social media via the hashtag: #PremiosInvestigacionFJS.

More information at https://www.fundacionjesusserra.org/premios-investigacion.