The third edition of the Jesús Serra Foundation Research Awards in the fields of nutrition and food announced

"The Jesús Serra Foundation of the Catalana Occidente Group announces the third edition of its Research Awards for Scientists, up to the age of 45, who conduct their research in Spain and who specialize in the fields of nutrition and food, and their impact on health. The total prize money of the Awards is €70,000, divided into two categories, basic research and clinical research, each of which has a €35,000 prize."

Starting this year, these Awards, which recognize the professional achievements of the candidates, will also consider current research projects, taking into account their innovative characteristics, the scope and impact of the research and the potential social benefit that can be achieved, as well as other factors. 

The period for submitting nominations is open from January 13 to April 3, 2020. Nominations must be filed through the website http://www.investigacionfjs.com and candidates must be endorsed by their project managers or by renowned professionals associated with universities, hospitals or research centers in Spain. The jury's decision will be announced in May.

The chairman of the Jesús Serra Foundation, Federico Halpern, says that "these Awards are based on the need to support young scientists and to promote all research relating to nutrition, food and health, because the well-being of future generations depends on it."  The president of the jury, Dr. María Blasco, notes that "a healthy and balanced diet can be essential to reducing the incidence of a large number of illnesses, including cancer.  It is essential that we raise awareness of the importance of our lifestyle habits and to research how to prevent common illnesses in today's society."

In the two previous editions, the Jesús Serra Foundation recognized the career and innovation in the basic research projects of Dr. Guadalupe Sabio, director of a research group at the Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), on the role that stress-activated protein kinases play in the development of diseases associated with obesity; and Dr. Salvador Aznar, group leader at the Institute of Biomedical Research in Barcelona (IRB Barcelona), who studied the impact that fatty acids in the diet have on metastasis-initiating cells.  

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