{"id":13949,"date":"2025-12-18T14:03:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T13:03:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cerca.cat\/actualitat\/noticies\/innovacio-i-ciencia-amb-impacte-els-guanyadors-dels-premis-pioner-2025\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T16:28:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T15:28:56","slug":"innovacio-i-ciencia-amb-impacte-els-guanyadors-dels-premis-pioner-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cerca.cat\/en\/actualitat\/noticies\/innovacio-i-ciencia-amb-impacte-els-guanyadors-dels-premis-pioner-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation and Science with Impact: The Winners of the Pioner Awards 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, the CERCA Institution hosted the final of the Pioner Awards 2025,<\/a> a recognition of recent doctoral theses with the greatest potential to transform scientific knowledge into practical solutions for society and the market. The event brought together researchers, institutions, and partner organisations in a day that highlighted the value of technology transfer.<\/p>\n

This year, 29 applications were received from 17 CERCA centres, with a notable figure: 15 were submitted by women. All share a common goal\u2014taking research beyond the laboratory to generate real impact.<\/p>\n

CERCA\u2019s Director, Dr Laia Pellej\u00e0, emphasised \u201cthe quality of the work and the importance of turning science into economic, social, and industrial value.\u201d The event also featured Meritxell Serra, Pioner Award winner in 2024, now Clinical Research Medical Advisor (CRMA) at Novartis Innovative Medicines.<\/p>\n

Awarded Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n

The four prizes in this edition recognised innovative proposals in diverse fields:<\/p>\n

Dr Aina Areny Balaguer\u00f3<\/strong> designed an innovative strategy to treat Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a severe condition with no specific treatment. The proposal combines microRNAs and inhalable nanocapsules to offer a viable clinical solution.
\nHer thesis was supervised by Dr Antonio Artigas Ravent\u00f3s and Dr Daniel Closa Autet, within the research group *Respiratory Pathophysiology in the Critical Patient* (A8G3 \u2013 Translational Research in the Critical Patient) at the Parc Taul\u00ed Research and Innovation Institute (I3PT).<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr Paula Barbao Carrasco<\/strong> developed a CAR-T therapeutic platform resistant to cellular exhaustion, with potential to improve treatment for tumours such as breast and ovarian cancer, and adaptable to other designs.
\nHer thesis was supervised by Dr S\u00f2nia Guedan Carri\u00f3, head of the *Cellular Immunotherapies for Cancer* group, and Aleix Prat Aparicio, head of the *Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapies in Solid Tumours* group at the Fundaci\u00f3 Cl\u00ednic-IDIBAPS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dr Juan Carlos N\u00fa\u00f1ez Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong> created CandiRes, a platform to discover new antifungal agents active against multi-resistant Candida species, using a unique biobank and innovative strategies.
\nHis thesis was supervised by Dr Toni Gabald\u00f3n, from the *Comparative Genomics* group at IRB Barcelona.<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr Carlos Rubio Maturana<\/strong> designed a low-cost system to diagnose malaria and schistosomiasis, based on artificial intelligence and a robotic microscope, validated both in hospitals and endemic areas.
\nHis thesis was supervised by Dr Joan Joseph Munn\u00e9, principal investigator at the\u00a0Vall d\u2019Hebron Research Institute (VHIR)<\/a>, and Dr Elisa Sayrol Clols from the Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Catalunya.<\/p>\n

A Final with New Features<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the first time, eight finalists defended their proposals before the jury, which assessed them live and posed questions. The panel included Miquel G\u00f3mez, Director of FCRI; N\u00faria Mart\u00ed, Director of Innovation at Biocat; Rafael Gonzalez, Head of Knowledge Transfer Promotion at the Ministry of Research and Universities; Ona Estap\u00e9, Head of Transfer Operations at Mobile World Capital Barcelona; and Laia Pellej\u00e0, Director of the CERCA Institution.<\/p>\n

Once again, the awards have been supported by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI).<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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