Maria-Pau Ginebra, 2025 National Research Award in the Leonardo Torres Quevedo category

Professor Maria-Pau Ginebra, Director of our research group, has been awarded the 2025 National Research Prize, granted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Gobierno de España).  This prestigious award recognizes the outstanding achievements of Spanish researchers with extensive international careers who have made significant contributions to their field of research and have played a leading role in advancing scientific knowledge.

Specifically, Prof. Ginebra received the Leonardo Torres Quevedo National Research Prize in the Engineering and Architecture category. The Ministry highlighted "her extraordinary career in the field of biomedical engineering, where she has led pioneering research in the development of biomaterials for bone regeneration and their clinical applications."

According to Maria Pau, she was in a meeting with a doctoral student when Minister Diana Morant called to give her the news, just as she was preparing a presentation for a conference... "The news took me completely by surprise. It was a very pleasant surprise, without a doubt! And once the initial shock wore off, my first thoughts were of joy and gratitude."

After more than 30 years dedicated to research in our country, the researcher explains that for her, "doing research is very closely linked to a way of understanding life and looking at reality. Since I was a child, I have been passionate about science and I enjoyed the challenge of asking questions and finding answers that helped me better understand the world around us." But it's not just about curiosity and enthusiasm for science; in her case, "I am also deeply drawn to the transformative value of that knowledge and the possibility of translating it into concrete technological advances." It is no coincidence that, among other achievements, Prof. Ginebra co-founded the spin-off company Mimetis Biomaterials, which is now part of the Nobel Biocare group.

In Spain, it is common that research and teaching to go hand in hand, especially when one is part of a public university. Maria-Pau Ginebra is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (CEM) at UPC and has never stopped teaching, despite the advancements in her scientific career. She confesses that "I really enjoy teaching, which allows us (researchers) to transmit and share the knowledge we generate. That is why I think that conducting research within a university is a privilege, a perfect combination. It is true that it is a very competitive and, at times, stressful life. However, I can't imagine myself doing anything else."

When asked about the future, she says, "One of the most fascinating things about research is that each answer opens the door to new questions; there is always unexplored territory. In the field of biomaterials for regenerative medicine, we are still at the very beginning, and there is a long way to go. In the coming years, I want to continue delving deeper into biomaterial design in two areas that I consider key: on the one hand, developing antimicrobial properties to address the major challenge of antibiotic resistance; and, on the other hand, controlling the immune response, which is an essential first step in any tissue regeneration process." By now, she can pursue these two objectives with her ERC Advanced Grant BAMBBI, or with one of the national and regional projects she is currently working on.