Almost thirty researchers have been honored by the Banco Sabadell Foundation since 2006, when the Biomedical Research award was created by Dr. Josep Baselga. In its 19th edition, the recognition has decided to select the research on egg aging and its impact on fertility from the Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG) led by biologist Elvan Böke.
The jury, chaired by Dr. Óscar Marín, highlighted the originality of the doctor's contributions, who has advanced in the knowledge of key metabolic adaptations to keep eggs healthy for years so that they are capable of generating a viable embryo after fertilization.
"25% of female fertility problems are unexplained, which points to a large gap in our understanding of female reproduction. In our group, we strive to help fill that gap through our research," says the researcher. Trained between her native Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Bölke established her laboratory at the CRG in 2017.
The banking entity has also awarded, one more year, the prize for Sciences and Engineering, in this case, promoted in 2017 by Andreu Mas-Colell and with eight editions behind it. In collaboration with the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), the foundation has recognized environmentalist Manuel Delgado Baquerizo, specialized in studying the soil biome, understood as a portion of the Earth formed by different ecosystems that share climate, flora, and fauna.
All this, in a context of climate change where 95% of food depends on the soil and one in three soils is already degraded. "Soils are a non-renewable resource," emphasizes the researcher from the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC). The jury of this second award, chaired by the director of the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), Lluís Torner, applauded Delgado Baquerizo's contributions to learn more about the conditions of soil in emergency and advance towards sustainable agriculture.
"They are a recognition of the great work carried out by our scientists and give them the visibility they deserve," says the president of Banco Sabadell and the Banco Sabadell Foundation, Josep Oliu. The banker assumed the leadership of the social entity a few months ago, taking over from Miquel Molins, who had been in the position for more than 10 years. "I thought I had time, but now work has come up," Oliu points out, referring to the takeover bid by BBVA.
The foundation also awards the Economic Research Prize, promoted at the time by Oliu himself, and the more recent Marine Sustainability Prize, created in 2022, and the idea of the geologist and professor at the University of Barcelona (UB) Isabel Cacho. Founded in 1994, the entity directed by Sonia Mulero aims to promote culture and the arts, and research and education. The first block accounts for 65% of the budget and the second for the remaining 35%. Each year, it collaborates with more than 160 projects throughout Spain, mainly in Catalonia. In 2023, more than 16,500 people benefited from these initiatives.