The Minister of Science defends that “science has won in Spain the battle against denial and pseudoscience”

The seventh edition of the Constantes y Vitales Awards honors research and scientific work in Spain

Madrid 16 cities. (European Press) –

The Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, defended that “science has won Spain in the battle against denial and pseudoscience,” during the seventh edition of the Constant and Vital Awards for Biomedical Research and Health Prevention, supported by laSexta and delivered on December 16.

These awards seek to recognize, appreciate, support and strengthen the research and prevention work of Spanish scientists in the field of health during 2021, after such a complex and important period as the Covid-19 epidemic. This was an additional challenge to the scientific community, its promoters point out.

The awards, promoted within the chain’s corporate responsibility movement with Fundación AXA, were attended by, among others, the Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morante Ripoll; Atresmedia CEO; Silvio Gonzalez, Managing Director of Atresmedia and Director of the Atresmedia Foundation, Patricia Perez; General Manager of Atresmedia TV; AXA President and founder Javier Bardagi, Olga Sánchez, among others, as well as jury members such as Mariano Barbacid, María Sanz Vicente and Ramon Reyes, along with other renowned scholars.

In her speech, the Minister for Science and Innovation, Diana Morant-Ripol, noted the “essential role of the media in bringing scientific rigor to society.” “Science has won in Spain the battle against denial and neuroscience,” he noted.

The minister was in favor of reaching a commitment that investment in Spain “reaches at least 2%”. “Now we have money and we can make it prosper, we will double the budget, which is the highest budget the Ministry of Science and Innovation has and together we work with private sector funding to reach 2% in 2023,” he said, referring to this initiative launched by Constantes y Vitales in 2020 which consists of a set of signatures – currently close to a million signatures – for a political agreement to raise the science budget to that percentage of GDP.

At the ceremony, Atresmedia CEO Silvio Gonzalez asserted that “science and research determine the progress of countries, and contribute to the well-being and quality of life of societies.” The pandemic has shown how well-funded science can solve the problem.

He added, for whom he said, that Atresmedia “is convinced of the importance of stable and recurring funding, which is why we launched the ‘2% target’ and offer ourselves to be a lever between the political parties to access this funding.”

“All parties must understand the importance of science with constant and recurring funding. Civil society undoubtedly supports this kind of work – he noted -. From laSexta we try to impart scientific knowledge, we see with amazement how in the developed societies there are anti-vaccine movements. Spain is an example of On the contrary, we have set an example for critical citizens who think according to standards, the media has tried to promote the importance of science and make science accessible to all citizens.”

AXA President and Founder Olga Sanchez stressed that “without science there is no future,” recalling the motto for which Constantes y Vitales was born in 2014, a principle “not only is it more modern than never, but we can add that without science There is no future, but there is no present either,” as demonstrated with the pandemic and “the discovery of vaccines in record time,” Sanchez said, while expressing his “deep gratitude to the scientific community that we applaud today.”

The AXA president also spoke of mental health problems “which have been exacerbated” by the pandemic. He pointed out that “a year before the AXA group, we measured the level of psychological impact, which is higher than in other countries, also because our level of socialization is higher,” adding that “it is necessary that we talk more and eliminate stigmas and in this work, play The media plays a fundamental role in perception,” which is why it appreciates “the extraordinary participation of our partner Atresmedia in presenting this issue in daily programming in order to be able to break down the taboo.”

Prize winners

In this edition, the Constantes y Vitales Award for Best Biomedical Publication of the Year went to José Antonio Enríquez and Andrés Hidalgo, of the National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), for their publication of ‘a network of macrophages that supports mitochondrial homeostasis in the heart.

On the other hand, the Constantes y Vitales Prize for Young Talents in Biomedical Research – which has a direct endowment of €100,000 to ensure the continuity of the research currently led by the winner – went to Xavier Trepat, of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC).

Meanwhile, the Constantes y Vitales Award for Best Awareness Campaign on Medical Prevention was for “Take Outside”, from the Spanish Cancer Society; and the Constantes y Vitales Prize for a Scientific Career in Biomedical Research by Luis Inguanes, Mariano Esteban and Vicente Larraga.

The winners of this seventh edition were approved by the members of the Expert Committee on Constants and Vital Organs, made up of professionals of a distinguished position in the field of scientific research and medicine, among whom are specialists such as Josep Brugada, Mariano Barbacid, Ángela Nieto, Bartolome Beltran, Carlos Camps Herrero, Alfredo Carato, Jesus Garcia-Foncilas Lopez, Maria Jose Alonso, Maria Sanz Vicente, Ignacio Muñoz Pedal, Fatima Bosch, Miguel Angel Arrazelli, Gloza.