David Sancho, Young Talent Award in Biomedical Research of “Constantes y Vitales”
“Constantes y Vitales”, the first Corporate Responsibility campaign of the television channel laSexta, launched together with the AXA Foundation, celebrated the III Edition of its Awards today, created with the aim of promoting, enhancing, supporting and strengthening the research work of Spanish scientists in the field of biomedicine, as well as prevention campaigns in health. This morning, the Neptune Palace in Madrid hosted this emotional awards ceremony to support the work of our scientists and the entities that work in order for research to advance, in a ceremony led by Mamen Mendizábal, presenter of laSexta and ambassador of the campaign.
Silvio González, CEO of Atresmedia, has presented the CNIC researcher David Sancho with the Young Talent Award in Biomedical Research. The researcher expressed his thanks to Atresmedia, laSexta and the AXA Foundation for the "pioneer work of “Constantes y Vitales” a path that must be travelled by everyone: science must not only be financed by the State, it should also be done through crowdfunding – from both big and small investors”. The purpose of this category is to reward the talent and scientific leadership capacity of young researchers whom, at the time of being nominated for these awards, are developing their work in Spain.
Dr. David Sancho is Head of the Immunology Group of the CNIC and has an important career in the area of Immunology. Sancho's work has focused on the research of dendritic cells and macrophages responsible for initiating the adaptive immune response of T lymphocytes. It also studies how the metabolism of immune system cells can be manipulated to regulate their function and thus reeducate them for their use in immunotherapy.
In addition to the researcher David Sancho, there were others who also received awards: Marisol Soengas (Award for Best Biomedical Research of the year), Arkaitz Carracedo Pérez (also Young Talent Award in Biomedical Research), scientist and chemist Gabriela Morreale de Castro (Career in Science Award) and La Roche-Posay / L'Orèal Spain (Prize for best awareness campaign on medical prevention).
Many high standing representatives participated in the award ceremony too, some of which included State Secretary of Research, Innovation and Development, Carmen Vela; General Director of Planning, Research and Training of the Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid, Miriam Rabaneda; the President of Atresmedia, José Creuheras; the CEO of Atresmedia, Sivio González; the vice president of the Group, Maurizio Carlotti; the Corporate General Director, Patricia Pérez; the director of Atresmedia TV, Javier Bardají; the general director of Atresmedia Advertising, José Miguel García-Gasco; the director of Prevention and Medical Services of Atresmedia, Bartolomé Beltrán; the Antenna director of de laSexta, Mario López; and the director of the AXA Foundation, Josep Alfonso. Along with them, the presenters of the Jalis de la Serna chain, Antonio Esteva and Alberto Herrera, who have also supported the actions of “Constantes y Vitales”.
The CEO of Atresmedia, Silvio González, was in charge of inaugurating the awards ceremony and highlighted that it is "an important act for us because three years ago, together with the AXA Foundation, we started a project that is more about institutional activism than communication", an objective aimed at "promoting research, preventing the escape of talent and maintaining support for scientific and prevention initiatives "
After these three years on this journey, González stressed that, with the support of everyone, among whom he mentioned Carmen Vela, "this work is paying off”, “results that can be touched, which are useful for society" , he assured, while presenting as examples, the installation of defibrillators that have turned Madrid into a “cardio protected” city, and that this work will continue so that the rest of the communities can also be included in this; the celebration and recognition of the “Constantes y Vitales” awards; or the milestone of having the presence and participation of Nobel Prize Laureate in Medicine, Harald zur Hausen, on the occasion of World Cancer Research Day.
To finish off, González stated the need and importance that "a medium, with the capacity of diffusion and influence that ours has, continues to work on this path and bring to light more difficult issues, given the amount of information that we receive every day. "
After Silvio González´s intervention, the director of the AXA Foundation, Josep Alfonso, took the floor and wished to convey a special thanks to "our Committee of Experts", since it is "very difficult to have a representation of such high level and with such a high degree of commitment. "
“All of us can do much more for science, not only from the public sector, but also from the private one”, and in line with that stated by González, he assured that “this helps us to think about the country we have to be and we are going to continue contributing to this objective with Atresmedia”.
Mr. Alfonso applauded this year’s increase in the number of applications to qualify for these awards, a fact that in his opinion shows the “degree of maximum consolidation” that “Constantes y Vitales” has reached, and finished off by congratulating all of the authors of the projects that were submitted and the winners.
