The awards recognize excellence in scientific communication for bringing advances in genetics to the public, translating the complexity of the discipline into content that is accessible, rigorous and relevant.
Gemma Marfany has been awarded for her work published in the volume Humanos Mejorados (Revista Occidente, 2025), an edition that addresses one of the major contemporary debates: how far humanity can, should or wishes to go in transforming itself, and how the convergence of genetics, biotechnology and artificial intelligence is redefining the horizons of the human condition and raising ethical, social, legal and political questions of the utmost significance.
The awards, organized by Amgen Spain and the National Centre for Biotechnology, recognize excellence in communicating advances in genetics to the public.
A member of the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics at UB, Marfany served as the delegate of the rector for scientific dissemination. In 2019, she was one of the joint awardees of the 6th Doctors’ Senate and Board of Trustees Awards for excellence in science and humanities communication, and in 2023, she received the President Lluís Companys National Award. The author of several popular science books, she is very active in the media and in various initiatives aimed at bringing the world of genetics and science closer to the general public. She is an expert in molecular genetics, gene therapy, genetic diagnosis and bioethics, and leads a research group studying therapies for rare hereditary eye diseases using genetically modified organisms and retinal organoids.
The Awards in Journalism and Public Outreach on Genetics were given on 21 April, in a ceremony that took place in the Student Residence in Madrid. Participants included Juan Cruz, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities; Carlos Closa, Vice-President for Organization and Institutional Relations at the CSIC; Mario Mellado, Director of the CNB-CSIC; Miquel Balcells, Medical Director of Amgen Iberia; and Meritxell Mir, Director of Communications at Amgen Spain. Carola García de Vinuesa, immunologist and Assistant Research Director at the Francis Crick Institute in London, delivered the keynote lecture “Quan els gens expliquen històries: descobriments en autoimmunitat i més enllà” (When genes tell stories: discoveries in autoimmunity and beyond).