The Neurodegenerative Diseases group at Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), dedicated to Parkinson's disease, is celebrating the good news that one of their youngest researchers, Sandra Franco, has received. She has won the third prize of the http://www.mecd.gob.es/servicios-al-ciudadano-mecd/catalogo/general/educacion/998341/ficha/998341-2011-2012.html" National Graduation Award for the Human Biology degree in 2011-2012, endowed with 2,200 euros. The average score of her academic record was 9.4 out of ten!Sandra studied at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona (UPF) because she wanted to help to improve people's heath: "I wanted to study Medicine, but as I am afraid to blood, I decided to do Human Biology", she explains. Her decision was right because she enjoyed the lessons, specially the laboratory practices.After the degree, she studied the Pharmaceutical Industry and Biotechnology Master's degree at the UPF. She joined VHIR in 2014 to start her PhD, under the supervision of Dr. Miquel Vila. Her thesis is focused on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.