This week, the agreement for the creation of the Santiago Ramón y Cajal Chair was signed with the participation of Dr Santiago Ramón y Cajal Agüeras, head of the Translational Molecular Pathology group at Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), head of the Pathological Anatomy Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, and great-grandnephew of the Nobel Prize winner. The event was also attended by María de Valles, Director of Human Resources and Legal Affairs at VHIR, José Antonio Mayoral, President of the University of Zaragoza, and María del Carmen González, Executive President of the Merck Health Foundation.

The main mission of the Santiago Ramón y Cajal Chair is to promote innovative research in biomedical sciences. To this end, scholarships and grants will be awarded for the development of ground-breaking projects that could bring about changes in scientific paradigms. The Chair was also created in order to raise awareness of the life and work of Santiago Ramón y Cajal and promote forums for the exchange of innovative ideas.

“It is a project that will have great scientific and social repercussions, which is conceived to follow in Cajal’s footsteps for two separate reasons. To honour the generosity of Santiago Ramón y Cajal who, in his will, donated a third of his money to prizes and research projects, and to avoid a repetition of unfortunate situations like that of Cajal himself, who did not receive public funding for almost 20 years. We hope to help change the scientific paradigms in biomedicine by promoting research and the development of new and innovative diagnostic and treatment approaches,” states Dr Ramón y Cajal Agüeras.

The Chair will be directed by Carlos Martín Montañés, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Zaragoza, and will have a Scientific Advisory Committee chaired by Dr Santiago Ramón y Cajal which includes nationally and internationally-renowned researchers.

Further information: https://catedracajal.org/