Dissemination award to Manel Esteller and Antoni Trilla
Researchers Manel Esteller and Antoni Trilla are the awardees of the 5th Award of the Doctors Senate and Board of Trustees to the best scientific and humanities dissemination activities, given by the Rector, Joan Elias, and the acting president of the Board of Trustees, Joan Corominas, and the vice-president of the Doctors Senate, Xavier Triadó, on Wednesday, May 23, at 6 p.m. in the Aula Magnaof the Historical Building. This award, promoted by the Doctors Senate and the Board of Trustees, aims to promote the diffusion of the scientific activity and knowledge among society.
Researchers Manel Esteller and Antoni Trilla are the awardees of the 5th Award of the Doctors Senate and Board of Trustees to the best scientific and humanities dissemination activities, given by the Rector, Joan Elias, and the acting president of the Board of Trustees, Joan Corominas, and the vice-president of the Doctors Senate, Xavier Triadó, on Wednesday, May 23, at 6 p.m. in the Aula Magnaof the Historical Building. This award, promoted by the Doctors Senate and the Board of Trustees, aims to promote the diffusion of the scientific activity and knowledge among society.
Graduated and holding doctoral studies at the University of Barcelona, he was invited researcher in the School of Medicine of the University of St Andrews (Scotland, United Kingdom), and postdoctoral researcher and adjunct lecturer at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, USA), where he studied the DNA methylation and its link to cancer in humans. The results of his research studies were determining to set the fact that hypermetilation of tumor suppressor genes is a feature of human tumours. From 2001 to 2008, Manel Esteller led the Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics of the National Research Oncology Center. He has been lecturer of Genetics at the Department of Physiological Sciences of the University of Barcelona since October 2008, and has been professor, ICREA researcher and director of the Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute since 2017.
His current research focuses on the setting of epigenomic maps of normal and transformed cells, and the study of epigenetic modifications and non-coding RNA, such as the development of new epigenetic drugs to treat cancer. Stanford University listed him as the most influential biomedical researcher working in Spain. He has been awarded the Rei Jaume I Prize on basic research (2013), the 20th Severo Ochoa Award on biomedical research (2013), Premi Vanguardia de la ciència (2014), Josep Trueta Medal to health merit and National Research Prize (2015). He is counsellor in the Nobel Committee for Physiology and Medicine of Karolinksa Institute (Sweden).
Antoni Trilla has been awarded for his dissemination task in his field of work, communicable diseases and how to prevent them, mostly regarding epidemic outbreaks and vaccination. His participation in the media is highlighted, “always with his scientific rigour in information, a clear and trustful tone, and uses of examples and a clear language”. Trillaʼs participation has been determining in communication management in many public health crises, such as 2009-2010 influenza A, Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016, the emergency of Zika virus in 2015-2016 and other situations of real or alleged risk, such as the enterovirus epidemic in Catalonia in 2016. They also considered his presence in social networks and participation in dissemination activities: lectures, conferences, debates, etc.
Antoni Trilla is head of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology in Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, research lecturer at the Global Health Institute of Barcelona and member of the Governing Board of Col•legi de Metges de Barcelona. Graduated and holding a doctorate from the University of Barcelona, is an expert on internal medicine and preventive medicine, and public health. He was received, among other awards, the Josep Trueta Medial to health merit given by Generalitat de Catalunya, Big Vang Medal to scientific communication and the Excellence Award of Col•legi Professional de Metges. He is a lecturer at the Department of Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Barcelona, where he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students and where he is also the academic Vice-dean.
Among his research lines are prevention and control of infections associated with health assistance; influenza and vaccination, and the procedures of isolation and control of highly communicable diseases.