Dissemination awards given to the epidemiologist Quique Bassat, the economist Judit Vall, and the psychiatrist Eduard Vieta

Quique Bassat is a researcher at the University of Barcelona, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. His research is focused on infectious diseases, such as malaria or respiratory infections, that children in low-income countries suffer from. His dissemination works on these diseases —in conferences and exhibitions such as the one dedicated to malaria, exhibited for almost a year in the UB Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences— has been of great importance. With the COVID-19 outbreak, Bassat focused his efforts on fighting this disease and multiplied the scope of his dissemination works. In this sense, his many appearances on the media stand out.   

Judit Vall, expert on health economics and labour economics, stands out for her ability to disseminate her research: the main media in Spain have echoed her research, which has allowed her to have an important impact on both a social and a political level. The results of her research have reached political decision-makers. Also, this has contributed to the scientific visibility of the UB Faculty of Economics and Business. Vall is the editor and regular author of the economics blog Nada es gratis and she takes part in several scientific dissemination activities, such as the UB Science cafés.

Eduard Vieta, professor of Psychiatry, head of the Psychiatry and Psychology Unit at the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona and head of the Bipolar Disorders research group at the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), is well-known in the study of the causes and pharmacological and psychological treatments of bipolar disorder and depression, and has promoted good clinical practice, knowledge and the destigmatization of mental disorders. He is the author of many informative articles, and 7 of his 45 books on bipolar disorder are dissemination books (these works also deal with violence or leadership, and the psychopathology of figures in art and literature). He has also appeared in audiovisual media and television programmes, such as La Marató de TV3.

The day after the award ceremony, one of the most important annual events for the dissemination of science at the University of Barcelona began in the Historical Building: the Science Festival.