Dr. Maite Huarte Receives the 31st Carmen and Severo Ochoa “ award ” Award from the Spanish National Research Council ( research ) in Molecular Biology
A researcher at the University of Navarra’s “ Cima ” has been honored for uncovering new insights into how our genes function
04 | 11 | 2026
The scientist Maite Huarte, director of the DNA and RNA Medicine Division and principal investigator at the Cima University of Navarra, has been awarded the 31st Carmen and Severo Ochoa award tion from research in Molecular Biology. This award, granted by the Carmen and Severo Ochoa Foundation, with the partnership support of the AstraZeneca Foundation and the madri+d Foundation for knowledge , recognizes the research of excellence carried out in Spain.
In the case of Dr. Huarte, the Foundation for the Promotion of Scientific Research( award ) recognizes her contribution to the understanding ( knowledge ) of the mechanisms that regulate the activity of our genes and ensure the stability of the genome. As the foundation states, “her research has helped change the way we understand the role of RNA in cell function, opening new avenues for understanding the molecular instructions of various diseases, with a particular focus on cancer research.”
The awarding of this award, which comes with a prize of 12,000 euros, takes on special significance due to the connection between Huarte’s research and the scientific bequest legacy of Severo Ochoa, who was awarded the award Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1959, along with Arthur Kornberg, for their discoveries regarding the mechanisms of biological RNA and DNA synthesis. “It is an absolute honor to receive this recognition. Following in the footsteps of a pioneer like Severo Ochoa is a profound inspiration and a driving force for fundamental research , the foundation of any biomedical application,” says Dr. Maite Huarte. She adds, “Although the award evaluates the last five years, it is the result of the work and the passion of an entire team of researchers at my laboratory over many years.”
For decades, RNA was considered the primary intermediary responsible for transmitting the Genetics information needed to produce proteins. However, Dr. Maite Huarte’s research has helped demonstrate that certain RNA molecules that do not produce proteins—known as long noncoding RNAs—play essential roles in regulating gene activity and in other fundamental cellular processes.
Specifically, this research has led to a better understanding of how these molecules play a role in regulating gene expression, DNA replication, and maintaining genomic stability.
His most recent work also delves into the role of long non-coding RNAs in chromatin organization—the structure that allows DNA to be organized and compacted within cells—and into the mechanisms that ensure the correct replication and transmission of genetic informati Genetics.
A scientific career marked by international excellence
Maite Huarte (Pamplona, 1974) holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Navarra and a Ph.D. from the Autonomous University of Madrid. She completed her postdoctoral training at Harvard University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in the United States.
Since 2011, he has directed his own group at research at the Cima University of Navarra, where he has established an internationally recognized research research program focused on understanding the functions of long noncoding RNAs. His career is characterized by the originality of his scientific approaches and his contribution to the development development of new research research avenues in a field that has undergone profound transformation in recent decades.