Pope Francis has appointed Professor Jokin de Irala as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, of which he was already a corresponding member. Dr. de Irala is Full Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of the School of Medicine of the University of Navarra, and researcher of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the aforementioned academic center.

The Pontifical Academy for Life was founded by St. John Paul II in 1994. It has as goal promote the progress of the programs of study on the main themes of bioethics and law concerning the promotion and defense of life.

Professor de Irala has expressed his great joy for this appointment by the Pope, and his desire to continue collaborating from his area of knowledge: "I will put at the service of the Academy my experience as researcher and university professor for 25 years, having worked for so many years transmitting and giving reasons for great questions related to love, sexuality and human life".

Professional career

Professor Jokin de Irala is graduate in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Navarra. He completed a Master's Degree in Public Health in Scotland in 1987; he obtained the Degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1990 and, in 2000, a second doctorate in Public Health in the United States. Since 2011, he is Full Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health.

He has been Associate Dean of the School of Medicine of the University of Navarra. In addition to teaching at School, he teaches two subjects at Master's Degree in Marriage and Family.

Project evaluator, he actively participates in groups of research financed by public and private entities. His scientific contributions include presentations and communications in national and international congresses, the publication of 12 books, 58 book chapters and 156 articles in scientific journals.

She is coordinator and researcher principal of the project multidisciplinary "Education of Affectivity and Human Sexuality" of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra.

He has given numerous conferences in different countries. He is also the author of knowledge dissemination books such as "El valor de la espera", "Nuestros hijos quieren querer. Guidelines for an affective-sexual Education " and "Our children want to know: 60 questions about sexuality". He is married and has 5 children.