Professor María Blanco joins the French National Academy of Medicine

María Blanco Prieto, professor at the University of Navarra, participated last January 7 in Paris in the solemn session of admission of the new members of the French National Academy of Medicine. She thus became the second Spaniard and first woman to belong to this institution, whose new members must be approved by decree of the President of the French Republic. "This distinction represents a great honor for me, but also a great responsibility to be part of this prestigious Academy, so I am committed to live up to the trust placed in me," she said during her admission speech .

María Blanco, professor at School of Pharmacy and Nutrition, focuses her research on the development of nanomedicines for the treatment of cancer (particularly childhood cancer), as well as on the regeneration of cardiac and brain tissue through the use of tissue engineering. His research in these areas has been recognized with numerous national and international awards.

Among other awards, he is a member of the French National Academy of Pharmacy, the Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Galicia and the Academia Europaea. From 2020 to March 2024, he served as President of the Spanish Society of Industrial and Galenic Pharmacy (SEFIG). He is also a member of the high school of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), one of the most important associations in the biomedical engineering sector based in Washington DC. Since January 2023, he is President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Sciences (EUFEPS).

She is the author of more than 180 articles in research and book chapters with more than 10,500 citations, six editorials, five patents and more than 235 communications in scientific congresses. In addition, she has directed more than 37 competitive research projects, is an expert of the European Commission in nanomedicine and is part of the committee of experts of the Agency for the Quality of the University System of Castilla y León and the Acredita Commission of National Agency for Assessment of Quality and Accreditation. She is also a member of the committee publishing house of several scientific journals, including Cancer Letters and Journal of Controlled Release.

The French National Academy of Medicine, founded in 1820 by King Louis XVIII, is a prestigious scientific institution dedicated to the advancement of medical and pharmaceutical sciences. Headquartered in Paris since 1902, the Academy advises the French government on public health issues, responds to official inquiries and is self-governing on relevant medical and ethical issues. Composed of leading health professionals, the Academy plays a crucial role in the advancement of medicine and the promotion of public health in France.