Sonia García Calzón (Pharmacy 10, MIDI 11 and Human Nutrition and Dietetics 14) and Melissa Guada (MDGB 11) have received this year the recognition to their work of doctorate with the Extraordinaryaward awarded by the School of Pharmacy and Nutrition to obtain the degree scroll doctorate in the programs of Food, Physiology and Health, and Drugs and Health.

For Sonia, who is now a postdoc in epigenetics and diabetes in Sweden, this award "has made me especially excited because it is the recognition of four years of effort and much work". Also for Melissa, who has also opted for the postdoc, this time in the USA. From there she assures that the award "has been a pleasant and emotional news, knowing that the University has valued my work and dedication during these years".

On the keys to making an "extraordinary" doctorate , Sonia believes that the illusion, the desire to learn and motivation - that is, a positive attitude -, effort and work are key: "In research in many cases not everything is black and white, things do not go as we expect and we run the risk of getting discouraged. What I have learned is to take the positive side out of every status. This, with the essential support of my colleagues financial aid and especially my director of thesis , Amelia Martí, has allowed me to publish as first author in high impact journals, and this is what has been most valued in order to continue with my scientific degree program . In the end, being surrounded by a great team is the most important thing".

Sonia has been a postdoc at the Lund University Diabetes Centre (Malmö, Sweden) for the past year. "Here I have received a scholarship Marie Curie IF that will allow me to focus for two years on a project that I am passionate about, led by Prof. Charlotte Ling. Our goal is to find biomarkers in the DNA (epigenetic) that can be used to predict cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes subject 2 - so that the risk of heart attack in diabetic patients can be reduced - and also to find biomarkers that help to predict the therapeutic response of diabetic patients, since because of our Genetics not everyone will respond equally to a given drug".

From her time at School, Sonia highlights the scientific training , but also its human component: "The School helped me to understand the meaning of my work, to keep in mind that I do research to find the truth and that my small grain of sand can help to prevent, diagnose or treat a disease more effectively. I also especially value the work teamwork, the selfless financial aid and the good atmosphere at the University of Navarra". 

training committed and prestigious

Melissa is also clear about how she achieved the extraordinaryaward of doctorate in Medicines and Health: "My keys have been the passion for my degree program, commitment, responsibility, interest, perseverance and patience, together with the motivation, support and guidance provided by my classmates and professors".   

Melissa is currently a postdoctoral researcher at group of research "The drug delivery lab", directed by Dr. Ravi Kumar at the Health Science Center, Texas A&M University (USA). "My work is focused on existing drugs, mainly chemotherapeutics. We want to improve their efficacy and reduce toxic effects as much as possible. One of the strategies we are pursuing is based on drug delivery systems for oral administration using polymeric nanosystems. We are also analyzing combined therapies with phytochemicals to overcome the resistance of chemotherapeutics and prevent their toxicity".

After having had the opportunity to work in different universities, Melissa considers that the scientific training at the School of Pharmacy of the University of Navarra "combines excellence and prestige, not only for its infrastructure, technology and variety of tools available to develop a research A , but for the commitment, dedication and professional quality that is lived there and that contribute to the doctors graduated from the University of Navarra to be recognized nationally and internationally". In addition, Melissa is especially grateful for the support received from the association of Friends of the University of Navarra, "committed to encouraging researchers at training".