The BSC-IRB Barcelona researcher Toni Gabaldón, vice president of the new Young Academy of Spain

The Young Academy of Spain has been constituted today in the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities with the aim of representing and giving visibility to young scientists, preferably from the field of experimental sciences. One of the founding members and vice president of this new scientific institution is the ICREA researcher Toni Gabaldón, who joined the last April with double affiliation to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) and IRB Barcelona, leading the Comparative Genomics group. 

The main research interest of the group is to understand the complex relationships between genome sequences and phenotypes and how these two features evolve within and across species. 

Gabaldón says that "unlike other National Academies, the Young Academy will be made up of researchers of renowned prestige who are in an intermediate period of their research careers, inside and outside our borders. The aim is to make visible and dignify the research career, as well as helping, from a different perspective, to face the great global challenges from the perspective of knowledge and research ".

The profile of the members of this Academy will coincide with the average of 40 years of age and of 12 years from the attainment of the title of Doctor, since by young scientist one considers a person who has reached maturity and who is at the initial phases of his independent research career.

The Academy will act as a link with young scientists who carry out their work abroad, since part of its members may be young nationals who do research outside our country.

The other founding members are researchers Javier García Martínez, president of the institution, Maite Martínez Aldaya, Jesús Martínez de la Fuente, Ignacio Palomo Ruiz, Pedro Martínez Santos and Javier Martínez Moguerza. The members of the Young Academy of Spain will be so for five years; this will allow to introduce scientists of successive generations and ensure the youth of their academics.

Objectives of the Young Academy

The Young Academy of Spain aims, among others, to give visibility and represent young scientists, participate in the development of scientific policies and position themselves, issuing opinions and reports, on issues of national and international importance related to science. It seeks to promote science as a professional option among youth by promoting exceptional young people from any country, and particularly from Spain, as role models; propose policies aimed at eliminating obstacles in the participation of women, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities in the different branches of knowledge; and promote intergenerational cooperation with the Royal Academies of the Institute of Spain.

More information here.