The three prizes for “Secondary Research” projects given to work mentored by IRB Barcelona researchers

Yesterday, Wednesday March 11, La Pedrera Auditorium hosted the awarding of prizes for the «Tutoring for Secondary School Students», a program promoted and coordinated by the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB) with the support of Fundació Catalunya–La Pedrera and the collaboration of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona). The event was attended by Adela Farré, director of Communications, Marketing and Promotion of the PCB; Lluís Farres, director of the Department of Knowledge and Research of Fundació Catalunya - la Pedrera; José M. Fernández, professor of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB) and contributor to the program, accompanied by the students and tutors involved in this initiative.

"Tutoring for Secondary School Students" is part of the Knowledge Area of Fundació Catalunya–La Pedrera and the science outreach program «Research in Society» of the PCB. The initiative offers 11th grade students the possibility of carrying out the practical part of their research project at the different laboratories of organizations located at the PCB. This year IRB Barcelona researchers have supervised 39 of the 66 projects within the programme, mentoring the students throughout the whole project. Students also have the guidance of their regular teacher, who will be in charge of the project.

The awards 2014-2015 have been given to students tutored by IRB Barcelona researchers:

• Adrià Moncusí Armengol for the project “L’obesitat: teixits, cèl·lules i gens”, from the Institut Salvador Vilaseca, Reus.  School tutor: Montserrat Plans Roqueta. IRB Barcelona Mentor: Alba Sabaté Pérez, from the Complex metabolic diseases and mitochondria laboratory.

• Cynthia Tramosa for the project “El càncer de mama”, from Escola Tècnico-Professional Xavier, Barcelona. School tutor: Marc Roig. IRB Barcelona Mentor: Montserrat Romero de Pablos, from the Complex metabolic diseases and mitochondria laboratory.

• Molly Erin Geddis Berrow pel treball “The morphogenesis of the imaginal wing disc in Drosophila melanogaster”, from the Institut Alella. School tutor: Maria-Carme Alós. IRB Barcelona Mentor: Mariana Muzzopappa from the Development and Growth Control laboratory.

The «Tutoring for Secondary School Students» program concludes each year with the awarding of prizes to the winners of the best jobs, which will also be on exhibit at a stand in the «Live Research» Fair, which this year will be held at the Historical Building of the UB from 8 to 10 April. This will bring the students the opportunity to explain to the public the details of the research project they have carried out.