Elvira Márquez's project wins first prize at the Young Researchers in Nutrition Awards
Topics University of Granada
The researcher Elvira Márquez Paradas has won first prize in the second edition of the Young Researchers Awards, organised by the Instituto Puleva de Nutrición and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Granada.
The first prize in the second edition of the Young Researchers Awards has gone to Elvira Márquez Paradas, for a project studying how dairy consumption can modify the extracellular vesicles circulating in the body after eating and their possible role in vascular and neuroimmune responses. The research combines a crossover study in humans with a functional platform.
The runner-up prize went to Ángela Castillo Moral, for "Neurodairy", a platform based on brain organoids to identify neuroprotective compounds applicable to functional dairy products aimed at brain health.
A recognition for Ángel Gil Hernández
The ceremony, held at the Faculty of Pharmacy, also included a recognition of the research career of Ángel Gil Hernández, professor emeritus at that centre and a specialist in food and nutrition sciences. According to the data released, he has published more than 460 articles, around 160 book chapters, has led more than 50 research projects and more than 50 doctoral theses, and is the director of the Tratado de Nutrición. In 2013 he chaired the XX International Congress of Nutrition in Granada. The recognition was presented by José Manuel Moreno Villares, a specialist in paediatrics and child nutrition and medical director of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra in Madrid.
Who took part
The event was addressed by María Eugenia García Rubiño, dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy; Federico Lara, scientific coordinator of the Instituto Puleva de Nutrición, and Jorge Oliva, director of Communication and Public Affairs at Lactalis España. The call forms part of the activities of the Aula Instituto Puleva de Nutrición and continues the collaboration between the institute and the University of Granada.
The dean said that "shared initiatives like this demonstrate the value of collaboration between the University and business to facilitate knowledge transfer". Lara stressed that "support for research is part of the historic commitment of the Instituto Puleva de Nutrición".
What the Instituto Puleva de Nutrición is
The Instituto Puleva de Nutrición was created in 2014 and works in research, training and outreach on food and health. Its initiatives include the EsNuPI Study on child nutrition, the Calciómetro Plus and the blog "Un vaso de ciencia". It collaborates with more than 35 research entities, universities and scientific societies. In 2024 it received the NAOS Strategy Award in the Business Initiative category and a first runner-up prize.