María de Maeztu award

The Department of Medicine and Life Sciences MELIS-UPF was recognized as a «María de Maeztu» Unit of Excellence by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) in the 2024 call, marking the third time the department has achieved this prestigious accreditation, following previous awards in 2014 and 2018.

As the highest institutional recognition for scientific research in Spain, this distinction rewards public research units that demonstrate international leadership, high-impact scientific contributions, and active collaboration with the social and business sectors.

This achievement, a collective award to all MELIS researchers, secures €2.25 million in funding over the next four years. According to project director Olga Valverde, this grant will enable MELIS to fulfill a triple objective: «To continue advancing cutting-edge biomedical research by integrating computational and big data approaches, to promote multidisciplinary collaborations, and to boost the careers of young scientists.»