Rosa Fernández, awarded in the 2024 National Research Awards
Science is full of SHEroes whose passion, work and creativity inspired Evolutionary Biologists of today.
As part of our commitment with society, the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-UPF) wants to give credit and visibility to the achievements of female scientists in evolution.
To that aim, we launched the campaign #WhoisyourSHEro to share stories of women who had an impact in our researchers' scientific career through our social media and website.
The campaign keeps on moving as more and more women in evolution are inspiring the IBE community.
You can join the conversation through social media under the hashtag #WhoisyourSHEro.
With the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology - Ministry of Science and Innovation.
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Rosa Fernández, awarded in the 2024 National Research Awards
The principal investigator of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE), Rosa Fernández, has been recognized with the 2024 National Research Award for Young Scientists in the Ángeles Alvariño category.
This prestigious award, granted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, highlights her outstanding contribution to evolutionary biology and genomics.
The 2024 National Research Awards include 20 categories, each with a €30,000 prize, and represent Spain's most important recognition in scientific research.
The Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities (MICIU), Diana Morant, announced the awards today, emphasizing the talent of the laureates, whose "science of excellence not only contributes to societal progress and well-being but also strengthens our country."
This edition brings together the largest number of women awarded, including Rosa Fernández, principal investigator at the IBE and winner in the Ángeles Alvariño category.
"It is an honor to receive the Ángeles Alvariño National Research Award. However, I believe that such recognition should go to research teams, as scientific advancements are the result of collaborative and multidisciplinary efforts. This award is a reflection of the work, dedication, and passion of all those who contributed to our research. My deepest gratitude goes to them," said Rosa Fernández.
Rosa Fernández, winner in the Ángeles Alvariño category of the 2024 National Research Award for Young Scientists
Rosa Fernández is a Senior Research Scientist at CSIC within the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE), a joint center of CSIC and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF). She has been recognized for her scientific career in the field of evolutionary biology and genomics, particularly for generating genomic resources of little-known species and discovering the functionality of previously enigmatic genes. The jury also praised her significant academic track record and international research leadership.
About Rosa Fernández
Rosa Fernández holds a degree and a Ph.D. in biology from the Complutense University of Madrid. She has completed postdoctoral stays at Harvard University (USA) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (Barcelona).
Currently, she leads the Metazoa Phylogenomics Lab at the IBE. Her research focuses on understanding the evolutionary origins of terrestrial animal biodiversity through comparative genomics. To achieve this, she generates genomic data from understudied animal lineages and applies state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools to decipher how they have changed over time and space.
She is a member of the Young Academy of Spain and has received numerous international research awards, including prestigious grants from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant, 2020) and the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Early Career (2022). She is also a board member of ERGA (2023).
About the National Research Awards for Young Scientists
These awards recognize the achievements of young scientists—up to the age of 40—who have made significant contributions early in their careers.
Each category's jury was chaired by Eva Ortega-Paíno, General Secretary for Research, and composed of specialists in each field, ensuring balanced participation between men and women.
This edition included measures to encourage more female candidates and introduced the participation of the MICIU's Women and Science Unit in jury meetings to incorporate gender and science expertise and avoid unconscious biases.
Thanks to these changes, for the first time since their inception, the awards were granted equally, with 50% of women laureates in the senior category and 70% in the junior category, contributing to the excellence of science in Spain and enhancing the prestige of these recognitions.