Professor Pedro Pablo Medina Vico, recognized by the Royal National Academy of Medicine of Spain for his basic research in the field of cancer
The Royal National Academy of Medicine of Spain (RANME) has awarded this year the prestigious Basic Medical Research Award to Dr. Pedro Pablo Medina Vico, co-investigator in charge of the Ae22-Cancer Genetics, Biomarkers and Experimental Therapies group at the Granada Biosanitary Research Institute (ibs.GRANADA), professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Granada and Group Leader of the Pfizer/University of Granada/Junta de Andalucía Center for Genomics and Oncology Research (GENyO). This award recognizes Dr. Medina's contributions in the field of oncology research, particularly in the study of the molecular and genetic bases of cancer.
Academic and professional career
Dr. Medina graduated from the University of Granada, obtaining the best academic record during the last three years of his degree, with an average grade of 10/10. He completed his PhD at the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) in Madrid, where his thesis on the molecular biology of lung cancer was awarded the Prize for the Best National Thesis in Biomedicine, awarded by the Royal Academy of Doctors of Spain.
He subsequently carried out postdoctoral research at Yale University, where he developed innovative models for the study of microRNAs in tumor development. One of his most notable works, published in the journal Nature, is among the 1% of the most cited articles in clinical medicine according to Essential Science Indicators.
Scientific impact and international recognition
Dr. Medina has been the recipient of prestigious international scholarships, such as the Hope Funds for Cancer Research and Deutsche JC Leukämie-StiftungThese distinctions allowed him to consolidate his career in the United States. After his postdoctoral training at Yale, he received offers to lead research groups at renowned institutions such as the MD Anderson Cancer Center (USA) and the Karolinska Institute (Sweden). He decided to return to his native Granada, where he obtained places in competitive scientific reintegration programs such as Ramón y Cajal and Miguel Servet, where he obtained the highest score of the 235 participants in the competition.
Among his most relevant contributions is the development of the first model in vivo which demonstrates the essential role of microRNAs in the creation and maintenance of tumors, a discovery that lays the foundation for new therapies aimed at inhibiting these molecules. MicroRNAs are regulators necessary for the functioning of the cell, whose discovery has been awarded the prize Nobel this 2024In addition, his laboratory has identified key genes in the development of lung cancer, lymphomas and childhood leukemia, which has supported various experimental therapies and patents.
Teaching work and social commitment
Dr. Medina combines his research activity with an outstanding teaching career at the University of Granada, where he teaches classes in the degrees of Biochemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, and has participated in the teaching of 9 different Master's degrees. The students who graduated from his research group, which recently completed its tenth anniversary , continue their scientific careers at internationally prestigious institutions such as Harvard University (USA), the Marie Curie Institute (Paris), the Francis Crick Institute (London), Harvard University (USA), EMBL (Heidelberg), or the University of Geneva (Switzerland).
In the social sphere, Dr. Medina has promoted the creation of the Research Classroom "Heroes against leukemia«, in collaboration with the Granada Association «Heroes to the Marrow", dedicated to raising awareness and supporting research into childhood leukemia.
Recent Recognitions
In addition to the RANME Award, Professor Medina's career has received awards such as the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy Award, the City of Science Award, or the prize Losada Villasante of scientific excellence. On the international level, his discoveries have been awarded by the BIAL Foundation in Portugal and the Young Investigator Award awarded by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) based in the United States.
