The Ibero-American Academy of Pharmacy names the scientific director of the IBS as an honorary academic. GRANADA

The scientific director of ibs.GRANADA and professor at the Andalusian School of Public Health, María José Sánchez, is the first woman to receive this distinction.

María José Sánchez, professor at the Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP), an institution of the Ministry of Health, the Presidency, and Emergencies, and scientific director of the ibs.GRANADA Biosanitary Research Institute, has been named an honorary member of the Ibero-American Academy of Pharmacy.

In her inaugural address to the Academy, "Cancer, Gender, and Equity: Challenges for Health Research in the 21st Century," Dr. Sánchez emphasized the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into research, clinical practice, and public policy. "Cancer research cannot be separated from a gender perspective, because the disease does not affect everyone equally," she noted.

In her lecture, she argued that 21st-century health advances must be accompanied by a broader understanding of the social and biological inequalities that impact prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. “Cancer is not a neutral disease. Its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are determined by biological, social, and economic factors. Incorporating a gender perspective into research is not a fad; it is an ethical and scientific requirement,” she stated, emphasizing the need for public policies and population registries to integrate this perspective to improve health outcomes for the entire population.

On a more personal note, the researcher acknowledged that her commitment to this field "stems from the conviction that behind every piece of data lies a life story that deserves to be heard and understood." As director of the Granada Cancer Registry, she explained that her work has allowed her to see how research can transform realities if conducted with scientific rigor and sensitivity. "Our duty is not to be content with describing differences, but to understand their causes and work to reduce them," she added, reaffirming her commitment to a more just, humane, and people-centered science, and expressing her gratitude for the boost to this work that her designation as an honorary academic can provide. She also emphasized that "we must prevent innovation from widening the existing gaps in cancer. Every advance must also be evaluated for its impact on equity."

The researcher dedicated some particularly moving words to her team and her institutions: "This recognition also applies to all the people who work every day in research, teaching, management, and healthcare to improve the health and well-being of society. Science only fulfills its purpose when it improves people's lives... and when it does so equitably."

Cancer research as a driving force for life

María José Sánchez studied medicine and received her doctorate from the University of Granada (UGR) in 1996. She is a specialist in Clinical Microbiology and Parasitology and an Expert in Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Health Promotion and Bioethics from the UGR.

Since 1997 she has worked at EASP as a professor and attached to the Granada Cancer Registry, which he became director of in 2009. Since 2020, he has combined this position with the scientific direction of the Biosanitary Research Institute ibs.GRANADA, of which the EASP is a part.

Dr. Sánchez has extensive experience in the design and development of epidemiological studies and research projects related to the etiology, healthcare patterns, social inequalities, and survival of cancer patients. She has led or collaborated on more than 35 research projects at European, national, and regional levels. The results of these projects have been reflected in more than 750 scientific publications.

She is the principal investigator of a research group of excellence of the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health, from ibs.GRANADA and fromThe EASP PAIDI Research Group on 'Public Health and Health Services Research'. She has served as Chair of the Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (REDECAN) and an elected member of the Steering Committee of the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR). Since December 2017, she has been the coordinator of the Epidemiology and Chronic Disease Control Program at CIBERESP, and from 2024 to 2029, she will represent Spain on the Scientific Council of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the WHO.

She is the coordinator of the EPIC-Spain study and principal investigator of the EPIC-Granada cohort. She participates in the Andalusian Cancer Strategy, coordinating the strategic line on "Epidemiology and Information Systems." Since December 2017, she has coordinated the Epidemiology and Chronic Disease Control Program at CIBERESP and is a member of its Steering Committee. She is also the principal investigator for Andalusia in the Predictive Medicine Program of the IMPaCT infrastructure of the Carlos III Health Institute, which is recruiting a multicenter, multipurpose cohort of 200.000 people in Spain. She is also the co-principal investigator of the AMBISiON-IMPaCT project, a project to enrich the IMPACT cohort with environmental and eye health measures for precision medicine, funded by the ISCIII with more than €4 million.

In 2018, she was included in the Highly Cited Researchers list, making her one of the most cited researchers in the world in the field of Oncology. She has been a professor in the PhD program in Clinical Medicine and Public Health at the University of Granada since 2019 and has been recognized as a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Granada from 2019 to 2021.

She is a member of the advisory committee of the Andalusian Personalized Precision Medicine Plan and director of the 5P Chair of Precision Medicine with the University of Granada and Roche Farma. She is a member of the advisory committee of the Andalusian Public Health System Biobank Plan, the Andalusian Health R&I Strategy, and the Andalusian Public Health R&I Plan. She is also the president of the Technical Committee of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) in Granada and a member of the external scientific advisory committee of the Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Regional Government Center for Genomics and Oncology Research (GENYO), as well as the Castilla-La Mancha Health Research Institute (IDISCAM).

In recent years, she has received the Gold Medals of the province and the city of Granada for her research career and has been awarded at the Muy Science Fest 2024, for her contribution to scientific dissemination. Last year, Forbes magazine named her one of the 100 most influential women in Andalusia, and in 2023 she was chosen as one of the magazine's Top 100 Leading Women 2023. Magazine of El Español in the category of 'Academics, thinkers and researchers'. In the third edition of the CSIC rankingDr. Sánchez has ranked first in Andalusia and twelfth nationally among all Spanish and foreign researchers working in Spain.

Ibero-America and Spain: a collaborative boost from Andalusia

La Ibero-American Academy of Pharmacy It is a public corporation with a scientific-professional and advisory nature, created by the Regional Government of Andalusia in 1990. Its mission is to promote research and study in the fields of pharmaceutical sciences, foster collaboration between Spain and Latin America, and provide advice to public authorities when requested. With headquarters historically linked to the Faculties of Pharmacy of Granada and Seville, it carries out an intense activity of scientific sessions, publications, and awards. The institution is structured into different membership categories (regular, corresponding, and honorary) to recognize careers that contribute to the advancement and prestige of the pharmaceutical profession.