The two most prominent scholars of the decade are from Cordoba

The best Argentine science of the last decade dressed up last night, to deliver Prestigious Konex Awards. For Córdoba, the accolades awarded represent a unique source of pride: the two people who shared the highest award, the Connex Brilliance Award, are from Córdoba: Doctor of Biological Sciences Sandra Díaz and Doctor of Chemical Sciences Gabrielle Rabinovitch, both of whom graduated from the University of Córdoba. National University of Cordoba (UNC).

Moreover, among the 100 nominees, by a jury of specialists, in the most diverse fields of scientific and technological research in Argentina, 12 are from Córdoba.

Diaz, born in Belleville, and Rabinovich, from the capital, Cordoba, are considered world leaders in their fields of knowledge. She is a pioneer in developing the concept of plant biodiversity and her contributions to climate change research. He, for his discoveries in immunology that allowed the development of innovative treatments against cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Last night in Buenos Aires, the Conex Foundation held its 44th awards ceremony, which this year recognized the most prominent figures in science and technology of the past decade.

Konex has a long tradition in Argentina. They are awarded every year, in a different field of activity, based on the task of a jury of specialists. Since there are 10 of these categories, it is up to each to renew the distinction once every decade. For example, those for Science and Technology were last awarded in 2013. The “Outstanding” award is the highest award for each award.

Last September, the Connex Foundation already awarded certificates of appreciation to 100 outstanding figures of the decade, in twenty disciplines of science and technology. Of that hundred. The jury, composed of experts, then selected the winners from each category (CONEX Platinum) and the distinguished recipients of the Scholars of the Decade award.

Wonderful Cordoba

Sandra Diaz was born in 1961. She is a biologist and Doctor of Biological Sciences from the University of North Carolina, where she is a Professor in the Chair of Ecology of Communities and Ecosystems in the School of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences and as a Conicet Senior Researcher at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Plant Biology (IMBIV).

In addition, she is a visiting professor at the University of Oxford. Pioneer in developing the concept of plant functional biodiversity, describing for the first time the global spectrum of plant form and function. His contributions are considered a world reference in plant ecology and biogeography.

In 2019, he was included in the list of “The Ten Most Important People in Science in the World” by the specialized magazine Nature. He is a member of the Argentine Academy of Sciences, the Academy of the United States and France, among others. He has received numerous international awards and was a member of the United Nations (IPCC) teams that received the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to the study of climate change.

Gabriel Rabinovich was born in Cordoba in 1969. He received his PhD in Chemical Sciences from UNC. Today he is a senior researcher at Conicet and a professor at the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires. Their discoveries reveal a new paradigm for controlling the immune response, allowing the design of innovative therapies, based on the modification of galectins and glycans, in the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases and inflammation.

Stanford University ranks him among the 2% of most cited scientists in the world. He is one of the founders of the technology company Galtec, which seeks to develop cancer treatments.

More Cordobans

Of the 100 recognized, 12 are from Córdoba if they are added to the eight doing work at UNC, two from the Universidad Río Cuarto (UNRC), one doing research within the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (Inta) in Córdoba, and most importantly in the case of Rabinovich, a From Cordoba, he graduated from the University of North Carolina and currently works at a research center in Buenos Aires.

Of the ten other people from Córdoba receiving the Diploma of Merit, two received the Konex Platinum Award as the most outstanding of the decade in their fields:

Miriam Strumia. In the Organic Chemistry category, for his work at the UNC Institute for Research and Development in Process Engineering and Applied Chemistry.

Ricardo Astini. in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences category, for his work at the University of North Carolina’s Earth Sciences Research Center.

The other eight candidates from Cordoba are:

Beatrice Caputo. In the category of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology. He works at the UNC Biochemistry Research Center.

Jorge Laurent. Math class. From the UNC Mathematics Research and Studies Center.

Ezequiel Leyva. Physical Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry, from the Research Institute in Physics and Chemistry and the Sustainable Energy Laboratory of the United Nations University.

Raul Carbonio. Physical Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry, in the UNC School of Chemical Sciences.

Alfredo Cáceres. Basic Biomedical Sciences, from the Mercedes and Martin Ferreira Medical Research Institute, UNC.

Edgardo Durantini. Organic sciences category. in Chemistry, researching microorganisms and pathogens that develop resistance to antibiotics, at the National University of Rio Cuarto.

Humberto Debat. COVID-19 category. Biologist at the Plant Pathology Institute of INTA Córdoba.

Juan Otamendi. Lifetime Achievement Award. He holds a PhD in Geological Sciences from the National University of Rio Cuarto (UNRC).

the judge

The jury consisted of 20 specialists and was chaired by previous science laureates Alberto Kornbliht (2013 Prize), Mirta Rosés (2003 Prize) and Juan Martín Maldacena (2013 Prize).