UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences
The purpose of this Prize is to reward the projects and activities of an individual, individuals, institutions, other entities or non-governmental organizations for scientific research in the life sciences leading to improving the quality of human life.
The objectives of the Prize are related to the central function of UNESCO’s programme to encourage research and the setting up and further development of networks of centres of excellence in the life sciences.
The prizewinner(s), maximum three,having made a significant research contribution to the life sciences will be selected by the Director-General of UNESCO on the basis of the assessments and recommendations provided by an international jury.
2017 laureates
Agricultural Research Organization (Volcani Center, Israel)
The institute has successfully developed cutting-edge innovations and methodologies in agricultural research with practical applications as well as capacity building programmes to promote food security in arid, semi-arid and desert environments, advancing human well-being.
Rui Luis GONÇALVES dos REIS (University of Minho, Portugal)
For his outstanding innovative contributions to the development and engineering of natural-based biomaterials and their biomedical applications including tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, stem cells and drug delivery, which have a significant potential to improve human health.
Ivan Antonio IZQUIERDO (Biomedical Research Institute, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)
For his seminal discoveries in elucidating the mechanisms of memory processes including consolidation and retrieval and their clinical applications in aging, psychological disturbances and neurodegenerative diseases leading to the promotion of the quality of human life.
