Ana Crespo, President of the Royal Academy of Sciences, opened the event by underlining that these awards “allow us to showcase the young female researchers who are building the future of science in Spain”.

Paloma Real, President of the Western Europe Division at Mastercard, then highlighted that “innovation comes from brilliant minds like those of the award winners” and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening the ecosystem for women in science.

The four main categories recognised the most outstanding contributions in Mathematics (Marina Murillo), Physics and Chemistry (Izaskun Jiménez), Applications of Science and Technology (Jelena Radjenovic), and, finally, Biology and Geology. This last award was presented to Dr Biola M. Javierre, leader of the 3D Chromatin Organisation research group at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, by Aurora Santos, member of the Royal Academy in Natural Sciences, Biology and Geology.

Javierre was recognised for her outstanding contribution to the diagnosis of haematological diseases and to advancing understanding of B-cell cancer. During her speech, the researcher expressed her gratitude to her mentors and also to the Josep Carreras Institute for giving her the opportunity to establish her own research group, highlighting the daily dedication of its members.

In the most emotional part of her speech, Javierre dedicated the award to her family, particularly her mother and grandmother, for the decisive impact they had on her education and character. She concluded by stating that receiving the award was “an honour and a great motivation to continue researching with rigour and passion”, emphasising the impact of her work on the advancement of personalised medicine and the study of oncological diseases.

After the event, Dr Javierre said she felt “happy and proud to receive this recognition and to help bring greater visibility to the lack of female representation in research”. She stressed that the key to building a successful scientific career is “surrounding yourself with a good team and striving for excellence”. When asked what she would say to a girl who dreams of becoming a scientist, Javierre recalled that “I once dreamed of it too, and it came true”, adding that with effort, support and planning, it is possible: “If I’ve achieved it, anyone can”.

The ceremony closed with an inspiring talk by María Jesús Puerta Angulo, a mining engineer and the only non-American winner of NASA’s Luna Recycle Challenge at the NASA, who shared her career journey and ended with a motivating message: “The impossible is only so until it stops being so.”