The rector of the Universitat de València, Mª Vicenta Mestre, presided over the solemn ceremony, and the professor of Molecular Biochemistry, Mª Teresa Barber, was in charge of reading the laudatio. The investiture was attended by a wide representation of the Board of Directors of the Universitat as well as a large part of the deans of the institution, and, representing the Valencian Government, Josefina Bueno, General Director of Universities, Research and Science.

The proposal for the appointment of Juan Carlos Izpisúa, a graduate of the Universitat, as Doctor "Honoris causa" was made by the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Universitat de València and was approved at the session of the Governing Council on 2 October 2018.

Doctor Juan Carlos Ipzisúa recalled in his acceptance speech his first steps in the world of science, which were in the Department of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Universitat de València, which he considers his alma mater.

These first steps have led him to focus his research on the world of stem cells and the fight against human ageing, leading the most important advances aimed at manufacturing transplantable human tissues and organs, minimising the possibility of rejection.

The complete lectio by Dr. Juan Carlos Izpisúa can be read here.

La lectio completa del Dr. Juan Carlos Izpisúa, es pot llegir ací.

On her behalf, Mª Vicenta Mestre highlighted the Izpisúa’s scientific rigour as well as the significance of his memorable works and contributions to science in order to improve the welfare state of people.

The principal has also highlighted the pride felt by the whole entity of the Universitat de València towards individuals such as Dr. Izpisúa, who studied here and who return to the Universitat de València in order to receive the highest academical honour. 

For watching the whole speech of the principal, Mª Vicenta Mestre, click here.

The professor in Biochemics and Molecular Biology of the Universitat de València, Mª Teresa Barber, when reading the laudatio, reaffirmed that Dr. Izpisúa is the first honoris causa nomination proposal of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Universitat de València since the institution was created.  Moreover, she also highlighted some of his professional achievements such as the publication of more than 450 articles in the different areas of Biology, the publication of more than 35 chapters in specialised books, the ownership of several patents as well as the appreciation of his contributions by the prestigious journal Science, which has placed his contributions in among the year-top 10 in the rankings.  

For reading the laudatio of the professor Mª Teresa Barber, click here.

Juan Carlos Izpisúa

Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte (Hellín, 1960) is a lecturer and researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences (La Jolla, EE.UU) and he is also a member of the Gene-Editing Initiative of the National Academy of Sciences (USA).

He is graduated in Pharmacy at the Universitat de València with an extraordinary prize and he obtain his PhD in Biochemics and Pharmacology at the University of Bolonia and at the Universitat de València.

He has been a postdoctoral granted at the University of Marburg (Germany) and at the University of California-Los Ángeles (UCLA, USA) and at the European Molecular Biology Laboratories (EMBL, Germany).  He has been a lecturer at the university of California-San Diego and he has worked as visiting lecturer at the University College and at the Oxford University (United Kingdom).  From 2005 to 2013 he headed the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona.

The research of Izpisúa, which overcomes the 26,000 quotations, is focused on the stem cell biology and their development.  His research deals with the identification of the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible of the embryonic development.  His contributions have a considerable potential regarding transplant surgery and the fight against ageing.

His scientific activity has received appreciations such as Ellison Medical Foundation Award and the McKnight Award and the National Institutes of Health of the USA Award, among others; the honoris causa PhD of the Universities of Castilla La Mancha and Granada and the Golden Medal of Castilla La Mancha.