José Manuel López Nicolás: “It’s exciting that your teachers value you”

This afternoon, through an act of inauguration at 7:00 p.m. in the Culture Hall of the Cajamurcia Foundation (Murcia), José Manuel López Nicolás will enter the Academy of Sciences of the Region of Murcia (ACCRM) as a Number Academician . “Fortunately, throughout my career I have received many awards but being valued by your teachers, from whom you have learned, is very exciting,” says the professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, vice-rector for Transfer, Communication and Scientific Dissemination of the University of Murcia (UMU) and columnist for ‘Ababol’ in LA VERDAD.

The one who will be a new member of the Academy today highlights from this institution “the great role of making society aware of the importance of science” and, with his appointment, the researcher and disseminator will try to “put a grain of sand so that There is a breeding ground in society and, in this way, the leaders feel pressured to increase the budget for science and create a pact so that the investment continues, whoever governs governs, “says López Nicolás. “Covid has had to arrive for science to appear regularly in the media, but we cannot let this interest remain a fad.”

During the inauguration, José Manuel López Nicolás will give the entrance conference ‘Stilbenes: molecular encapsulation and scientific dissemination’, on the potential of these bioactive compounds in the development of new functional foods that meet commercial and scientific requirements. A molecule to which antioxidant, neuroprotective, anticancer and cardioprotective effects, among others, are attributed. These compounds can be found in products such as grapes, red wine, blueberries or some nuts.

Graduated in Chemical Sciences from the UMU with a Specialty in Biochemistry in 1993, López Nicolás began his vocation in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology A, where he carried out his doctoral thesis with an extraordinary award. He is a professor since 2019.

He combines his research work with that of transfer and with an informative work since he began his journey with the Scientia blog in 2011. He has given more than 300 conferences, has collaborated in various media and has published several informative books, the latest of which, ‘The science of champions’ (Planeta).