The director of the International Center for Neurosciences for discrepancies with the CSIC on his star project resigns

The Director of the International Center for Neurosciences Cajal (Cinc), Juan Lermahas presented its resignation for discrepancies with the presidency of the CSIC on the project that led since 2019 and that has been integrating into the Interdisciplinary Research Center of Alcalá (CI2A) that will be inaugurated on February 18.

“I am writing to you to inform you that at the beginning of January I presented my resignation as CINC Director to the president of the CSIC,” Lerma said in an email to the researchers involved to which she has had access eldiario.es. He made the decision, he says, after a long conversation with the director, Eloísa del Pinofor its strong discomfort to the fact that the project in which it has been working for years, and that had been approved by the previous presidency, has been “dismantled”.

A barking symbol and cuts

The Megaedifice of Alcalá de Henares that houses the CI2A has a dark story behind him that dates back to 2005, when the then president of the CSIC, Carlos Martínez Alonsopromoted the creation of Prince of Asturias Molecular Medicine Institute (IMMPA). The project, built in the image and likeness of the CNIO, was intended to be a reference in the “scope of excellence”, was built on a plot of 50,000 square meters and cost more than 40 million euros, but never came into operation.


The outbreak of the real estate crisis, the inefficiencies of the Spanish scientific system and the internal wars caused the megacomplejo, with an animal of 4,500 square meters, remained empty for more than a decade, turned into a symbol of the lack of leadership and investment and investment of “science abandons.” For years, the building has been closed to Cal and Canto and they have given bands in its possible use, to the point that the Civil Guard was given to do a forensic research center there.

A plan resumed in 2019

In this context, in 2011 Lerma headed a project to give new meaning to the building under the umbrella of Cinc, which intended to “provide Spain with a center of excellence in neurosciences.” The project declined until it was resumed in 2019 and approved in 2022, after many negotiations, with the president of the CSIC then, Rosa Menéndez.

“After the change of presidency of the CSIC in July 2022, this initiative was stopped,” Lerma recounts in his message to the collaborators, and there was “a conceptual turn of the initial project, stopping on several occasions initiatives of the zinc,” he says . Lerma remembers that CINC was going to lead the project and now runs out of content, after the CI2A address has been assigned to the current director of the Cajal Institute, Rosario Moratalla.


“I even personally recriminate the Zinc signal installation in the building,” he explains, referring to the posters of the facade that have been removed for the new stage. “Since then, work has been worked on in that CI2A building, not the zinc, acquiring control of all services, animals included, relegating Cinc in any decision making.”

This is money that was for an excellence research center, not to move the Cajal Institute inside a gold housing

Juan Lerma
Former director of the Cajal Neurosciences Center (Cinc)

Although he says he wants to leave “without giving a door,” Lerma denounces that inappropriate uses are being given to the funds that were achieved with a project and now they will be allocated to another. “This is money that was for an excellent research center, not to move the Cajal Institute inside a gold housing,” he said to eldiario.esin reference to the transfer of the complete research center and the “control” by its director.

CSIC sources have not wanted to enter the controversy and ensure that CI2A is a “very powerful project, with a very clear, viable and ambitious governance strategy and structure.” And they understand that Lerma does not share this new approach, so they respect their decision to resign.

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