Alberto García-Basteiro Receives ‘The Union Young Investigator Prize’

Alberto García-Basteiro, researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) – an institution supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation, has been awarded the Young Investigator Prize by The Union, a scientific organisation whose mission is to improve health among people living in poverty.  The award was presented at the Union World Conference on Lung Health, the most important annual event on tuberculosis (TB), on October 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico.   

"It is a great honour that an international organization such as The Union, which plays a key role in tuberculosis control, research and training, recognises the work carried out by our team in Mozambique (CISM) and Barcelona (ISGlobal). Personally, it represents a strong encouragement to make further progress in finding solutions that may help avoid or alleviate the suffering caused by this disease”, says García-Basteiro, who currently coordinates TB research at the CISM.   

TB is the infectious disease that causes most deaths worldwide (1.8 million in 2015) and, although its incidence has decreased over the last years, it remains a public health priority at the global level. 

The prize was established in 2011 to acknowledge a researcher for his/her work in lung health, published in the past five years when aged 35 years or younger.   This is the first time the award has been given to a Spanish researcher.  

The Union is a global network of 500 experts and 17,000 members across the world and works in 156 countries. Its objectives are to gather and disseminate knowledge on all aspects of tuberculosis and other lung diseases; alert medical doctors, opinion leaders and other stakeholders of the dangers of TB and other diseases; coordinate and promote work done by its members throughout the world; establish close links with the WHO and other institutions in health and development sectors.