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Dr. Núria López-Bigas, Head of the Biomedical Genomics lab at IRB Barcelona and ICREA Research Professor, has been awarded the prestigious Rei Jaume I Award in the category of Medical Research. This award, one of the most important scientific honours in Spain, recognizes the outstanding career of researchers whose contributions have had a significant international impact in their field.
The jury, which includes 20 Nobel Laureates, highlighted Dr. López-Bigas’ "innovative research on the origin and evolution of cancer mutations and the development of tools to study them." At IRB Barcelona, her research focuses on identifying cancer-driving mutations and understanding the mutational processes that lead to the accumulation of genetic alterations in tumour cells. Her work is key to understanding how tumours develop and evolve, paving the way for more precise and personalized approaches in oncology.
“Receiving the Rei Jaume I Prize for Medical Research is a great honour and a tremendous joy. It is also a recognition of the effort and dedication of my entire team over the years. Without their talent and commitment, we would not have advanced so much in understanding the mechanisms underlying cancer,” stated Dr. López-Bigas.
Other 2025 Rei Jaume I Award winners
Alongside Dr. López-Bigas, six other renowned individuals have received the 2025 Rei Jaume I Awards across various disciplines. José Luis Mascareñas Cid received the award in Basic Research, Jan Eeckhout in Economics, Silvia de Sanjosé Llongueras in Clinical Research and Public Health, and Victoria Reyes García in Environmental Protection. The award in New Technologies went to Mª Jesús Vicent Docón, while Damià Tormo Carulla was presented the award for Entrepreneurial Revelation. These awards celebrate the diversity and impact of scientific research and talent in Spain.
A distinguished career
This recognition adds to a series of accolades received by Dr. López-Bigas in recent years, including the Lilly Foundation Award for Preclinical Biomedical Research (2023) and her election as a full member of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences—the first expert in bioinformatics to join this institution.
The Rei Jaume I Prize for Medical Research has previously been awarded to other prominent scientists, such as Dr. Eduard Batlle, also a group leader at IRB Barcelona (2019), in recognition of both scientific excellence and contributions to society.
The award ceremony will take place in November at the historic Llotja de la Seda in Valencia and will be presided over by His Majesty the King.
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
