On Tuesday 4 April, the Antoni Caparrós auditorium of the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB, Barcelona Science Park) hosted a conference in memory of the late Josep Egozcue, member of the Observatory of Bioethics and Law (OBD) and full professor with the Dept. of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, who died of cancer on 7 February. The conference will address his contribution to the activities undertaken by the OBD and, in particular, to the coordination of several studies made by the observatory's opinion group.

The conference will comprise presentations by members of the OBD, including the director of the OBD, María Casado; the secretary, Albert Royes; the professor of Constitutional Law at the UB, Ana Sánchez-Urrutia; and the researcher, Itziar Lecuona. In addition, this tribute will be brought to a close by the rector of the UB, Màrius Rubiralta; the rector of the UAB, Lluís Ferrer; head of the Reproductive Medicine Service at the Institut Universitari Dexeus, Pere N. Barri; and professor of Reproduction Biology at the UAB, Josep Santaló. Furthermore, during the conference, a retrospective of the studies in which Josep Egozcue participated will be given. The director of the Barcelona Centre of Regenerative Medicine, Anna Veiga, will present the work on embryonic stem cells, oocyte donations and the cryostorage of these for human reproduction, while the full professor of Reproductive Biology at the UAB, Francesca Vidal, will present the studies on research on embryos and gender selection. Finally, the full professor of Genetics at the UB, Roser Gonzàlez-Duarte, will focus on the publication of the OBD on women and science, and will make reference to the presentation made by Josep Egozcue to the Consell General del Poder Judicial on this topic.

Josep Egozcue i Cuixart, born in Puigcerdà 65 years ago, was a doctor in Medicine and Surgery and emeritus professor at the UAB; a university in which he also held the posts of general secretary and vice-rector of External Relations and Campus. Author of more than 475 research articles, he was internationally recognised in the field of cell biology. His research focused on the field of cytogenetics and in the chromosomic development of primates, as well as the application of this knowledge to human genetics and fertility. In Spain, he conducted pioneering research into assisted reproduction techniques that made in vitro fertilization possible.

Regarding the field of bioethics, Josep Egozcue was a professor in the Masters course on Bioethics and Law at the UB, author of more than 42 articles and chapters in books, and advisor to the Council of Europe, the European Commission, and Spanish courts in issues regarding the ethics of assisted human reproduction. President and honorary member of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology and honorary member of the Associación Primatològica Española, in 1996 doctor Egozcue received the 1996 Award from the Catalan Foundation for Research and in 1989 he was granted the Narcís Monturiol Medal for scientific and technological.