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Researcher Tomàs Marquès Bonet, leader of the Comparative Genomics group at CNAG. Photo / RAC
 24.07.2025

Dr. Tomàs Marquès Bonet, from the CNAG, has been awarded the 2025 Ramón y Cajal Medal by the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain

Researcher Tomàs Marquès Bonet, from the National Center for Genomic Analysis (CNAG), located at the Barcelona Science Park, has been awarded the 2025 Ramón y Cajal Medal by the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain (RAC) for his scientific contributions to the understanding of human evolution and the origins of disease. He is also a principal investigator at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) and an ICREA professor at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF).

Tomàs Marquès Bonet leads the Comparative Genomics group at the CNAG, which specializes in genomics and evolutionary analysis, particularly in primates. For his nomination, the jury of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain highlighted that “Marquès Bonet’s dedication to primate research has contributed to our understanding of human evolutionary origins and the origins of our diseases.”

Academician Ángela Nieto noted that the researcher’s work “has transcended, making him one of the most renowned global experts in the field,” and highlighted his contributions, first as an independent scientist — notably a study that described the “genetic differences between humans and apes” — and continuing through to his most recent research.

In January of this year, his group described the influence of human activity and the environment on endangered lemur populations in Madagascar, thus extending his work to ecological and anthropogenic aspects. This study was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

“This recognition is not mine alone, but also belongs to all the people I’ve had the good fortune to work with. Science is always a collective effort,” said the awardee, who also expressed his gratitude to all his collaborators. “At a difficult time, when the role of science is being questioned in many parts of the world, I am especially grateful to the Academy for its commitment to knowledge and for this recognition, which I receive with joy—but also with a sense of responsibility,” Marquès Bonet concluded.

The Ramón y Cajal Medal is awarded every two years to recognize the scientific career of a researcher under the age of 50. Previous recipients include MIT physicist Pablo Jarillo (2023) and UCM mathematician David Pérez García (2021).

» Link to the news: web del CNAG [+]