Skip to main content
< Back to news
ICREA professor Eduard Batlle (Photo: IRB Barcelona).
 10.03.2016

Eduard Batlle awarded the Lilly Foundation’s 2016 Biomedical Research Award

IRB Barcelona group leaderand ICREA Professor Eduard Batlle has been recognized with the Lilly Foundation's 2016 Biomedical Preclinical Research Award for his contributions to the understanding of colon cancer. His work has led to the understanding of the origin of colon cancer and may have important applications in regenerative medicine and in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer.

 

 

Eduard Batlle, ccoordinator of the Oncology Programme and group leader of the Colorectal Cancer Laboratory, has been honoured for his scientific contributions to understanding the relationship between colon cancer and intestinal stem cells, and the metastatic stages of the disease. 

His group, international leaders in this field, described part of the process behind the formation of metastases in this type of cancer, and in particular the role of the tumour environment, called tumour stroma, during the tumour’s colonization of other organs.

“Dr. Batlle’s contributions are outstanding, in quality, visibility and impact,” stressed Dr. Jose Antonio Sacristan, director of the Lilly Foundation, while highlighting “his efforts to use the results in pre-clinical research to improve the clinical management of the illness”.

Professor Luis Alberto Moreno Aznar, professor at the University of Zaragoza, has received the award  in the category of clinical research for his contribution to the knowledge of the causes of childhood obesity and the design of strategies for prevention and control.

The Lilly Foundation’s Biomedical Research Awards are among the most significant in their field, due to the prestige of the recipients of the awards over the 15 editions. A total of 30 Spanish scientists have been recognized for their contributions to the advancement of basic and applied knowledge.