In 2026, CSIC centers on the Cantoblanco campus will celebrate Europe Day at the Eugenio Trías Public Library, located in the former Casa de Fieras in El Retiro Park. This is a two-hour activity aimed at high school students. It will take place on May 6, 7, and 8 (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday), with two sessions each day: from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.

As every year, the event includes a one-hour meeting with researchers working within the European framework, with the aim of showcasing the research we carry out in a European context and highlighting the opportunities that the European Union offers to participate in, promote, and fund research across various fields (biology, materials science, chemistry, physics, etc.).

Within this initiative, the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sols-Morreale (IIBM) will be represented on May 7 by María Monsalve, who will deliver the outreach talk “Caring for Our Intestinal Garden” to 63 students from the 1st year of Bachillerato and 4th year of ESO at Colegio SEI La Merced. María Monsalve is head of the research group “Mitochondrial Function in Health and Disease” at the IIBM. She and Ángela M. Valverde are participants in the European project (EU270756_1) HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES, funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, entitled “Linking Intestinal Bacteria and Host Metabolism to Tackle Type 2 Diabetes with Novel Food”. In this context, the talk will address the role of the intestinal microbiota and the importance of maintaining its balance to help prevent disease.

During the second hour of the activity, students will take part in a scavenger hunt focused on Nobel Prize-winning women scientists: our Escape Road. This activity is based on an exhibition about researchers who have been awarded the Nobel Prize in scientific disciplines, or their equivalents in mathematics (the Abel Prize and the Fields Medal). Students will be divided into teams that will compete by answering questions related to the exhibition. There will, of course, be prizes for the winning team. The activity will also highlight other outstanding women researchers whose contributions were not properly recognized.

Europe Day

May 9 marks Europe Day, commemorating the anniversary of the historic “Schuman Declaration.” On this date in 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), whose member states would pool the production of these materials. Established in 1951 by France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, the ECSC was the first in a series of supranational institutions that would eventually become what is now the European Union (EU).

Who we are

This activity is organized by CSIC centers located on the Cantoblanco campus of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM) (coordinator), Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sols-Morreale (IIBM), Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica (ICP), Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB), Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentación (CIAL), Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio (ICV), Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas (ICMAT), Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT), Instituto de Micro y Nanotecnología (IMN), and Centro de Biología Molecular (CBM).

This Catalogue is aimed at the Education System of the Community of Madrid, primarily for Primary, Secondary and Baccalaureate students. The speakers are drawn from the CSIC scientific community at all levels — from research professors to pre-doctoral students. The Catalogue is coordinated by the CSIC Delegation in the Community of Madrid, and the IIBM has long been involved in this endeavor.

For the academic years 2025–26 and 2026–27, the sixth edition of the CSIC Scientific Lectures Catalogue was published (October 2025). This new edition includes over three hundred lectures covering all areas of knowledge, primarily intended for the Education System of the Community of Madrid, though they may also be scheduled in museums, libraries, and other interested cultural entities.

The IIBM continues its active participation in this edition: researchers and technical staff from the Institute offer outreach lectures tailored to various educational levels, fostering a direct connection between the scientific community and schools.

In this edition, the following IIBM researchers are participating: Alberto Bartolomé Herranz, Lisardo Boscá Gomar, Sandra Franco Caspueñas, Ana Guadaño Ferraz, Manuel Izquierdo Pastor, Ángela Martínez Valverde, María Monsalve Pérez, Silvia Murillo Cuesta, Laura Notario Muñoz, Jesús Pacheco Torres, Belén Peral Fuentes, and Pilar Santisteban Sanz.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated every 11 February, since it was established by the United Nations in 2015 to recognise the contribution of women to scientific progress and to promote scientific vocations among young girls.

At the IIBM, this day is celebrated each year with strong involvement from our researchers, who dedicate their time and effort to outreach activities aimed at audiences of all ages.

In 2023, twenty-four members of the institute, belonging to thirteen research groups, organised nineteen activities, including children’s workshops, lectures, “wine and neuroscience” sessions, interviews, and social-media content, far surpassing the previous year’s participation. READ MORE

In 2024, under the slogan “We all do science”, the IIBM once again took part in this celebration with an extensive programme: talks for secondary-school and high-school students, workshops in primary schools, school visits to the institute, debates, and the now traditional Escape-Road activity. READ MORE

In 2025, the IIBM continued to strengthen its commitment to this initiative with an even broader and more structured programme. The activities included talks, workshops, visits, and meetings with women researchers in schools and high schools, as well as participation in a joint event with other CSIC centres on the Cantoblanco Campus. READ MORE

​​​​​​​In 2026, the IIBM once again joined the International Day of Women and Girls in Science with a wide-ranging and dynamic program that involved numerous women researchers in activities aimed at students and the general public. The initiative combined events both within and beyond the institute, including the traditional scientific tour of the IIBM focused on bioimaging techniques, the screening of the documentary “Prometeas” followed by a discussion session, and outreach events in public spaces such as “Cheers to Women in Neuroscience”. In addition, researchers brought science to schools through talks and workshops on health, cancer, environmental issues, neuroscience, and nutrition, while also contributing to participatory initiatives such as Sci Women Party and CONÓCELAS. This extensive program once again highlighted the IIBM’s commitment to showcasing female role models in science, breaking stereotypes, and fostering scientific vocations among girls and young students. READ MORE

The 4th ESO+Empresa programme, promoted by the Community of Madrid, brings Secondary School students closer to the professional world through one-week placements in companies and scientific institutions, including CSIC centres.

At the IIBM, several research groups participate annually, offering students a first-hand experience of biomedical research.

• 2022: Two research groups (María Monsalve and Ángela Martínez Valverde) hosted three students.
• 2023: Four research groups and services (Isabel Sánchez, María Monsalve, Ángela Martínez-Valverde and Teresa Navarro – Sebastián Cerdán Biomedical NMR Service) welcomed seven students.
• 2024: Several IIBM units and two Scientific-Technical Services hosted 13 students (all female), making 2024 the year with the highest number of participants at the Institute.

In 2025, the IIBM again took part by hosting eight students across four research groups (Guillermo de Cárcer, Ángela Martínez Valverde, José L. Orgaz and Isabel Sánchez). During their placement, students learned about the institute’s organisation, visited laboratories and scientific-technical services, and carried out basic molecular and cellular biology practices.

The IIBM remains committed to this programme, which continues to inspire scientific vocations and bring young students closer to the everyday work of biomedical research.

The Scientists in Practice program, promoted by the CSIC and the Spanish Association for the Advancement of Science (AEAC), offers 3rd-year secondary school students from vulnerable backgrounds the opportunity to discover scientific research through training stays in laboratories. Our Institute has collaborated with this program since its beginnings: in its pilot phase, Dr. María Monsalve participated by visiting the IES Miguel Delibes (Ciudad Lineal) and hosting two students in her laboratory.

In the 2022–23 school year, several groups from the IIBM joined the project; in addition to María Monsalve, Soledad Bárez, Juan Manuel Zapata and Ángela Martínez-Valverde took part, hosting students from different secondary schools in the Community of Madrid in their laboratories.

In the 2023–24 edition, the program continued its educational momentum: seven female students and one male student from 3rd-year ESO completed one-week stays in June, learning basic Biology techniques in the same four groups that had taken part the previous year: those of Juan Manuel Zapata, Soledad Bárez, María Monsalve and Ángela Martínez-Valverde. In this school year, the educational program received the first prize in the Science Outreach Project category in the second edition of the CSIC Outreach and Citizen Science Awards, a recognition that also highlighted the work of Jesús Rey in coordinating and structuring the initiative.

In the 2024–25 edition, the IIBM renewed its commitment and welcomed six 3rd-year ESO students in June for one-week practical stays. Once again, the teams of Ángela Martínez-Valverde, Juan Manuel Zapata and María Monsalve took part, having previously organized student visits to the IIBM (María Monsalve) and talks in the participating schools. As a new feature, during the students’ stay, the Spanish pharmaceutical company Farmalider visited the IIBM to learn firsthand about the projects in which the students were involved and to highlight the commitment of the research teams to training young people from vulnerable backgrounds.

European Researchers’ Night is a large-scale initiative that brings science closer to society through scientific and cultural activities designed to showcase researchers’ work and its impact on people’s lives. It is celebrated simultaneously in more than 350 cities across Europe.

The CSIC centres on the Cantoblanco Campus of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid jointly organise a wide range of activities for this annual event. The IIBM took part for the first time in 2024, when the event was held on 27 September at the Espacio Fundación Telefónica with three workshops and two science monologues. The workshop facilitators were Cristina Peña, Soledad Bárez and Belén Peral, and the monologue performers were David Albandea, Arturo González de la Aleja and María Monsalve.

In 2025, the event was again held at the Espacio Fundación Telefónica, on 26 September, consolidating IIBM’s participation in this European initiative. That year the institute presented five scientific activities, organised by research and technical staff, which attracted participants of all ages. Offerings included biology and biochemistry workshops, experimental demonstrations, science storytimes and interactive activities designed to provide hands-on scientific experiences.

In addition, the IIBM took part in morning activities for school groups, contributed to the public science fair and joined the Escape Road, a treasure-hunt style activity focused on the lives and contributions of notable women scientists. The commitment of volunteer staff was essential to the event’s success, supporting organisation, visitor guidance and activity facilitation.

IIBM’s participation in European Researchers’ Night reflects the institute’s commitment to science outreach and to bringing biomedical research closer to society. Year after year, the number of researchers, doctoral students and technical staff involved continues to grow, demonstrating the institute’s dedication to fostering scientific vocations and creating spaces for dialogue between science and citizens. READ MORE

The Biology Olympiad competition is held annually and involves students in the 2nd year high school students from each region. The winners then compete at the national level. The  "Olympian" winners get is to spend a week doing research in a Biology and Biomedicine laboratory.

In the 2022 call, the research groups of Dr Juan Manuel Zapata and Dr Ángela Martínez Valverde welcomed two "Olympic" students from the province of Barcelona. READ MORE

In 2023, the IIBM also participated in the XVIII Spanish Biology Olympics. The groups of Dr Juan Manuel Zapata and Dr José Orgaz hosted two students from the provinces of Badajoz and Madrid, respectively. READ MORE

​​​​​​​In 2024, the IIBM took part in the 19th Spanish Biology Olympiad. The groups led by Drs. Pilar López Larrubia and Luis del Peso hosted two students from Bilbao and Santander, respectively. READ MORE

​​​​​​​In 2025, the IIBM took part in the 20th Spanish Biology Olympiad. Two finalists at the regional level completed research stays from 23 to 27 June in the groups led by Drs. Juan Manuel Zapata and Manuel Izquierdo, where they learned both basic and advanced techniques in molecular biology, immunology and microscopy. This hands-on experience allowed them to engage directly with biomedical research and strengthened their motivation for future scientific careers. READ MORE

Every year in November, the doors of all research centres across the country open to commemorate Science and Technology Week. The CSIC encourages its institutes to organise informative activities for non-scientist in order to promote interest of our society in science.

A large number of IIBM researchers, both from the scientific and technical services and from the research groups, took part in Science and Technology Week 2022. Eight activities, including scientific workshops, conferences and scientific tours, brought the science of the IIBM closer to our citizens, both adults and young people. Although we organized more events focused on school students, our mission is to stimulate scientific vocations at all levels of our society.

In 2023, during the Science and Technology Week, the IIBM offered seven activities between 2 and 17 November, including three visits to the institute, one scientific workshop and three talks. The institute’s research staff and technical personnel actively contributed to organising scientific tours, workshops and talks aimed at vocational training students, secondary and high-school pupils, and the general public.

In 2024, the IIBM once again participated actively in the Science and Technology Week, joining the 24th edition of this major national outreach event. Our institute organized seven activities —including talks, workshops, and scientific tours— which involved researchers and technical staff from several scientific-technical services and research groups. During the two weeks of the event, we welcomed numerous educational centres from the Community of Madrid and from Castellón de la Plana, as well as adult visitors interested in the conferences on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

In 2025, the IIBM actively contributed to the Science and Technology Week through a programme designed to introduce students to the daily practice of biomedical research. The institute offered five activities—three scientific tours and two workshops—made possible by the involvement of researchers and technical staff from several research groups and scientific-technical services at the IIBM. Throughout the event, we welcomed 130 students from different educational centers in the Community of Madrid. The scientific tours, once again in high demand, allowed visiting groups to learn about bioimaging techniques, auditory exploration, and the daily work carried out in a biomedical research laboratory. The workshops were also very well received: a new edition of the activity dedicated to the model Dictyostelium discoideum was held, and a second workshop was introduced, focused on basic cell and molecular biology techniques.

Once again, the IIBM community demonstrated its commitment to science outreach and to inspiring scientific vocations among pre-university students.

Since 2008, World Rare Disease Day has been commemorated on 28 February to raise awareness in the society of the existence of rare diseases, and to make people suffering from these rare pathologies more visible, so that they can receive a diagnosis as soon as possible and thus lead a better life.

At the IIBM, all members of the Rare Diseases Department, which includes eleven groups working on rare diseases, met for the first time on 28 February 2023 in order to take a "family" photo and tell us about their research. READ MORE

​​​​​​​In February 2024, to mark Rare Disease Day, the I Rare Diseases Meeting was held at the IIBM thanks to the joint efforts of several members of the Department of Rare Diseases. Numerous researchers, patient associations and representatives of major institutions such as the CSIC and the Community of Madrid were invited. READ MORE

​​​​​​​​​​​​Given the success of the first meeting, in 2025 the IIBM once again marked Rare Disease Day with the celebration of the II Rare Diseases Meeting, in order to continue strengthening the institute’s commitment to research into these conditions. Throughout the meeting, different rare diseases studied by IIBM research groups were addressed, scientific advances and clinical experiences were shared, and clinicians, patients and family members were given a voice, highlighting the need to promote early diagnosis, collaborative research and social support. This initiative consolidated the IIBM as a meeting point between science, medicine and society in the field of rare diseases. READ MORE

In 2026, the IIBM held the III Rare Diseases Meeting, focused on “Therapeutic Approaches”, reinforcing its commitment to advancing from basic knowledge to clinical application. Throughout the event, innovative strategies under development were presented —including gene and cell therapies, precision medicine, and the use of biomaterials— alongside examples of approved treatments that are already transforming patients’ lives. The workshop also featured the active participation of patient associations, highlighting their key role in driving research and enabling the arrival of new therapies. This initiative further consolidates the IIBM as a forum for exchange between science, clinical practice, and society, aimed at addressing unmet medical needs. READ MORE