Maria A. Blasco is a molecular biologist devoted to the study of telomeres and telomerase and their role in cancer and aging. Her work has been published in high impact journals as, Cell, Nature, Science or Cell Stem Cell, among others.

Blasco has merited vast recognition, both national and international. She was the recipient the EMBO Gold Medal in 2004. She has also been distinguished with the European Association of Cancer Research “Young Investigator Award” (2002), the Joseph Steiner Award (2003), the Rey Jaime I Prize for Basic Research (2007), the Körber European Science Award (2008), the Spanish National Research Award in Biology Santiago Ramón y Cajal (2010) as well as the Premio Jaume I, among others.

Blasco was named Chair of SOMMa (‘Severo Ochoa’ Centres and ‘María de Maeztu’ Units of Excellence Alliance) and has received four Doctorate Honoris Causa in Spain: Universidad Carlos III of Madrid (2014), Universidad of Alicante (2017), Universidad of Murcia (2018) and Universidad Internacional de Valencia (2022). In October 2017 received the Generalitat Valenciana Scientific Award.

Blasco has been an editor and monitoring editor of different scientific journals, as Cancer Research and Journal of Cell Biology, as well as member of several national and international Scientific Committees. In 2020 also became a member of the Board of Trustees of Museo del Prado (Madrid, Spain)

Maria A. Blasco is Scientific Director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre and Head of the Telomeres and Telomerase Group (CNIO). Dr. Blasco will perform a talk with theme ” The Role of Telomeres in Aging”