Laia Marín Gual, awarded by the Spanish Society of Evolutionary Biology with the Pere Alberch Award for the best doctoral thesis in evolutionary biology
The Spanish Society of Evolutionary Biology (SESBE) has awarded the Pere Alberch Prize for the best doctoral thesis in evolutionary biology to Laia Marín Gual, researcher at the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB-UAB) and the Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology of the UAB.
The doctoral thesis was executed within the framework of the doctoral program in Cell Biology at the UAB, under the direction of Aurora Ruiz-Herrera, professor of the Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, researcher at the IBB-UAB and ICREA Acadèmia.
The award, named in honor of Pere Alberch (1954–1998), one of the most influential Spanish evolutionary biologists of the 20th century, recognizes scientific excellence and contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field of biological evolution.
The winning thesis studies how the genome is organized during male meiosis in different vertebrate species and how these processes influence the evolution of sex chromosomes. Through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates 3D genomics, molecular biology, cytology and evolutionary biology, the work provides new knowledge about the mechanisms that regulate the formation of gametes and the transmission of genetic information between generations. The results obtained demonstrate the central role of meiosis as an evolutionary engine in the configuration of genomes and in the evolution of sex chromosomes, which contributes to a better understanding of the fundamental processes that shape biodiversity.
The award ceremony took place during the 10th SESBE Congress, held in Valencia from 21 to 23 January. In this same edition, Lucía Álvarez González, a doctoral student from the same research group, was selected as a finalist, which underlines the leadership and scientific quality of the research developed at the UAB in the field of evolutionary biology.
This recognition highlights the relevance of research in evolutionary biology and the fundamental role that young researchers play in the generation of new scientific knowledge.
More information about the award and the congress.
News adapted from the publication made on the UAB website on January 27, 2026.