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Yolanda Prezado receives the 2026 María Josefa Wonenburger Award

  • CiMUS researcher at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Yolanda Prezado, has been awarded the 2026 María Josefa Wonenburger Award in recognition of her outstanding scientific career and her contributions to proton therapy. She received the distinction from the Regional Minister for Social Policy and Equality of the Government of Galicia, Fabiola García.

  • With this recognition, three CiMUS researchers have now received this prestigious award: Mabel Loza, María José Alonso, and Yolanda Prezado.

A leading figure in Europe in radiotherapy innovation, Prezado has made significant contributions to advancing cancer treatment through cutting-edge radiation technologies.

Yolanda Prezado (Verín, Spain, 1977) holds a degree in Physics from the University of Santiago de Compostela and is a researcher at the Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS). Before joining CiMUS, she led the Translational Radiobiology Group at the Institut Curie in Paris. Between 2019 and 2020, she chaired both the Scientific Committee of the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) and the European Congress of Medical Physics. Since returning to Galicia, she has been building a leading hub for advanced radiotherapy research at CiMUS, with a strong long-term clinical and technological outlook.

The Women and Science Unit of the Government of Galicia highlighted Prezado's pioneering research in radiotherapy, particularly her work in proton therapy, a field in which she is regarded as one of Europe's leading experts. More broadly, her research focuses on developing innovative radiobiological approaches to cancer treatment, aiming to deliver more effective and less invasive therapies. Her groundbreaking work was recognised internationally in 2021, when she received an award from the French Academy of Sciences.

In 2024, after more than a decade in France, Dr. Prezado returned to Galicia to join CiMUS-USC as a Distinguished Researcher under GAIN's Oportunius Programme. Her appointment represents the successful implementation of the Galician Government's flagship initiative to attract internationally recognised research talent. Her return is intended to strengthen research in proton therapy, a technology in which Galicia is set to become a national leader with the opening, in 2026, of the first proton therapy centre within Spain's public healthcare network.

The plenary of the Women and Science Unit noted that this year's selection process was among the most challenging since the award's creation, given the exceptional quality, diversity, and talent of the nominations received. The María Josefa Wonenburger Planells Award has been presented annually since 2007 and is named in honour of the renowned Galician mathematician María Josefa Wonenburger, recognising women whose outstanding careers have made a significant impact on science and technology.