Researcher at GIMM has played a central role in the development of science in Portugal, helping to bring research, scientific culture and society closer together.

Scientist Maria do Carmo Fonseca has been awarded the Medal of Honour by the Portuguese Society of Authors (SPA), one of the institution’s most prestigious distinctions.

The decision was announced by the SPA’s Executive Board and Board of Directors, chaired by José Jorge Letria, as part of the celebrations marking Portuguese Author’s Day. The award ceremony will take place on 22 May at the Carlos Paredes Gallery Hall in Lisbon.

Internationally recognised for her pioneering work in the field of molecular biology, Maria do Carmo Fonseca has played a central role in the development of science in Portugal, contributing to closer ties between research, scientific culture and society.

The SPA distinction recognises not only her scientific career, but also the cultural and civic impact of knowledge and science in contemporary society.

“I receive this distinction with great honour and gratitude. I also see it as a recognition of the role of science and knowledge in building a freer, more critical and better-prepared society for the future,” says Maria do Carmo Fonseca.

A Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and a researcher at GIMM, Maria do Carmo Fonseca is one of the most influential figures in Portuguese biomedical research.

She was awarded the Pessoa Prize in 2010 and served as President of the Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM), an internationally renowned institution that she helped to found and consolidate.

Throughout her career, she has distinguished herself through her research into RNA splicing and the genetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression – discoveries with profound implications for the understanding and treatment of human diseases.

More recently, she was appointed a member of the Council of State by the President of the Republic, José António Seguro.