2000 - SCIENCE AND PEACE GOLD MEDAL:
Prof. Dr. Federico Mayor Zaragoza
President, Foundation Cultura de Paz, Madrid, Spain
Prof.
Federico
Mayor
Zaragoza
was
born
in
Barcelona
and
studied
at
the
Universidad
Complutense
de
Madrid,
where
he
got
his
Ph.D.
in
Biochemistry.
He
was
appointed
Professor
at
the
University
of
Granada
before
he
turned
30,
where
he
became
Rector
a
few
years
later.
He
then
moved
back
to
Madrid
to
direct
the
Department
of
Biochemistry
at
the
Universidad
Autonoma,
where
he
was
also
co-founder
of
the
Centro
de
Biología
Molecular.
This
Institute
was
the
ferment
of
Molecular
Biology
in
Spain
and
was
the
cradle
of
several
generations
of
biologists.
He
was
considered
an
outstanding
teacher.
Federico
Mayor's
research
on
brain
metabolism
and
prenatal
biochemistry,
stimulated
by
his
stay
in
the
lab
of
Hans
Krebs
at
Oxford,
had
not
only
international
recognition
but
also
a
high
social
impact.
He
promoted
a
plan
for
the
prevention
of
mental
retardation
that
was
applied
nationwide,
having
saved
and
improved
the
lives
of
thousands
of
children.
The
second
aspect
of
his
biography
is
his
committed
involvement
in
politics.
He
held
positions
of
high
responsibility
in
the
first
governments
that
paved
the
way
for
reinstallation
of
democracy
in
Spain
in
the
late
70s.
He
was
Minister
of
Science
and
Education,
member
of
the
Parliament
and
Chair
of
the
Parliamentary
Commission
for
Education
and
Science.
He
was
also
member
of
the
European
Parliament.