José Luis Mascareñas, Scientific Director of CiQUS, part of the CIGUS Network, new Full Member of the Galician Royal Academy of Pharmacy

The Galician Royal Academy of Pharmacy (RAFG) recently welcomed a new full member:  José Luis Mascareñas Cid, Director of the Singular Centre for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials  (CiQUS), part of the CIGUS Network, an initiative launched by the regional government (Xunta de Galicia) that groups  together centres of proven scientific excellence.   

During his acceptance speech, Dr Mascareñas stressed the need to promote risk research, aimed at generating disruptive knowledge, which is capable of delivering solutions for problems that we are still unaware of.  He also highlighted the power of chemistry as an artistic and creative science, as well as the importance of combining science and culture for social progress.

The new full member of the Galician Royal Academy of Pharmacy was eager to illustrate that the quintessence of research does not lie in whether it is basic or applied, but rather in its quality and capacity for generating knowledge.  “It is vital to protect all research inspired by curiosity and that does not seek immediate utility,” he stated. Dr Mascareñas also drew attention to  “the integrating role that should be played by any scientific academy with a broad perspective that attempts to build bridges between science, culture and society. The dichotomy of whether knowledge comes from science or letters is absurd”.