The Governing Board of the Western Andalusia Territorial Section of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry has ratified the proposal of the Jury to award one of the Prizes for the best Doctoral Theses defended during the 2016-2017 Academic Year in the field of Chemistry to Dr. Alejandra Guerra Castellano, researcher at the Institute of Chemical Research. See Resolution http://www.stao-rseq.es/assets/resolucion_2016_2017.pdf
The candidates had to meet the requirements established in the Regulations of the Awards and have defended their thesis between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017.
The thesis deals with the structural and functional characterization of the phosphorylated forms of the cytochrome c protein – a key modulator of mitochondrial metabolism –, laying the molecular foundations for the functional changes observed in terms of oxidative stress and cell death.
The findings described in this PhD thesis provide a new framework for investigating the modulation of mitochondrial activity by cytochrome c phosphorylation, and thus being able to develop new, more selective therapeutic approaches.
The award not only recognises the quality of the thesis presented, but also the candidate’s scientific career, as well as the merits derived from his or her PhD thesis.
Acceptance of the award entails participation in the Award Ceremony that will take place at the University of Seville and will include a brief oral presentation by the winners on the results of their research. The date and programme of the event will be announced shortly.