Spanish voices in the US: past & future of scientific cooperation

2801 16th St NW,Washington DC 20009

03 March, 2022

Description

Screening of the documentary Friends of Mankind: The Philanthropic Expedition and the Treatise on Vaccine followed by a round table. In the context of the current global socio-economic challenges, sustainable and innovative solutions require well-organized, transparent, and vibrant scientific efforts from the whole society. COVID-19 has crossed geographical borders reminding us that we all share the same planet and it has highlighted the importance of scientific collaboration in order to protect common goods and advance in further global sustainable development. Over the last decades, contagious diseases have taken on a special role becoming a threat to the global population, and demanding great scientific efforts to overcome them. From a History of Science perspective, pandemics are intrinsically related to humanity since human beings began to organize themselves in society and creating groups of people, living together in the same space. The great pandemics documented in Human History have been the so-called bubonic plague in 1348; the smallpox pandemic in the eighteenth century; in the nineteenth century successive outbreaks of cholera from 1830s onwards, and then in the twentieth century the epidemic of the mis-named Spanish flu in 1918 and 1919. The Spanish Royal Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition against the Smallpox was one of the greatest international healthcare expeditions in the history of science that lasted from 1803 to 1806 and was led by Francisco Javier de Balmis. The Smallpox disease devastated the populations of the Americas after having been brought from Europe by the Spanish conquerors in the 1500s. After the English physician Edward Jenner had pioneered the vaccination in 1798, the Spanish expedition supported by the King Charles IV of Spain took the newly invented vaccine to the Spanish Americas and Asia as one of greatest examples of science philanthropy. This chapter of the history of international scientific cooperation has been displayed in the Spanish documentary "Friends of Mankind: The Philanthropic Expedition and the Treatise on Vaccine" from the series "Treasures and Ghosts of Spanish science" by Juan Pimentel and Paco Pimentel. The Spanish series bring together science and art through a reflective narrative and leisurely aesthetic similar to the values of science and knowledge, being its main goal to highlight the role of science within the Spanish cultural heritage, thereby seeking to claim a greater visibility of science in society. Agenda6:30-6:45pm. Opening and brief presentation by Miguel Albero: Spanish Cultural Counselor 6:45-7:15pm. Screening of "Friends of Mankind: The Philanthropic Expedition and the Treatise on Vaccine" episode from the series "Treasures and Ghosts of Spanish Science" 7:15-8:15pm. Scientific Conversations: The role of Spanish science in the United States and the future of the international scientific cooperation *A light refreshment and wine will be served after the conversation. Moderator: María Leavitt, Ph.D. Primary Patent Examiner in Biotechnology at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Friends of Mankind: The Philanthropic Expedition and the Treatise on VaccineOn Thursday, March 3 2021 at 6:30pm.Envisioned by Juan Pimentel y Paco Pimentel, Spain, 2021. Original title of the series: Tesoros y fantasmas de la ciencia española. Original title of the screened chapter: Amigos de los hombres: la expedición filantrópica y el tratado de la vacuna.Scientific panelIker Liceaga Indart, MS. Mechanical Engineer at NASA. Iker Liceaga Indart studied at the University of Navarra in San Sebastian (Spain), where he earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Technologies Engineering (2015) and a M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering (2017). For the period comprised between September 2016 and June 2017, he worked on his Master's Thesis at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he conceptualized and developed an interactive robotic environment for the Changing Places Research Group. He joined NASA in October 2017 as a member of the GSFC Heliospheric Physics Lab. Sara Ferrando Martínez, Ph.D. Lead Scientist in the Translational Research Division at NeolmmuneTech. Sara has a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Valencia and a PhD in Cellular Immunology from the University of Seville. During the course of her graduate training, she held two visiting researcher positions in the United States, at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, NY and the NIH's Vaccine Research Center in Bethesda, MD. After graduate school held a postdoctoral research position at the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville with another short stay at the Vaccine Research Center, which was later extended into a second postdoctoral period. Sara’s broad training in immunology and chronic viral infections led her to a scientist position in the Research and Development Department at MedImmune (AstraZeneca), where she worked on immunotherapy for both infectious diseases and cancer. Currently, she is the Lead Scientist in the Translational Research Division at NeoImmuneTech in Rockville, MD. Juan Enriquez Traba, Ph.D Candidate at Instituto Cajal de Madrid and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Juan graduated in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid in 2017, where he works investigating the cellular origins of Parkinson's disease and possible therapies. After completing his undergraduate stage, Juan obtained a Masters in Biotechnology from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where he trained in computational neuroscience. For his project, Juan developed a computational model to simulate the neurobiological processes of learning. The object of its research is to elucidate the role of dopamine receptors in the regulation of motivation. Eventually Juan's work could help understand the underlying causes of neuropsychiatric disorders, the most common cause of disability in the US population. ---- Important Information (please read carefully) A reservation on Eventbrite is mandatory, printed tickets are not required.Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.Doors open 20 minutes before posted showtime.Ticket holders will have access to the event while space is available. A reservation does not guarantee admission.Ticket holders should arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the start to guarantee seats.No Late Seating, ticket holders may not be allowed to enter 15 minutes after posted showtime.Right of admission reserved.If you need special assistance, please contact us at [email protected] Visitor Guidelines and Safety Measures This activity takes place indoors. All guests must be fully vaccinated and wear a mask during the event. All safety COVID19 protocols will be followed. By registering, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists by attending this event on the premises of the Embassy of Spain. You and any family members and guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19. How to get there: The best way to arrive is by public transportation. The closest Metro station is Columbia Heights (Green and Yellow line). Limited metered and two-hour zoned parking is available in the surrounding neighborhoods. Public parking garage is available at DC USA Shopping Mall (Columbia Heights Metro Station). Subscribe to our Newsletter to never miss an event by SPAIN arts & culture in Washington DC.