Spanish Astronaut Sara García To Headline Sixth Edition Of Gandia Pensa

The sixth version of Gandia Pensa will characteristic Spanish astronaut and biomedical interrogator Sara García Alonso, 1 of nan country’s astir salient technological voices and nan first Spanish female selected for nan European Space Agency’s Astronaut Reserve.

The event, titled “Rethinking space. Yes to science”, will return spot connected Thursday February 26 astatine 7.30pm astatine nan Teatro Serrano successful Gandia. Entry is free until capacity is reached, and nan convention will beryllium presented by journalist Sergi Pitarch, head of elDiario.es successful nan Valencian Community.

Talk, book signing and nationalist debate

Following nan talk, García will motion copies of her first book, Órbitas, a reflective activity successful which she blends her technological profession pinch her acquisition arsenic an astronaut campaigner and her committedness to subject communication.

The book offers a individual penetration into nan challenges of research, perseverance and ambition, while besides encouraging readers to bespeak connected nan domiciled of subject successful modern nine and nan value of curiosity and captious thinking.

From crab investigation to space

Sara García holds a PhD successful molecular biology and useful arsenic a interrogator astatine Spain’s National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO). Her technological activity focuses connected nan molecular mechanisms of crab and nan improvement of innovative therapies aimed astatine improving diligent outcomes.

Alongside her laboratory career, she has go a recognised nationalist advocator for science, regularly highlighting nan request for sustained finance successful investigation and nan worth of bringing technological knowledge person to nan public.

A historical milestone for Spanish science

In 2022, García made history aft being selected for nan European Space Agency’s Astronaut Reserve, pursuing 1 of nan astir competitory recruitment processes successful Europe, pinch much than 22,000 candidates.

Although reserve astronauts do not yet person an assigned mission, they person precocious training and whitethorn beryllium called upon to participate successful early abstraction flights aliases technological programmes, placing García astatine nan forefront of Europe’s abstraction ambitions.

A domiciled exemplary for early generations

Her action has turned her into a powerful domiciled model, peculiarly for young group and women willing successful science, exertion and investigation careers. García often speaks astir breaking stereotypes and promoting equality wrong traditionally male-dominated technological fields.

During Gandia Pensa, she will bespeak connected her travel “from nan laboratory to space”, addressing world challenges, nan societal worth of subject and nan work of researchers to prosecute pinch society.

Gandia Pensa and civic dialogue

The Gandia Pensa rhythm is organised by Gandia Town Hall, successful collaboration pinch nan Joan Noguera Chair of nan University of Valencia and nan CEIC Alfons el Vell, pinch nan support of Spain’s Ministry of Culture.

According to councillor for Culture Balbina Sendra, Sara García’s information marks nan opening of a twelvemonth successful which nan inaugural will proceed to found itself “as a abstraction to reside issues that interest and impact america arsenic a society”.

A programme pinch renowned erstwhile speakers

Previous editions of Gandia Pensa person featured starring figures from culture, publicity and nationalist life, including writer Theodor Kallifatides, magistrate Joaquim Bosch, philosophers Marina Garcés and Antonio Monegal, journalists Paco Cerdà and José Luis Sastre, and erstwhile Madrid politician Manuela Carmena.

With nan inclusion of Sara García, nan sixth version reinforces nan programme’s committedness to captious thinking, nationalist statement and nan promotion of knowledge arsenic a driver of societal progress.