Gloria Sánchez, IATA researcher, awarded for her work in the CSIC’s Disaster and Emergency Advisory Group at DANA

The award was given on the occasion of DANA’s first anniversary, at an event organized by MICIU in Picanya (Valencia). In total, 56 individuals and 22 institutions, entities and companies have been distinguished, including the CSIC and research staff.

After the event, on October 30, 2024, the CSIC activated its Disaster and Emergency Advisory Group (GADE), which mobilized more than 200 specialists from 29 research centers to work in 15 thematic groups  (floods, health risks, pollution, infrastructure, waste management, etc.). At GADE, Gloria Sánchez has been coordinator of the Laboratories Group.

These teams provided scientific advice (analysis, recommendations and participation in CECOPI) and actions on the ground such as drone imaging, marine impact studies with oceanographic vessels, assessment of damage to buildings or identification of areas for sludge collection. Many of these tasks were financed by the CSIC’s own funds and some are continuing as ongoing research projects. Among the ongoing investigations is the study of the impact of the discharges following the DANA on the Rambla del Poyo, the Rambla de Picassent and their effect on the Albufera of Valencia to evaluate indicators of pollutants due to floods.

This award recognizes the IATA researcher for her work on a project on the impact of post-flood discharges in the Rambla of the Poyo and their impact on the Albufera of Valencia

In this task participates Gloria Sánchez, of the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), located in the scientific-academic area of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), together with other institutes of the CSIC, as the Centre for Soil and Applied Biology of the Segura (CEBAS), the Andalusian Institute of Marine Sciences (ICMAS) and the Institute for Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies (IDAEA).

The honorees received a tile created from DANA sludge, an innovation developed by CSIC scientific staff with which urban furniture, paving stones, benches and planters are already being manufactured to rebuild streets and buildings in the affected areas. 

The event was attended by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, the president of CSIC, Eloísa del Pino, the head of Climatology of the Aemet in the Valencian Community, José Ángel Núñez, and Josep Almenar, mayor of Picanya, one of the localities most affected by dana.

About Gloria Sánchez

Gloria Sánchez is a researcher at the VISAFELab laboratory and deputy scientific director of IATA. She is also a member of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) since 2021, among other organizations.

Sánchez obtained her PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Barcelona in 2003 working on the genetic and antigenic characterization of hepatitis A virus. Subsequently, he moved to the Nestlé Research Centre in Switzerland for five years, leading projects on the study of food-borne viruses, both in the development of molecular methods and in the evaluation of the effectiveness of water conservation and treatment processes.

In the covid-19 pandemic, the VISAFELab group developed and validated procedures for concentration, detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in waste water, research that won the award in the Transfer of Knowledge category in the 1st edition of the CSIC Awards for Transfer and Entrepreneurship. With this system, it is possible to anticipate the detection of virus circulation in analyzed populations by several days compared to clinical data, offering an early warning for the identification of biological hazards and their proper monitoring.

Among the awards received, in November 2024 Gloria Sánchez was distinguished with the medal of the City of Llíria, in recognition of his research career and scientific contributions, from the hands of the local council.