The Joint Committee of the UdL-ASISA Chair in Health, Education, and Quality of Life, convened between 14 and 21 October 2026, and in accordance with the regulatory criteria established in the official calls, has resolved the awarding of the 10th Call for Excellence Awards and Research Grants across its three categories: Doctoral Dissertation, Master’s Theses, and External Research Projects.

 

Award Ceremony: Today, 29 October 2026

The official award ceremony will take place today, Thursday 29 October 2026, at 18:00 CET, in the Aula Magna «Joan Viñas» at the Health Sciences Campus of the University of Lleida, within the framework of the Jornada de Entrega de Premios Cátedra UdL-ASISA 2026.

The event will feature an international keynote lecture entitled «Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence Use in Clinical Practice», delivered by Dr. Elisabeth Peter (Professor of Nursing at the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and member of the Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, Canada), followed by the official presentation of awards, refreshments, and a networking session.

AWARD RECIPIENTS AND HONORED PROJECTS

1. 10th ASISA Foundation Chair Award for Best Doctoral Dissertation (Grant: €3,000)

Dedicated to doctoral dissertations defended during the 2024-2025 academic year within the Health Doctorate Program of the University of Lleida

 

• Awardee: Dr. Carlos Tersa Miralles
• Dissertation Title: «Effectiveness of workplace exercise interventions for spinal pain management among sedentary office workers»
• Supervision and Tutoring: Dr. Esther Rubinat Arnaldo and Dr. Francesc Rubí Carnacea (Supervisors); Dr. Joan Blanco Blanco (Tutor).
• Key Merits: Excellent Cum Laude distinction, International Doctorate Mention, and Best Clinical Impact Thesis Project Award at the 28th International Nursing Research Conference (Investén-ISCIII, 2024).

Official Resolution

 

2. 10th Call for Academic Excellence Grants for Master’s Students (Grant: €1,000 each)

Awards recognizing outstanding Master’s Theses (TFM) completed during the 2025-2026 academic year at the University of Lleida.

• University Master's Degree in Health Research, Innovation, and Transfer:
  • Awardee: Marta Blanco Barberà
  • Master's Thesis: «Experiencias y percepciones de personas mayores y cuidadores sobre el robot asistencial Temi en el entorno domiciliario»
  • Supervisor: Dr. Esther Rubinat Arnaldo
    
    
• University Master's Degree in Teacher Training for Compulsory Secondary Education, Upper Secondary, Vocational Training, and Language Teaching:
  • Awardee: Júlia Jou Conde
  • Master's Thesis: «Efecte d’una intervenció educativa d’expressió corporal basada en l’aprenentatge cooperatiu envers les necessitats psicològiques bàsiques i les relacions interpersonals en l’alumnat de 3r d’ESO»
  • Supervisor: Dr. Carlos Mallén Lacambara

Official Resolution

 

 3. 2026 Call for Grants to External Research Projects (Grant: €2,500 per project | Total: €7,500)

 Financial support aimed at competitive research initiatives in health, physical activity, nutrition, and social determinants.

• Project 1: «Actividad física y condición física relacionada con la salud en escolares de 6 a 12 años de la provincia de Lleida»
  • Principal Investigators (PI): Vicenç Hernández González and Joaquim Reverter Masia.
  • Collaborating Research Team: Álvaro de Pano Rodríguez, M. Carme Jové Deltell, Enric Conesa Milian, and Saül Aixà Requena.
    
    
• Project 2: «NITROAGE: Nutrición para un envejecimiento activo y saludable: efectos de los nitratos dietéticos sobre la función física, cardiovascular y cognitiva en adultos mayores»
  • Principal Investigators (PI): Álvaro López Samanes and Michelle Matos Duarte.
  • Collaborating Research Team: Jorge Sánchez-Infante Gómez-Escalonilla, Macarena Sánchez-Izquierdo Alonso, Marta González Ramos, Miguel Sánchez Polán, Alberto Pérez López, and Sofía Gaos de Teresa.
    
    
• Project 3: «Proyecto AMAL. Determinantes sociales de la salud y acceso al sistema sanitario de mujeres magrebíes migrantes: una aproximación interseccional»
  • Principal Investigator (PI): Elisabet Torrubia Pérez.
  • Collaborating Research Team: Silvia Reverté Villarroya, Elsa Gil Mateu, Mireia Adell Lleixà, Gerard Mora López, Joan Manuel Leyva Moral, and Pamela Vaccari Jiménez.

Official Resolultion

 

On behalf of the UdL-ASISA Chair and the ASISA Foundation, we extend our warmest congratulations to all the award recipients and research teams for their scientific rigor, academic dedication, and valuable contributions to advancing health, education, and quality of life.

 

Dra. Montserrat Gea Sánchez
Director of the UdL-ASISA Chair in Health, Education, and Quality of Life