Marco Paschoalotto wins João Monjardino Prize for health resilience research

Marco Paschoalotto, a professor at the University of Minho, has been awarded the 2025 João Monjardino Prize. The award, presented by the Francisco Pulido Valente Foundation and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), recognizes excellence in biomedical and health sciences.

Paschoalotto’s winning research, titled ‘Health systems resilience: is it time to revisit resilience after Covid-19?’, was published in the journal Social Science & Medicine. The study examines the resilience of health systems following the Covid-19 pandemic, suggesting a re-evaluation of the concept in light of the structural, institutional, and political challenges revealed by the global health crisis. The research was conducted in collaboration with Harvard University and the Getulio Vargas Foundation.

The João Monjardino Prize, renamed in 2021 to honor the Portuguese virology and oncology pioneer, awards 10,000 euros annually to a scientist under 35 working in Portugal who has published the best scientific article in the field over the past year. The 2025 edition focused on the theme of ‘Public Health and Health Policies’ much like Paschoalotto’s specialization in public health governance.