Scientists María Belén Natalini and Pablo Alonso receive prestigious research awards

Dr. María Belén Natalini, a researcher from the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE) and CONICET, has been awarded the ‘2026 O’HEA Explorer’ prize by the Scientific Exploration Society. As the only Latin American recipient in this edition, Natalini will use the funding to support her project, ‘Canids as Health Sentinels,’ which investigates the circulation of zoonotic diseases in the Humid Chaco region. Her research focuses on how bacteria, viruses, and parasites move between wildlife, livestock, and human communities, particularly in areas affected by fires.

In a separate scientific achievement, researcher Pablo Alonso has been awarded the María Moliner 2026 National Research Award for Young People in Spain. Working at the Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA) in the Canary Islands, Alonso specializes in Environmental Humanities. His research explores the complex relationships between humanity and nature, focusing on social transformations through the lenses of history, archaeology, and cultural anthropology.