Scientists from the CNIO, the biggest most cancers middle in Spain, demand that the Government dismiss María Blasco | Science | EUROtoday

Scientists from the National Cancer Research Center have requested the Government by letter to alleviate María Blasco as head of the middle and open a global name to elect a brand new particular person in cost. The letter, to which this newspaper has had entry, is addressed to the Secretary of State for Research, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, and the Secretary General of Research, Eva Ortega-Paíno. This scientist was a researcher on the CNIO till she was appointed in 2023, and is properly conscious of the issues that the middle goes via as a result of growing old of its infrastructure and the criticism of Blasco’s administration on the head of the group, as EL PAÍS revealed.

“For more than two years, several CNIO group leaders have expressed concerns about the center’s declining scientific competitiveness at an international level, as evidenced by measurable declines in rankings (SCIMago, Natureamong others)”, the letter warns. “While we understand the financial constraints resulting from the budget freeze, these restrictions do not fully explain the current situation. We perceive a lack of institutional vision that has led to the deterioration of critical infrastructures, the inability to obtain competitive financing in national and international calls and a disconnection and misalignment between the scientific management team [que ostenta Blasco] and the CNIO staff”, they spotlight.

“Recent media reports affecting the reputation of the center add further concern, underscoring the urgency of addressing the current crisis. Given the circumstances presented, we believe it is essential to initiate a competitive process to renew the scientific management team, and we respectfully request that the CNIO board take measures in this regard,” the petition concludes.

Of the 46 heads of the CNIO, 24 have solid a vote on this matter. Twenty-three of them have voted sure to request Blasco’s dismissal, in keeping with sources from the middle.

The director of the CNIO declined to reply this newspaper’s questions concerning the letter, or whether or not her intention to not resign, expressed on Friday, nonetheless stands.

This is without doubt one of the largest actions by the workers of the biggest most cancers analysis middle in Spain towards its director since she took workplace in 2011. The petition comes at some point earlier than the middle’s board of administrators meets, wherein Director Blasco should be accountable for her administration over the past 12 months. In addition to the Secretary of State and the General Director of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Board of Trustees additionally contains the Presidency of the Government, the Ministry of Health, the Higher Council of Scientific Research, representatives of autonomous communities, the Association Española Contra el Cancer, the Cris Foundation, the BBVA Foundation and the La Caixa Foundation.

The CNIO has a deficit of 4.5 million euros. In addition, it drags infrastructures so out of date that they’re irreparable. This reference middle has nearly 700 employees and manages a finances of about 40 million euros. Of its 4 confocal microscopes, a necessary instrument for doing most cancers analysis, just one works. The downside has existed a minimum of since 2022, when 12 CNIO group leaders reported the scenario each to María Blasco and to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, led by Diana Morant, with out the scenario having been resolved.

One of the calls for of the CNIO bosses is that Blasco be relieved of the administration. As occurs in different main analysis facilities, there isn’t any clear regulation to alleviate the director, which permits them to stay in workplace without end as in the event that they had been monarchs.

“The CNIO has been headless for 10 years,” Marcos Malumbres, who has been head of the Cellular and Cancer Division group on the CNIO, summarized the scenario on Thursday. “It is the only center of its class that should be doing much better than it is and it is due to the lack of direction, which is taking a huge toll on us. The director’s lack of connection with reality is absolute,” he provides. Malumbres is without doubt one of the scientists who’ve determined to go away the CNIO. At the start of 2025 he can be affiliated with the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, in Barcelona, ​​as an ICREA researcher. Before Malumbres, the middle misplaced references equivalent to Manuel Serrano or Alfonso Valencia. The CNIO has been looking for a brand new program director for 2 years, with out success.

One day after EL PAÍS printed the state of the CNIO’s vital infrastructure, the middle’s director held a press convention wherein she justified her administration and held the Government chargeable for the middle’s shortcomings. The 59-year-old biochemist from Alicante dominated out resigning, and identified that her place is at all times on the disposal of the board. “Regarding my resignation, my contract is renewed every five years by the CNIO board, after the evaluation of my management as director. I have to say that the two evaluations I have had have been very good. It is the board that has to decide if I have to continue or not.”

The CNIO workers, of just about 700 individuals, has been particularly upset in latest days by the revelations that the CNIO Arte program, an initiative created by Blasco to create and purchase artistic endeavors and take journeys to the Arctic or Mozambique, has had a complete price of 877,787.99 euros, in keeping with a Transparency report superior by Abcand confirmed by this newspaper. This quantity contains 291,979.35 euros for the acquisition of artistic endeavors, and 585,106 euros for personnel who partially work on this undertaking. The program included journeys to the Arctic or Mozambique for Blasco and different companions, which price 6,503 and 5,542 euros, respectively. Regarding the revenue of this program, the report particulars that it obtained 85,000 euros from the Banco de Santander Foundation, 600,000 euros in donations, and 13,216 euros from the sale of photogravures in 2019. The unique concept of ​​this program was for the CNIO to promote artistic endeavors commissioned from artists for a price higher than the associated fee. One of the massive issues is that hardly any works have been offered, CNIO sources acknowledge.

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