A Paper by Felix Leroy’s Team Wins the XX Alberto Sols Award for Best Scientific Work

27 de November de 2024

  • The award's scientific committee has recognized researcher Félix Leroy for his outstanding contributions to neuroscience.

Photo: Team from the IN CSIC-UMH involved in the award-winning article: Yuki Nomura, Félix Leroy, Antonia Ruiz Pino, and Noelia Sofía de León.

On November 21, 2024, the scientific committee of the Alberto Sols Awards granted the XX Alberto Sols Award for Best Scientific Work to a team led by Félix Leroy, who leads the Cognition and Social Interactions Laboratory at the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University (UMH) in Elche. The award honors the article ‘Corticotropin-releasing hormone signaling from prefrontal cortex to lateral septum suppresses interaction with familiar mice’ published in Cell in 2023.

In this study, Leroy's team uncovered a neural circuit that reduces interactions with familiar individuals to promote engagement with new ones. The researchers identified a group of neurons located in the prefrontal cortex that produce corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and send their axons to the lateral septum. This brain region is crucial for regulating motivated behaviors, such as seeking food, safety, comfort, and socializing with peers.

The award's scientific committee praised Leroy for his exceptional work in neuroscience. "I am very proud to receive this award (a first for me), which recognizes the efforts of my entire team. We started this investigation four years ago when I opened my laboratory in Spain. I was lucky to assemble together a motivated group dedicated to tackling the challenge of understanding how social preferences arise. In a world where racism remains prevalent, it is important to understand how these preferences are formed," emphasized the researcher.

The Alberto Sols Awards, sponsored by the Sax Town Council in collaboration with the Generalitat Valenciana, the Provincial Council of Alicante, the University of Alicante, and UMH, aim to recognize and promote excellence in scientific research in both basic and clinical fields. Alberto Sols, born in Sax in 1917, was an internationally renowned biochemist and is considered one of the pioneers of modern biochemistry in Spain. His groundbreaking work on carbohydrate metabolism and enzymes has left a legacy that transcends generations.

These awards not only celebrate the talent and dedication of today’s researchers but also reaffirm Sax’s commitment to science and culture, honoring one of its most distinguished figures.

Source: Institute for Neurosciences CSIC-UMH (in.comunicacion@umh.es)