Dr José Luis Balcazar, Senior researcher at the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Spain, has been named as the newest winner of the John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize.

Jose Luis Balcazar_WEB

The prize is part of the Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2025, which celebrate the brightest minds in the field and promote the research, group, projects, products and individuals who continue to help shape the future of applied microbiology.

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The John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize recognises and supports excellence in applied microbiology, specifically targeting those whose work significantly improves public health and environmental sustainability.  

Antimicrobial resistance

Dr. Balcázar is a multifaceted microbiologist whose work focuses on the mechanisms that drive the spread of antimicrobial resistance at the One Health interface. 

His research has revealed the crucial role of bacteriophages in horizontal gene transfer and resistance dissemination, and has shown that phages in polluted environments may carry auxiliary metabolic genes that support the degradation of pollutants. These findings open new avenues for bioremediation strategies while also generating actionable knowledge to improve water safety and strengthen public health surveillance.

Dr. Balcázar obtained his Ph.D. in Animal Pathology from the University of Zaragoza in 2006 and completed his postdoctoral training at the Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC) in 2009. He subsequently carried out research stays at the Rollins School of Public Health - Emory University (USA), and the École Centrale de Lyon (France). In 2011, he was awarded a Ramon y Cajal fellowship to advance his research on antimicrobial resistance at the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), where he was promoted to senior researcher in 2016.

Role of phages

With the support of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) and the European Research Executive Agency (REA), his research has focused on the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of antimicrobial resistance, as well as the role of bacteriophages in bacterial ecology and evolution.

His scientific contributions have resulted in more than 170 publications and nearly 20,000 citations, demonstrating a broad influence on both science and policy. He has also received recognition for his work, including the International Award on Animal Health and the Jaime Ferran Prize from the Spanish Society for Microbiology.

Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 6, his recent recognition with the John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize emphasizes the public health impact of his work in tackling global health challenges and advancing access to safe water.

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