Pablo Valenzuela is voted as the most admired Chilean scientist

23/05/2016

In a recent open-ended survey conducted by the Chilean newspaper La Segunda, Dr. Pablo Valenzuela, Scientific Director and Cofounder of Fundación Ciencia & Vida, was chosen by opinion leaders as the most admired Chilean scientist.

Chantal Signorio, political scientist and founder and Director of Fundación Puerto de Ideas, attributes this result to the outstanding work of Valenzuela and Fundación Ciencia & Vida in the dissemination of science and technology through video games, books, TV series and talks. “Scientists who strive to make their work accessible are ultimately those who people recognize and admire”, she stated.

After learning of the outcome of this survey, Dr. Valenzuela stated to La Segunda: “I have had the opportunity, for many years, to bring science closer to the people. In Chile there is a hunger for science, people want us scientists to explain them the different scientific issues”. Although science has been taking an increasing importance in our country, he recognizes that he is not entirely happy with the current situation: “We are not being concerned with those things that really matter and this is detrimental to creative work both in science and art”.

In the list of the most admired scientists, two other prominent Chilean scientists followed Pablo Valenzuela: the biologist Humberto Maturana and he astronomer María Teresa Ruiz.

Valenzuela (together with Luis Burzio, Head of the Cancer Research Program at Fundación Ciencia & Vida) was also mentioned in an article published one month ago in the newspaper La Tercera among the five Chileans whose innovations have had a strong impact in the world.

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