Dr Mercè Boada, co-founder and medical director of the Ace Alzheimer Centre Barcelona, has received the 2026 Honour Medal from the Xarxa Vives Network of Universities, in recognition of her professional career and her commitment to science and culture in the regions that make up the university network. The award was presented on 3 July during a ceremony held at the University of Perpignan Via Domitia, at which the microbiologist Francisco Juan Martínez Mojica was also honoured.
What is the Honour Medal from the Xarxa Vives d’Universitats?
The Vives Network of Universities brings together 22 universities from the Catalan-speaking regions and annually awards the Medal of Honour to recognise individual careers of special significance in the scientific, cultural and social fields. With this distinction, the academic community recognised Dr Mercè Boada’s contribution to advancing knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, as well as her role in developing a model that integrates research, clinical care, and teaching.
More than three decades buildig a pioneer model
Since its foundation, the Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona has championed a research approach closely linked to patient care. This model integrates scientific activity, clinical care and training to accelerate the transfer of knowledge into clinical practice and have a real impact on the lives of people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Dr Mercè Boada’s career has been fundamental in consolidating this model, which today positions the Ace as a leading centre in diagnosis, clinical research and the development of new strategies to combat neurodegenerative diseases.
This recognition honours a professional career, but it also reflects the collective commitment of the researchers, healthcare professionals, study participants and their families, whose trust has allowed us to continue advancing our knowledge of Alzheimer’s for more than three decades. The doctor had previously been recognised several times for her career. In 2023, for example, she was awarded the Gold Medal for Scientific Merit, in 2024 the Gentleman’s Award, and in 2025 the Francisco Javier Balmis Award.
At the Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, this recognition reinforces our commitment to continue driving research aimed at improving diagnosis, developing new treatment options, and contributing to a better quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
