The Teaching Section of the Catalan Society of Biology organised the opening event of the new academic year on 8 October, held in the Pere i Joan Coromines Hall at the Institute for Catalan Studies. Josep Clotet, professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, delivered the inaugural lecture entitled “Maria, Isabel and Katalin: three stories in medicine that made vaccines accessible worldwide.” His talk reflected on the crucial contributions made by women researchers, often overlooked due to the male-centred perspective through which history has frequently been written.

Dr Clotet guided the audience through three centuries of medical history, highlighting the contributions of Maria Wortley Montagu, Isabel Zendal and Katalin Karikó. These three figures, active in different periods, played a crucial role in the development and global dissemination of vaccines. Dr Clotet first recalled Montagu’s courage in introducing the technique of variolation from Turkey to Europe, paving the way for modern vaccination. He then highlighted the commitment of Isabel Zendal, a key Spanish figure in Xavier Balmis’s expedition that brought the smallpox vaccine to the Americas and Asia. Finally, he recognised the perseverance of Katalin Karikó, a pioneer in the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 and new vaccination strategies for emerging diseases.

Professor Clotet stressed that “scientific breakthroughs are never the work of a single individual but are made possible by the sum of many contributions and collective effort.” He also underlined the importance of science communication and the fight against vaccine misinformation, noting the essential role of health and education professionals in building public trust.