Ramón Martínez Máñez and Damià Tormo Carulla, new board members of IIS La Fe

The Board of Trustees of the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe has formalised the appointment of two new members, who attended a meeting of this governing body for the first time. The session was also attended by the Regional Minister of Health, Marciano Gómez, and the Director General for Research and Innovation, Mariola Penadés.

The new members are Ramón Martínez Máñez, head of the IIS La Fe-UPV Joint Research Unit in Nanomedicine and Sensors and recipient of the Rey Jaime I Award for New Technologies 2018; and Damià Tormo Carulla, founding partner and CEO of Columbus Venture Partners and recipient of the Rey Jaime I Award for Entrepreneurial Revelation 2025.

With these appointments, the Board strengthens its composition with profiles of recognised scientific and business prestige, consolidating its commitment to excellence, innovation and knowledge transfer. Alongside them, other researchers continue to serve on the governing body as distinguished scientists: Miguel Ángel Sanz Alonso, emeritus researcher at IIS La Fe, and José María Millán Salvador, head of the Molecular Biomedicine and Genomics Research Group and director of the Rare Diseases Area at the Biomedical Research Networking Centre (CIBERER).

About the new board members

Ramón Martínez Máñez is an international benchmark in nanotechnology applied to biomedicine. He is head of the IIS La Fe-UPV Joint Research Unit in Nanomedicine and Sensors and director of the Molecular Recognition and Technological Development Centre (IDM) at the Universitat Politècnica de València.

His work focuses on the development of nanodevices for controlled drug delivery, medical imaging techniques and molecular sensors applied to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. His scientific career and contribution to technological innovation earned him the Rey Jaime I Award for New Technologies in 2018.

Damià Tormo Carulla specialises in promoting biotechnology projects and bridging research with business development. He is also founding partner and CEO of Columbus Venture Partners, a venture capital firm specialised in biotechnology and health sciences. A biologist by training and PhD from the University of Bonn, his work has contributed to the creation and growth of innovative biotech companies in the health sector with international impact, earning him the Rey Jaime I Award for Entrepreneurial Revelation in 2025.

With these appointments, IIS La Fe strengthens its position as a benchmark in biomedical research and enhances its capacity to translate scientific knowledge into clinical practice and the development of new health solutions.