José María Mato de la Paz [Madrid 1949].

A graduate in chemistry from the Madrid Complutense University, specialising in biochemistry (1972), he took his doctorate at the University of Leiden (Netherlands), under the guidance of professor Theo Konijn. He has also worked at the National Institutes of Health in the United States. His work focuses on the study of metabolic and signal transduction networks regulated by S-adenosyl methionine and other methyl group donors, which are the keys to the development of steatohepatitis and other liver diseases.

On his return to Spain he became head of research at the Nutrition, Metabolism and Hormones Department at the Fundación Jiménez Díaz. In 1986 he joined the CSIC's "Alberto Sols" Biomedical Research Institute, of which he was the director from 1990 to 1991, after which he went on to become vice-president of the CSIC.

He belonged to UNESCO's International Bioethics Committee, and in 1997 took part in the preparation of UNESCO's Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights. He was a member of the European Science and Technology Assembly (1994-1997). He is an honorary professor at the Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia, US) and the University of Navarre.

He is currently the Director General of the Bioscience research centre CIC-bioGUNE (Centro de Investigación Cooperativa en Biociencias), based in the Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, and the Biomaterials research centre, CIC biomaGUNE (Centro de Investigación Cooperativa en Biomateriales), based in Parque Tecnológico de San Sebastián. He is a joint founder of OWL Genomics, a company dedicated to developing new diagnostic tests and therapeutic targets, located in the Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia technology park.

Professor Mato's research has been given recognition in numerous ways: the Kok prize from the University of Leiden (1977), the Morgagni research medal (1988) and the Lennox K. Black prize from the Thomas Jefferson University (1994). The National Prize for Medical Research and academic prize from the Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences).