Universidade da Coruña.
Xurxo Mariño Alfonso (Lugo, 1969) is a biologist and PhD in Biological Sciences from Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (1998), Professor of Medicine at the Universidade da Coruña (UDC).
Member of the Division of Science, Nature and Society of Galician Culture Council and the research group Neurocom at UDC, as well as of several international and Spanish scientific societies. He has published research papers in various specialized journals and collaborated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
His research in neurobiology has focused on the study of the synaptic mechanisms of different sensorial pathways, and thalamic and pre-thalamic, interaction thalamocortical and in regulating the global activity levels of the sleep-wake cycle. In parallel, he has developed specialized software of stimulation, electrophysiological recording and analysis, and collaborated to develop statistical tools for analysis.
Make multiple dissemination activities of scientific knowledge, besides seeking interaction with the world of the humanities. He has published the books "Os dados do reloxeiro. Ciencia amena para mentes inquietas " (Galician Culture Council, 2005) (“Po de estrelas" (Galician Culture Council, 2008) “Neurociencia para Julia" (Laetoli, 2013); collaborates among others with the portal Culturagalega.org in the ADN section and the Naukas.com site; organizes "cafés-teatro científicos", a dissemination activity leading science to the bars; and develops other dissemination activities as "Discurshows" – mixture of theater and chat and, or "monologues" about science and technology of TVG "Conexións". He has just written a new book on travel and scientific dissemination, in which he reports his experience, lived during an 11-month world trip.
In 2011 he was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the "I Certamen FECYT de Comunicación Científica". In 2014 he received the Award Tesla of Dissemination.