Santiago de Compostela, April 16, 2025.- María José Alonso, Professor of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), has been awarded the Hamilton Medal by Queen’s University Belfast. This prestigious honor recognizes Professor Alonso’s “pioneering work in nanomedicine” underscoring “her significant contributions to vaccination, transmucosal drug delivery, and precision medicine in oncology”.
The Hamilton Medal, established in memory of Aileen Hamilton —a distinguished member of the staff at Queen’s University’s School of Pharmacy— celebrates excellence in pharmaceutical research and innovation. It is presented to esteemed scholars whose research careers have had a profound and transformative impact.

About Aileen Hamilton
Aileen Hamilton began her career as a teacher before joining the University, where she played a crucial role in assessing student work and preparing grant applications for global research projects. Following her passing, she left a remarkable legacy by donating 30% of her estate to support pharmacy research programs. This generous contribution has facilitated advancements in the development of medicines aimed at preventing, alleviating, or curing diseases. In her honor, the Hamilton Lecture Series was established in 2017 to recognize outstanding achievements in pharmaceutical sciences and to promote academic research.
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