Secondary school prizes
Winners
2021
2021
Bruna Coll Jordà, Institut Moianès, for “Genetics cookies”

This project addresses the technological revolution that is taking place in the field of biology, and focuses on research into genetic information, privacy and the bioethical repercussions. It analyses a range of techniques for obtaining this information and considers the main social repercussions to explore the ethical limits of genetic information, with the aim of explaining to everyone what a DNA test entails.
Íngrid Jané Curtu, Escola Ginebró, Llinars del Vallès, for “Wombs for hire: The commercialization of women’s bodies”

The purpose of this project is to explain what surrogate pregnancy entails, who is involved in it, how much it costs and where it is permitted, in order to analyse the principal ethical and legal controversies associated with it. The project also argues that there is a link between this business and the patriarchal society in which we live.
Aitana Canto Clavijo, IES Gabriel Ferrater i Soler, Reus, for “Ethical conflict in ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic”

This research project starts by defining the meaning and history of the term "bioethics", and then delineates the concept of "ethical conflict" as the basis for analysing the experiences of health staff working in ICUs during the Covid-19 pandemic, in the context of shortages of both staff and resources.
2020
2020
Carlos Barata, student at La Salle, Girona, for "Genome editing"

This project aims, in the first instance, to define the current technical capacities of genome editing, examining the headlines and rumours that circulate on the internet, to provide a realistic account of this science. And, secondly, to analyze the main ethical problems raised by this technology and its solutions, and to reflect on how we should develop it in the future to ensure it is used appropriately.
Noa Calvo, student at Intstitut Dertosa, Tortosa, for "Female genital mutilation"

Female genital mutilation continues to be a reality among the Masai people of Tanzania, and this project seeks to study why this practice persists, given how dangerous it is and the high probability of death as a result of the lack of resources that could reduce the risk of harm. It also aims to raise awareness of this practice in our society, to help women who suffer from it.
Bet Corominas, student at Escola Pia, Mataró, for "The diseases of poverty: beyond a health problem"

This project aims to identity the diseases of poverty, their characteristics, and the current situation, analyzing the issues with reference to politics and the pharmaceutical industry, and also the importance of drinking water for human life. The project also aims to create a website to share the research, and to provide information to anyone who is interested in these diseases.
2019
2019
Anna Carbó Bel, Instituto Dertosa, Tortosa for "Dignified medicine, dignified death"

This project considers the topic of dignified death in hospitals, exploring the attitudes of health staff towards patients with terminal conditions. Its aim is to identify how health professionals manage their patients' death, and how they accompany them on this journey, offering as much comfort as possible. This shows that medicine is limited not only by scientific progress but also by ethical principles.
Diana Gallardo Pérez and Mar Trinidad Fernández, Instituto Salvador Espriu, Barcelona for "The Legacy of Dr Víctor Frankenstein"

This project stresses the need for philosophical education as a tool to reflect on scientific progress, identifying which ethical questions are the most important and considering the potential implications from an interdisciplinary perspective. It does this by focusing on the paradigmatic example offered by genetic engineering techniques: eugenics.
Paula Cama i Pou, Instituto de Celrà for "Cruelty to animals"

This project analyzes the ethical implications of our relationship with other animals when our actions may cause unnecessary suffering, stress or pain. The aim is to highlight certain practices that are deeply rooted in our culture and involve the mistreatment of animals, with the objective of raising social awareness.
2018
2018
Marta Vecino, Institut Ribera Baixa del Prat del Llobregat, for "Science and Bioethics in Fiction"
Laia Pérez, IES Joan Boscà de Barcelona, for "Informed consent in clinical trials with paediatric patients"
Maria Bretones, Col·legi Jesús Maria de Sant Andreu de Barcelona, for "Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis"
2017
2017
Joana Krause, Institut Premià de Mar, for “Ethical dilemmas of a long life”
This project seeks to identify the progress made by studies that investigate prolonging human life, and considers whether such achievements are really possible. It also looks at how fear of death and a desire for immortality are deeply rooted in human culture, as demonstrated by a study of three works of art. Finally, it makes a personal bioethical proposal, analyzing a range of different responses to scientific and technological progress.
Sara Clota, Instituto Canigó de Almacelles, for “Bioethics and care homes for the elderly”
Her project seeks to confirm or disprove the following hypothesis: "Bioethics is seen as a complicated discipline, which is the reserve of those occupying senior professional positions, and generally ignores the existence of ethical problems in settings of direct care, and in particular in care homes. when it comes to resolving such problems, a series of values and principles are more important than medical diagnosis."
Wiam Koubiss Ajoub, Instituto Vinyes Velles, Montornès del Vallès, “Born out of necessity: The bioethics of the medicine baby”
The main objective of this project is to identify whether it is really ethical and legal to have a ‘medicine baby' so that it can be a donor for its ill sibling. The fact that the baby is not conscious and cannot give its consent for the use of its cells requires us to ask to what degree this is an ethical method and at what point it ceases to be so. Secondary objectives are to identify public opinion on this issue, and to find out about the bone marrow transplant process.
2016
2016
Berta Mateos Vivar of Instituto Castelló d'Empúries for “More than human? The ethical debate around neuro-improvement.”

Elena Cortina Sugrañes of Escuela Puigcerver for “Paul and ‘the Tree of Memories’. Bioethics and death”.

This study starts by considering the meaning of ethics and bioethics, and their application to medical care. It then goes on to analyze the concept of death, its causes and how children cope with it. Next, it discusses euthanasia, its application in different countries, and the role of living wills or advance directives documents (ADD). Finally, the study includes a practical section consisting of an activity on bioethics for secondary pupils and an activity for use in the discussing the topic of death with primary pupils.
Pere Valls Badia of Instituto Vilatzara for “Crawl & Roll.”
The author of this study has designed and constructed a device that functions as a swinging seat and as a "crawler" for children aged four with multiple disabilities. The device enables the children and their teachers to have fun and to take a break from conventional chairs, and it facilitates the basic activity of crawling, something that children with multiple functional disabilities are often unable to do. The study also considers what multiple disability is, its causes and the health problems associated with it, the educational needs of children with multiple disability and, finally, the design and construction of the "Crawl & Roll" device.
2015
2015
Marta Galisteo Garrido of Institut Llavaneres for the project: "Eugenèsia Actual ¿Cal intervenir per millorar la genètica humana?" (premis batx)
In her analysis of eugenics, the author seeks to understand and evaluate, from a bioethical perspective, the opportunities currently provided by this practice, how it should best be applied, and how to assess the risk of discrimination. Methods used include a literature search to identify the historical background of eugenics, surveys to identify the opinions of civil society, and an interview with an expert in this area.
Mariona Asensio Pedrol and Júlia Marquès Espuga of Instituto Joaquima Pla i Farreras for the project: "La intersexualitat, el trencament d’un esquema binari" (premis batx)
This essay analyzes the situation of people who cannot be clearly assigned to either gender (male or female). The authors seek to define the concept of intersexuality, to analyze the resources that bioethics offers for tackling the dilemmas that arise in these situations, and to identify the perspectives of the various professionals involved (pediatricians, gynecologists, anthropologists, experts in bioethics, etc.).
Mireia Jaimot Pallejà of Escuela Arabell for the project: “Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells: business or science” (premis batx)
This essay argues that the use of stem cells from umbilical cord blood is a business that is based on weighing the potential medical benefits for patients against the economic benefits for the company. The author interviewed all the Catalan hospitals with neonatal units, enabling them to analyze the differences between public and private institutions. The essay also provides a historical, scientific, legal and ethical perspective on the issue, enabling readers to form their own opinion in this regard.
2014
2014
Beatriz de Peray, of Escola Pia Balmes, for the project "Les implicacions ètiques en el diagnòstic genètic preimplantacional".
This project analyzes the Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis from different perspectives, by offering ethical, legislative and technical (the procedure and the techniques used) viewpoints. The author has used a wide range of methods such as interviews, public surveys and various other documental sources, among others.
Noemí Aranda of Baix Penedès Institute for the project Un giro de 180

"A 180 degree turn" is written in the first person and relates the story of the author who has lived through the experience of cancer, more specifically Hodgkin's lymphoma, and the feelings that arise when suffering from this disease. The project is the story of survival, of learning not to give up and to keep on fighting.
Eloi Güell, of Castelló d'Empúries Institute for the project "El futur de la naturalesa humana".
"The future of the human nature" focuses on eugenics, or on the "improvement" of the human species. This topic is progressively gathering importance, due to the progress made in science and technology and due to the serious moral dilemmas that are beginning to arise as a consequence.
2013
2013
Yousra El Kasmi, of Thos i Codina Institute in Mataró, for the project The controversy surrounding the refusal of blood transfusions
The project defines the ethical framework or guidelines used by doctors (or by officials or judges, who have to intervene as third parties when medical opinion or the criteria of the healthcare Ethical Committee is insufficient), in cases that involve blood transfusions.
Ojanta Mahmud Jorda of Marius Torres Institute in Lleida for the project Ethics applied to palliative care and the treatment of terminally ill patients
This study is an example of the convergence of science and philosophy through the analysis of how ethics apply in palliative care and in the treatment of the terminally ill. The project also aims to provide evidence that the essence of medicine, and in general any activity, has to be based on ethics and on responsibility.
Gemma Cardona i Mercè Gil, of Les Marines Institute in Castelldefels, for the project Bioethics: Euthanasia
This project focuses on the subject of euthanasia, which is currently an important matter of debate in many countries and which has concerned individuals involved in health related professions for many centuries. This study addresses the subject from three perspectives in relation to different disciplines: philosophy, medicine (or more generally, science) and from a legal standpoint.