• Professor García-Bellido Capdevila has been recognized for his research career in theoretical cosmology, particularly in the paradigm of cosmic inflation and the physics of the early universe.

By: UAM Newsroom

Madrid, May 4, 2026.– Juan García-Bellido Capdevila, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and researcher at the Institute for Theoretical Physics (UAM-CSIC), has received in Barcelona the 2025 National Research Award in the Blas Cabrera category, in Physical Sciences of Matter and the Earth, at a ceremony presided over by His Majesty the King.

Professor García-Bellido Capdevila has been awarded this distinction for his research career in theoretical cosmology, particularly for his contributions to the paradigm of cosmic inflation and the physics of the early universe. The Ministry highlighted the direct impact of his work “on experiments and observations that explore the origin and evolution of the universe, positioning him as a global reference in his field.” This award, granted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, is the most prestigious recognition in Spain in the field of scientific research.

In a video produced to present the awardees, the UAM professor emphasized two key qualities that underpin good scientific practice: curiosity and doubt. “A scientist must also have a spirit of doubt; always questioning whether what they expect truly describes nature, and avoiding the imposition of their own preconceptions—something we all develop through experience—on the results that an experiment should yield.”

A distinguished career

Professor García-Bellido Capdevila is the author of more than 500 research articles and has accumulated close to 40,000 citations. He has worked at CERN, Imperial College London, and Stanford University. His research spans a wide range of cosmological phenomena, from the origin of the Universe within the framework of the inflationary paradigm to the formation of large-scale structures.

He has coordinated more than 30 research projects as principal investigator and supervised over 15 PhD theses. He has served as Spain’s representative on the International Committee of the Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology Theory panel of ApPEC and on the ASTRONET International Committee for the Science Vision for European Astronomy 2015–2025 report, as well as a member of the National Committee of the Astronomical Infrastructure Network for the Spanish Cosmology Decadal Survey 2015–2025. He is a member of the Spanish Royal Society of Physics and has recently been elected Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences.

The National Research Awards recognize researchers in Spain who stand out for their long-standing scientific careers and their international impact in their respective fields.