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"What identifies and differentiates us as human beings? How can we grow together amid these differences?" These questions have haunted professor and researcher María Eumelia Galeano Marín, who received an honorary doctorate in social sciences from the UdeA on September 29. This is a recognition for a lifetime dedicated to knowledge, teaching, and developing critical thinking. It also acknowledges her work, through which she demonstrated that social research goes beyond gathering facts and accumulating figures. It involves delving into life stories, contexts, and often-forgotten voices. 

By: Paula Villa, journalist at the UdeA Communications Department 

A study on recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, a health condition that affects 10% of women worldwide, earned Ángel González Marín the 2025 Research Award for professors in Health Sciences on the UdeA Classic Day. The bacteriologist’s contribution to public health is the first step toward developing a natural treatment that improves the quality of life for the millions of people who suffer from this disease. 

TSPO could soon help predict Alzheimer's diagnosis decades before individuals begin to show symptoms, while also enhancing patients' quality of life by enabling more timely medical treatment. This biomarker is the latest discovery from a joint study by scientists from Florida International University and UdeA’s Antioquia Neurosciences Group. 

Delegates from the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) visited UdeA, the only public institution in the country endorsed by CONMEBOL as a coach training center. More than 2,200 coaches have graduated since 2019. The visit was part of an agreement that will enable coaches trained in Colombia to work in Europe with recognized competencies. 

The UdeA Puerto Berrío Campus has new facilities to enhance the university’s educational and athletic activities in the Magdalena Medio region of Antioquia. From now on, the community in this area can enjoy an astronomical observatory, the first in the department outside of Medellín. Additionally, the campus will include a classroom building and a covered sports field with bleachers, locker rooms, and restrooms. These projects will allow the Campus to grow as both an academic and a cultural and social hub. 

The work "Horse in the Wind," donated by artist David Manzur, arrived at UdeA and is now part of the institution's Open Museum collection. It is a body of cultural assets that features 38 important Colombian artists. Manzur's sculpture, considered a unique piece in the Caldas master's style, challenges traditional anatomy to capture the mythical essence and indomitable energy of the horse through minimalist and expressive lines crafted from sheet iron. "A gift for the University, Medellín, and Antioquia," said Manzur during the presentation ceremony on September 4, 2025. 

The aim of a project led by researchers from four public universities in Antioquia and Santander, including UdeA, is to help adolescents and young adults recognize and reflect on situations arising from the armed conflict in Colombia. It also seeks to identify, through pedagogical strategies like a video game, the events faced by victims and perpetrators, as well as the relevant national and international standards related to armed conflict. 

Arnulfo Hurtado Cerón, known as "Timanco," is the first Indigenous person to graduate from UdeA’s Doctorate in Social Sciences. Originally from the Nasa community in Cauca, he arrived at the university over a decade ago and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees. He is a professor and researcher and has maintained what he calls "permanent resistance." For his research on intercultural teaching for indigenous peoples and " interculturality," he received a meritorious thesis award. 

A new jewel of the country's biodiversity was discovered in Urrao. It is a species of orchid from the Dracula genus that had been misclassified for decades. After years of study, researchers from UdeA, with the support of other experts, reported it as new to science and named it Dracula colombiana, the first of its kind to bear the nationality in its name. The academics requested its inclusion as an endangered species on the global Red List due to threats to its ecosystem and illegal trafficking. 

Universidad de Antioquia developed a microalgae bioreactor system that captures carbon dioxide (CO₂) from urban air and produces biomass with the potential to optimize performance in sectors such as agriculture and food. This exercise in applied science integrates research, academic training, environmental stewardship, and expansion into the productive sector. 

Through a partnership with Tronex, researchers from UdeA’s CIDEMAT and GIMEL are launching the Battery Diagnostic Center (CDB), a pioneering facility of its kind in Latin America. Located in La Estrella, a municipality in Antioquia, this "clinic" will enable the evaluation, definition of useful life, remanufacturing, and increased efficiency of raw materials for batteries, which are increasingly used for electric transportation and the energy ecosystem. This challenge requires considering the circularity of materials and the environmental impact of their final disposal.