Distinguished Cajalian | The living link of the School of Cajal

Medal bearing the face of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, inscribed 'Cajaliano Ilustre' and 'Embajador del Legado' on the border.

Distinguished personality for their exceptional contribution to science and the dissemination of the Cajal Legacy.

Request a Lecture / Collaboration

Contribution to the Cajal Legacy: Fernando de Castro Soubriet represents the biological and intellectual continuity of the Spanish Neurohistological School. Grandson of the celebrated Fernando de Castro, a direct disciple of Cajal, he has devoted his life to two missions: advancing developmental neurobiology (especially in demyelinating diseases) and tirelessly fighting for the preservation of Spanish scientific heritage. He was the principal architect behind the declaration of the Cajal Archive as Memory of the World by UNESCO in 2017.

Lecture Topics:

  • Secrets of the School: Experiences and science from the family archive and the Cajal Institute.

  • Repairing the Brain: Myelin, multiple sclerosis, and the future of regeneration.

  • Heritage of Humanity: The odyssey of bringing Cajal to UNESCO.

Fernando de Castro Soubriet (Madrid, 1967) holds a Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery and is a Staff Scientist at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the Cajal Institute, where he directs the Developmental Neurobiology Group.

His scientific career is brilliant in its own right, having completed postdoctoral stays at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and led key research on oligodendrogenesis and myelination, fundamental to understanding and treating diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis.

In parallel, he is a central figure in the historiography of Spanish science. As the grandson of Fernando de Castro Rodriguez, he has safeguarded and promoted the memory of the School of Cajal with admirable tenacity. He coordinated the dossier that culminated in the inclusion of the Cajal Legacy and the Spanish Neurohistological School in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register (2017), the highest international recognition for documentary heritage. He is the author of reference books and an active advocate for the creation of the Cajal Museum.