Distinguished Cajalian | The guardian of the “Third Element”
Distinguished personality for their exceptional contribution to science and the dissemination of the Cajal Legacy.
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Contribution to the Cajal Legacy: Dr. Juan del Rio-Hortega is the living memory of one of the most brilliant and complex figures in Spanish science: Don Pio del Rio-Hortega. As custodian of his personal archive (recognized by UNESCO as Memory of the World alongside Cajal’s), his work has been crucial in preserving letters, documents, and preparations that explain the discovery of microglia and oligodendroglia. His work not only vindicates the figure of his great-uncle, but also sheds light on the School of Cajal and its transcendence for humanity.
Lecture Topics:
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The “Third Element”: History of the discovery of microglia.
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Cajal and Rio-Hortega: Chronicle of a scientific conflict and a historic reconciliation.
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Living Archives: The importance of preserving family scientific heritage.
Juan del Rio-Hortega Bereciartu holds a Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery and is an Associate Professor of History of Science at the University of Valladolid (UVa), a role he combines with his vocation in clinical practice as a Family Physician.
He is the holder and custodian of the “Pio del Rio-Hortega” Scientific Archive, a documentary collection of incalculable value that he manages with dedication to prevent its dispersal and neglect. His doctoral thesis, “The Correspondence of Don Pio del Rio-Hortega” (“El epistolario de D. Pio del Rio-Hortega”), is a reference work that unveiled the most human and political facets of the Valladolid-born scientist, as well as the details of his exile.
His conservation work was fundamental in achieving the inclusion, in 2017, of the Rio-Hortega archive (along with Cajal’s) in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. He actively collaborates with the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) and various institutions to digitize and disseminate this heritage, always championing the unity of the legacy of the Spanish Neurohistological School in a future National Museum.
