Dr. Marta Colombo: the first woman to receive the National Award for Medicine

The winner is a specialist in pediatric neurology, with a vast and fruitful career as a teacher, researcher and public care doctor in hospitals. One of her main contributions has been the work that led -in 1992- to the implementation of the National Mass Search Program for certain metabolic diseases in newborns that cause intellectual disability. More than 3,000 children have benefited from this initiative.

 

For the first time in 20 years, the National Prize for Medicine has been awarded to a woman. Thus, in its biannual delivery for the year 2022, the highest award in Chilean medicine was bestowed on Dr. Marta Colombo Campbell, a surgeon who graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and who specialized in child neurology at the University of Chile.

 

Dr. Colombo has 54 years of experience in public health, and throughout her productive career she has excelled in the academic, research and clinical fields. In addition, she has published more than 100 scientific papers in both national and international journals. In 1999 she co-edited the book «Inborn Errors of Metabolism in Children», a publication that is now in its fourth edition, with almost a thousand pages, 24 chapters and the collaboration of 68 specialists.

 

Some of the characteristics that led the seven members of the jury of the National Medicine Award 2022 to choose Dr. Marta Colombo were her diverse contributions to the neurological and metabolic health of the child population of Chile, as well as the humanity displayed to transmit the fundamental values of medicine to patients and students.

 

Nutrition and metabolism

 

In 1966, Dr. Colombo started working at the Arriarán Hospital jointly with Dr. Fernando Monckeberg, who was the creator of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA) of the University of Chile. At that time, her research focused on child malnutrition and cognitive development, as well as the impact of a complementary feeding program on school performance. Until 1993 she was head of the Genetics and Metabolic Diseases Unit of INTA and in 1994, she became head of the Metabolic Diseases Laboratory of the Carlos van Buren Hospital in Valparaíso.

 

 

Highest Impact Work

Throughout her career, Dr. Colombo has worked incessantly to achieve the implementation of the Neonatal Screening Program for Phenylketonuria and Congenital Hypothyroidism, which is considered her most visible and impactful contribution. This milestone was achieved in 1992, when the Ministry of Health implemented the program after 20 years of work. This initiative has been a valuable contribution to prevent the consequences that intellectual disability produces if not treated early. This public health program, which was been in place for 30 years, has prevented thousands of boys and girls from suffering intellectual limitations.

 

Honors and scholarships

  • 1973-1974: Ford Foundation Scholarship.
  • 1979: British Council Scholarship.
  • 1979: Good fellow Award INTA U. de Chile.
  • 2006: Award for Academic Excellence, granted by the Chilean Pediatric Society.
  • 2013: Medal of the Republic of Chile “Orden de la Cruz del Sur”, of the Great Cross Category, due to her contribution to research development in the health area.

 

 

National Medicine Award

Chile’s most important medicine prize was created 20 years ago. It is a recognition created and delivered by doctors to their peers. It aims at drawing attention to the work of health professionals who have stood out among their colleagues because of a successful career in the clinical or public health area and who, in addition, have played outstanding roles in teaching, academic administration or research.

 

The 2022-version jury for the Medicine National Award was chaired by Dr. Eghon Guzmán, former president of the Association of Medical Scientific Societies of Chile (ASOCIMED), as well as Dr. Rodolfo Armas, former president of the Chilean Academy of Medicine; Dr. Patricio Meza, president of the Medical Association of Chile; Dr. Patricia Muñoz, former president of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Chile (ASOFAMECH); Dr. Carlos Tapia, president of the Chilean Society of Otorhinolaryngology (SOCHIORL); Dr. Julio Urrutia, former president of the Chilean Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology (SCHOT); and Dr. Vicente Valdivieso, National Medicine Award 2020.

 

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