Bárbara Burgos Blasco, 33, has received the Arruga 2026 prize, awarded by the Sociedad Española de Oftalmología to doctors under 40 for outstanding clinical work, teaching, and research. The honor recognizes her standing in Spanish ophthalmology and her early-career achievements.
The society presented the award at its latest congress in Palma de Mallorca, bringing Burgos Blasco into the national spotlight. The Arruga prize is among the most competitive in Spanish ophthalmology. Candidates are assessed on clinical care and teaching, as well as research, European training, and high-impact scientific publications. Burgos Blasco called the honor a team effort. “This award is not only an individual recognition, but also a tribute to all the professionals I have shared the journey with,” she said. “No achievement in medicine is completely individual.”
She works at Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid, in the Unit of Ocular Surface and Inflammatory Diseases, a national reference center for complex eye surface reconstruction in Spain’s public health system. She trained as an ophthalmologist at the hospital, then specialized in cornea and refractive surgery at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Burgos Blasco tutors residents and works with the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, where she leads doctoral theses and master’s projects. She is listed as an author on 177 scientific journal articles with an impact factor, has written 30 book chapters in Spain and abroad, and has delivered about 165 talks at scientific conferences.
Research is basic to her work. She has taken part in national FIS research projects and clinical trials, and reviews for many international journals. Her awards include the Premio a la Excelencia para Residentes del Hospital Clínico San Carlos and the Premio a Mejor Residente del Área quirúrgica del Colegio de Médicos de Madrid. She has also received the Premio Fernando Martínez Sanz and the Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado from the Universidad Complutense. Scientific societies have recognized her conference presentations, too.
Hospital Clínico San Carlos has a long history with the Arruga award. Since 1947, eight of its doctors have won, more than at any other hospital in Spain, and six still work in its ophthalmology department. “The fact that other ophthalmologists from Clínico San Carlos have previously received this recognition makes it even more special,” Burgos Blasco said.
For Burgos Blasco, the Arruga 2026 award brings both recognition and new responsibility. Named after a basic figure in Spanish ophthalmology, the prize motivates her to keep growing and help shape the future of her field.
