Juana Bellanato Fontecha (1925- ) joined the Institute of Optics "Daza de Valdés" (CSIC) in Madrid under the direction of Otero Navascués. Otero Navascués sent her to Germany as a CSIC scholarship holder for an advanced training stay. During her stay she was fortunate to meet the Nobel Prize winner Chandrasekhara Raman, discoverer of the Raman effect. Subsequently, she visited Oxford, where she coincided with another Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (1956), Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood.
With this excellent background, Bellanato developed his entire scientific career focused on spectroscopy applied to various molecular structures, which were used to analyze foods (beer, dairy products, oils, wines, etc.), microorganisms, urinary stones, drugs and a wide range of industrial materials. He published around two hundred papers in specialized journals, co-wrote several scientific books and participated in various research projects. He also held positions of responsibility, including head of the Molecular Spectroscopy Section and the Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory (1975-1979), head of the Molecular Spectroscopy Structural Unit of the Institute of Optics (1979-1990), chairmanship of the Spanish Spectroscopy Committee (1985-1988), vice-chairmanship of the Spanish Spectroscopy Group (1985-1988) and chairmanship of the Spanish Spectroscopy Group (1990-1995).
His outstanding career earned him numerous awards: the Silver Medal of the Spanish Spectroscopy Committee in 1996, the medal of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry in 2003, the Gold and Brilliant Badge of the Association of Chemists of Madrid in 2007 and, finally, the title of Magnificent Major of the Community of Madrid in 2013.
Juan Francisco Tomás, author of the book "Javier Gafo: bioethics, moral theology and dialogue", describes her as "a loving friend, a mother, a believing woman who knows how to combine her scientific knowledge with bioethical ethics". This is not surprising, since she graduated in Theology in 1993 from the Pontifical University of Comillas and has been collaborating for many years in the Chair of Bioethics at that university.
Public University of Navarra.
Society of Catholic Scientists of Spain
