Manuel Galiñanes, MD, PhD (b. 1952) is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon and
biomedical researcher whose distinguished career bridges the realms of medicine,
scientific inquiry, and civic engagement. He began his medical studies at the historic University of Salamanca, later specializing in Cardiovascular Surgery at the Complutense
University of Madrid. Driven by a passion for deeper scientific understanding, he pursued and earned a PhD in Biochemistry and Physiology from the University of London.
His academic and research trajectory reached new heights at the University of Leicester, where he served as Professor and Director of the Cardiac Surgery Research Group Subsequently, he returned to Spain to lead the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, simultaneously heading its pioneering Heart Repair Therapy Laboratory. Spanning Canada, the United Kingdom, and Spain, doctor Galiñanes’s international career has contributed significantly to both basic and translational research in cardiovascular medicine. Yet, his commitment has never been confined to the laboratory or operating room. A passionate advocate for public health and universal healthcare systems, he has courageously defended national health services-even in the face of political adversity. In Catalonia, his outspoken stance on democratic and health rights led to political repression, which only deepened his resolve to pursue systemic change. Believing that the protection of health and human dignity requires robust democratic institutions, doctor Galiñanes has extended his efforts into the domains of civic responsibility and political thought. He is an active member of the Academy of Medical and Health Sciences of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, and serves on the board of the Federal Alliance of European Federalists. As a constitutional thinker, he has contributed to the drafting of a European Federal Constitution and is currently playing a central role in preparing a visionary World Constitution, set to be presented in Pondicherry, India, in late 2025. Doctor Galiñanes embodies the rare convergence of scientific excellence and democratic commitment. His life’s work transcends the operating theatre-it is a call to protect the very pulse of human society: health, justice, and the democratic promise of a better world.
