On July 8, the presentation and defense of the Doctoral Thesis of the pharmacist Manuel Medina Voltes took place in the Assembly Hall of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of La Laguna, whose title is "Parasitism of marine fish, biological, ecological and systematic aspects of the species studied of (Bucephaloidea), directed by Dr. Herminia Gijón Botella, professor of Parasitology of the Department of Parasitology, Ecology and Genetics of the University of La Laguna.
A brilliant exhibition
After a brilliant exhibition, the Court granted the thesis defender the highest qualification of Outstanding "cum laude", based on the important scientific contributions in the field of parasitology both regionally, nationally and internationally.
Worldwide, only one similar work had been carried out on this group of parasites in the Hawaiian Islands. Among the conclusions of the thesis, the comparative study between these investigations stands out, as well as the fact that after this study the Spanish helminthofauna is enriched with seven new species of Bucephaloidea and three new species of fish as definitive hosts, all of which is of great scientific, ecological, economic and health importance.
Referring to a multitude of scientific works
Manuel Medina was yesterday morning on the program La Trastienda de Lanzarote Televisión, where he explained to the people of Lanzarote the experience of having developed a study that from now on will serve as a reference for a multitude of scientific works in the field of parasitology.
Medina pointed out that it took him five years to finish the thesis, but he has felt very comfortable with the people who have collaborated in the work, despite being forced to carry out the work remotely, with continuous trips between the island of Tenerife and Lanzarote.
The doctor "cum laude" recalled that at first the study in the field of parasitology began with camels, after meeting a professor of pharmacy at the University of La Laguna. "We made publications at the national level and then, almost by chance, we focused on the parasites of marine fish," said Medina, who added that it is "a very difficult job, in a hostile environment".
In addition, not even the doctor himself wanted to embark on the adventure at first, because of all that it meant in terms of effort in traveling to Tenerife and the amount of work that had to be done. "Not even I believed that I would get to do the thesis and now look, I have reached the end."
In any case, it is almost impossible to get the grade that the Lanzarote native got.
"I did well, I had it very well studied", but the greatest difficulty lies in the defense of a work of five years, which meant the collection and recovery of data reflected in more than 300 pages. "To present the work as a connoisseur of the subject, you had to work hard," Medina pointed out.
An hour and a half defending the thesis
"I spent an hour and a half defending the thesis, they asked me the relevant questions and I answered them well." This is how the protagonist related the terrible exam to which he had to submit to reach the highest levels of science.
The work carried out by the now doctor was carried out between Lanzarote and Tenerife, since many of the samples were brought from the Island of the Volcanoes, while the laboratory analysis was carried out in the facilities of the University in the city of La Laguna in Tenerife. Medina explained that he has an apartment in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, very close to the professor with whom he has collaborated all these years.