The Ministry of Health presented the White Cross of Merit from the National Plan on Drugs to Manuel Isorna, a professor at the University of Vigo, in Madrid this Thursday. The award recognizes his extensive career in scientific research focused on social transfer in the prevention and treatment of addictions.
The decorations of the Order of Merit of the National Plan on Drugs are awarded annually to recognize the work of individuals and institutions that have excelled in the field of addiction prevention, treatment, and control, aiming to protect public health and social well-being.
Manuel Isorna is a titular professor in the Department of Psychoeducational Analysis and Intervention at the Faculty of Education and Social Work on the Ourense campus and director of the Master's Degree in Prevention and Multidisciplinary Approach to Drug Addiction and Addictive Behaviors. He also serves as the regional president of the scientific society Socidrogalcohol in Galicia.
His research focuses on conceptualizing evidence-based addiction prevention, covering school, family, and community prevention, behavioral addictions such as video games and gambling, and critical analysis of psychoactive substance consumption.
He also directs the Master's Degree in Prevention and Multidisciplinary Approach to Drug Addiction and Addictive Behaviors at the UVigo and USC, a pioneering program in the Galician and national university system. Previously, Isorna initiated and coordinated community addiction prevention programs at the municipal level, including those in the municipalities of Catoira and Caldas de Reis.
The professor also stands out for his social activism, participating as a trustee and collaborator of the Galician Foundation against Drug Trafficking and regularly advising institutional working groups on public health policies.
