In Memoriam: Professor Jorge Manzanares Robles
It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Professor Jorge Manzanares Robles, a member of the Executive Committee of the European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy.
At the end of February, as we discussed preparations for the annual conference in June, Jorge wrote with optimism: “I have just registered… I hope everything will improve regarding the personal issues.” Just ten days later, we lost a dear friend and colleague.
The pharmaceutical community has lost a Teacher with a capital “T,” a distinguished researcher at Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Spain, and a dedicated Dean of the Faculty.
Dr. Manzanares Robles graduated in Pharmacy from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1985 and received his doctorate in Pharmacology from the Faculty of Pharmacy in 1987. He also worked in the research and psychiatry service of Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid and in the biochemistry service of La Paz Hospital in Madrid. From 1988 to 1993, he was a researcher in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Michigan State University in the USA. Upon his return to Spain, he worked as a researcher for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. With his research group, he was part of the 2017–2021 National Network of Addictive Disorders for groups of excellence of the Spanish Ministry of Health. Since 2011, he had been Professor of Pharmacology and Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Miguel Hernández University on the San Juan de Alicante Campus. In 2019, he was named an academic of the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy of Spain, the National Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Mexico, and the Mexican Academy of Psychiatry and Mental Health.
As President of the Ibero-American Conference of Faculties of Pharmacy (COIFFA) and a member of the Executive Committee of EAFP, he worked to bring both groups of countries and Faculties of Pharmacy closer together to exchange professors, students, and teaching structures.
His long-standing commitment to pharmacy education and his efforts to strengthen our academic community were truly remarkable and invaluable. He will be remembered as an important and respected voice in the field of pharmacy education.
During this time of grief, our thoughts are with all who had the privilege of working with Professor Jorge Manzanares Robles. Our deepest condolences go to his family, who have suffered the greatest loss.
He was an inspiration to us all. We will remember him with respect and gratitude.
May he rest in peace.
On behalf of ExCo and members of EAFP
Prof. Borut Božič, MPharm, EuSpLM