The institute’s Administrative Board — comprising representatives of the Executive Branch of government, the University of the Republic (Udelar), and Institut Pasteur in Paris — unanimously approved Dr. Badano’s appointment. He will succeed Dr. Carlos Batthyány, who has served as Executive Director since 2019. Dr. Badano will take office on October 1, 2026.
Dr. Badano was one of the first Uruguayan scientists to return to the country following the opening of IP Montevideo in 2006. He returned through the Young Investigators Program, which provided funding for his research on Bardet-Biedl syndrome.
He currently leads the Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, where his team studies what happens when cilia — tiny structures found in most human cells — do not function properly. Since December 2020, he has also served as the institute’s Academic Director.
