WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) – A Barbadian scientist has been honoured by the Organisation of American States (OAS) as one of seven of the hemisphere’s top minds.

Dr Cardinal Warde was awarded the prestigious Science, Technology and Innovation Award of the Americas during the recent VII Meeting of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Science and Technology, (REMYCT).

He was the only Caribbean recipient among the distinguished scientists and researchers recognised for “their outstanding body of work, but more importantly for their dedication to nation building by fostering cooperation and partnerships for development across OAS member states”.

Dr Warde, Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), President of the Caribbean Diaspora for Science, Technology, and Innovation, and Interim Executive Director of the Caribbean Science Foundation, was specifically honoured for “equipping young scientists and engineers with tools and opportunities”.

The other awardees were: Dr Alejandro Adem of Canada, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; Dr Pablo Zamora, President of Fundación Chile; Dr Rosibel Ochoa of Honduras, Associate Vice Chancellor at UC Riverside; Dr Arturo Reyes Sandoval of Mexico, Director of the National Polytechnic Institute; Dr Natacha DePaola of the United States, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Director of the Illinois Tech Digital Medical Engineering and Technology Research and Education Center; and Dr Henry Cohen of Uruguay, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Hospital of the University of the Republic, and Director of the ECHO Project.

The OAS said that from revolutionising healthcare to advancing sustainable agriculture and empowering the next generation of scientists, the honorees have been reshaping the Americas.

In her congratulatory message, OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Kim Osborne, spoke of the importance of ensuring the contributions from the Americas to global science and innovation does not go unnoticed.

“Each of you in your own way have made your mark on the world of science, technology, and innovation, today, the OAS simply wants to say thank you for enriching our work with your time and expertise,” she said.

The OAS Science and Technology Awards, established in 1972 as the “Bernardo Houssay” Award, honour the legacy of the esteemed Argentine Nobel laureate whose work on diabetes transformed global health. Since then, the award has celebrated outstanding achievements in fields like biological sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and applied technological research.

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