2020 reasons to keep on researching

At ”la Caixa” Foundation we are still committed to research and health as a way to improve everyone's quality of life.

In 2020 we've promoted over 300 projects to support advances in preventing and treating a range of illnesses with huge impact at a global level: cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and also infectious diseases such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
We support over 2,500 medical researchers and professionals and their projects, primarily in Spain and Portugal and share in their belief that, if we are to overcome, together, the current and future threats to global health, it will be thanks to research.

20 reasons to keep on researching

  • 'It is important to conduct research to ensure that variants do not arise, not just of SARS-COV-2, but also of other coronaviruses that could pose a threat to us in the future'. Mariano Esteban. Researcher, Spanish National Centre for Biotechnology. #COVID19

    Mariano Esteban. Researcher, Spanish National Centre for Biotechnology.

    Mariano Esteban’s CaixaImpulse project at CNB_CSIC is researching a new vaccine that will target regions of the coronavirus that are less susceptible to mutations.

    Vaccines will be one of the best weapons in the fight against COVID-19.

    Find out more in the YouTube of ”la Caixa” Foundation (only in Spanish)

  • 'If we can develop specific medication to lower the viral load of COVID-19, we can stopit from spreading'. Nuria Izquierdo-Useros. Researcher, IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute. #COVID19

    Nuria Izquierdo-Useros. Researcher, IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute.

    This year more than any other, we are supporting research into infectious diseases.

    Núria Izquierdo-Useros and her team work at IrsiCaixa to find effective treatments for COVID-19.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'Thanks to clinical trials, many patients have access to innovative and personalized therapies that aren't yet in the market.' Elena Garralda. Director, Research Unit for Molecular Therapy of Cancer (UITM) - ”la Caixa” Foundation. #BreastCancer

    Elena Garralda. Director, Research Unit for Molecular Therapy of Cancer (UITM) - ”la Caixa” Foundation.

    Clinical trials of new medicines are a powerful tool for innovation that benefits patients.

    Elena Garralda is the head of the Molecular Cancer Therapy Research Unit at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology - ”la Caixa” Foundation, a pioneering unit in personalised cancer treatment.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'Memory complaints are the prelude to cognitive decline. This is why early diagnosis is so important for Alzheimer's disease'. Mercè Boada. Director, ACE Foundation. #Neuroscience

    Mercè Boada. Director, ACE Foundation.

    An estimated 1 in 10 people over 65 has Alzheimer’s disease, and a new case is diagnosed in the world every three seconds.

    Mercè Boada, medical director of the ACE Foundation, explained the importance of early diagnosis in the Research and Health debate.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'Despite advances being made in research into heart disease, it is still on the rise. To tackle tihs pandemic, the solution starts by changing our own habits'. Valentín Fuster. General Director, Spanish National Cardiovascular Research Center. #CardiovascularDiseases

    Valentín Fuster. General Director, Spanish National Cardiovascular Research Center.

    One of the complications caused by COVID-19 is the development of thrombi or blood clots that could trigger severe cardiovascular problems.

    Valentí Fuster, head of the Spanish Cardiovascular Research Centre, explained this in the Research and Health debate.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'Our research could create in-vitro eyes based on the patients' own stem cells, giving them back their sight'. María Almuedo. Researcher, Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo. #StemCells

    María Almuedo. Researcher, Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo.

    Around 1.3 billion people around the world suffer from some kind of visual handicap.

    María Almuedo at the Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology is studying the genetic signs and mechanics that determine how the eye develops.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'One of most important challenges in cancer research is finding new early diagnosis methods'. María Abad. Researcher, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology #Cancer

    María Abad. Researcher, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology.

    In some forms of cancer, the survival rates are now over 90 %, but for other they don’t even reach 10 %.

    Maria Abad at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology is researching how tumour cells communicate to prevent metastasis.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'If we understand the relationship between the brain and microbiome, we will be able to intervene in and mitigate obesity'. Marc Claret. Investigador, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Reaserch Institute. #Neuroscience

    Marc Claret. Investigador, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Reaserch Institute.

    The WHO reports that cases of obesity have tripled in number since 1975.

    Marc Claret at the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute is studying the connections between obesity and the brain to improve health.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'Viruses, epidemics and pandemics are here to stay. We will only be able to tackle them effectively if we use our shared intelligence'. Antoni Plasència. Director, Barcelona Institute for Global Health. #InfectiounsDiseases

    Antoni Plasència. Director, Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

    This year we have made great scientific advances in terms of preparation for pandemics.

    Antoni Plasència, head of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, and his team are working day in day out on their research to put a stop to COVID-19.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'Thanks to research, 85 % of breast cancer patients have a good quality of life 10 years afterdiagnosis'. Roger Gomis. Researcher, Institut for Research in Biomedicine Barcelona. #BreastCancer

    Roger Gomis. Researcher, Institut for Research in Biomedicine Barcelona.

    Could we make breast cancer a chronic disease rather than a terminal one?

    Roger Gomis is conducting research at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona, to seek out the root cause of metastasis and stop it from happening.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'Our research will help generate tools that could be used to improve treatment for patients with diabetes or obesity'. Sonia Fernández-Veledo. Researcher, Pere Virgili Institute, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII. #MetabolicDiseases

    Sonia Fernández-Veledo. Researcher, Pere Virgili Institute, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII.

    Obesity and metabolic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, are a real epidemic in the 21st century.

    Sonia Fernández-Veledo, a researcher at the Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research, is studying the connection between the brain and the gut to combat these diseases.

    Find out more

  • 'Much like the engineers who design cars know how to repair them, if we can work out how the heart is formed, it will be easier to regenerate damaged tissues'. Ofelia María Martínez. Researcher, University of Barcelona. #CardiovascularDiseases

    Ofelia María Martínez. Researcher, University of Barcelona.

    According to the WHO, by 2030 23.6 million people will have died of heart disease.

    Ofelia María Martínez at the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation explains what we can do now, and what we could do in future to have a stronger heart.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'We still don't know what causes Alzheimer's disease, but we are well aware of how it progresses. There are currently no drugs that change the course of the disease, but many are on the way'. Arcadi Navarro. Director, Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center and Pasqual Maragall Foundation. #Neuroscience

    Arcadi Navarro. Director, Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center and Pasqual Maragall Foundation.

    How can we halt cognitive decline produced by Alzheimer's disease? Early diagnosis is fundamental.

    Arcadi Navarro, director of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation explains this in the Research and Health debate.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'The current and cumulative data on infection rates are crucial for breaking transmission chains and easing up lockdown measures'. Denise Naniche. Researcher, Scientific Director, Global Health Institute Barcelona. #COVID19

    Denise Naniche. Scientific Director, Global Health Institute Barcelona.

    To speed up the response to COVID-19, it was crucial for scientists to share access to data and protocols among themselves.

    Denise Naniche and the entire team at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health are working every day to tackle this huge challenge in global health.

    Find out more in the ISGlobal blog (in Spanish)

  • 'We need to understand what cancer is in order to cure it. Without basic research, there will be no new medication'. María Blasco. Scientific Director, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares. #Cancer

    María Blasco. Scientific Director, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares.

    How can basic research help in the fight against cancer?

    Dr María Blasco, head of the Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research, explains this in the cutting-edge Research and Health debate.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'Researching the role our immune system plays in heart disease is crucial for tackling it'. Almudena Ramiro. Researcher, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares. #HeartDiseases

    Almudena Ramiro. Researcher, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares.

    Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world.

    Almudena Ramiro at CNIC is investigating the role that our immune system plays in tackling it.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'An artificial placenta could help towards the survival of premature new-borns in extreme cases'. Eduard Gratacós. Director, BCNatal Hospital Clínic - Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. #PrenatalHealth

    Eduard Gratacós. Director, BCNatal Hospital Clínic - Hospital Sant Joan de Déu.

    Each year 25,000 babies are born prematurely in Europe. An artificial placenta could help improve their chances of survival.

    Eduard Gratacós at BCNatal is heading up this project with support from the ”la Caixa” Foundation.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'We are developing molecules to improve neuron connection in order to treat uncurable neurodegenerative diseases'. Alicia Mansilla. Principal Researcher, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Universidad de Alcalá. #Neuroscience

    Alicia Mansilla. Principal Researcher, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Universidad de Alcalá.

    Over 1 million people suffer from neurodegenerative diseases in Spain.

    With a CaixaImpulse grant, Alicia Mansilla is seeking innovative targets for tackling Parkinson's disease at the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital and the University of Alcalá.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • 'What we have learnt about AIDS over the last 25 years of research has provided us with priceless information for other fields of biomedicine'. Bonaventura Clotet. Director, IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute. #HIV

    Bonaventura Clotet. Director, IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute.

    There are currently some 40 million people living with HIV.

    The achievements of Dr Bonaventura Clotet, director of Irsi Caixa, and his team have contributed to making this disease chronic rather than terminal.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)

  • '40 % of tumours couldbe avoided, which is why it's crucial to keep going with research'. Josep Tabernero. Director, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology. #Cancer

    Josep Tabernero. Director, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology.

    Each year, over 270,000 people in Spain are diagnosed with cancer. And we know that many of these cases could have been avoided.

    In the fight against this disease, we are collaborating with the team headed up by Josep Tabernero, director of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology.

    Find out more in the CaixaCiencia blog (in Spanish)