Outstanding results 2019

The greatest challenges need the best science

”la Caixa” Foundation supports and encourages the most talented researchers throughout their career, because the best science needs the best teams. In the following sections we present the advances achieved in 2019 by some of the scientists that comprise the ”la Caixa” Foudation community. Most of them work in the field of life and health sciences, which are also priority areas for research and innovation funded by this institution.

The studies published by this research community last year represent a significant advance in knowledge in such fields as oncology, infectious diseases, global health and ageing diseases, but also in other disciplines, including astronomy and human evolution. Some of these researchers unravel the mysteries of cells employing the most fundamental science. Others are able to translate those results into direct benefits for society by means of clinical trials, the creation of new, pioneering companies, or implementing patents.

In addition to excellence, a commitment to make this a better world through research and innovation is shared by all our researchers, together with their passion for knowledge and science.

IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute

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    «WE HAVE ACHIEVED THE SECOND CURE IN THE WORLD OF A PERSON WITH HIV»

    • Javier Martínez-Picado
      ICREA researcher at the Institut de Recerca de la Sida ”la Caixa”, IrsiCaixa, Badalona, and associate professor at Universitat de Vic

    • María Salgado
      Postdoctoral researcher at the Institut de Recerca de la Sida ”la Caixa”, IrsiCaixa

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    «WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE FIGHT AGAINST STIGMATISATION OF PEOPLE WITH HIV»

    • Josep Coll
      Clinical cohort coordinator of the HIVACAT programme , IrsiCaixa, and a physician in the HIV unit of Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona

    • Bonaventura Clotet
      Director of the Institut de Recerca de la Sida ”la Caixa”, IrsiCaixa, and head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona

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    «WE DESIGN MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES THAT BLOCK EBOLA VIRUS INFECTION AND THE SPREAD OF HIV»

    • Nuria Izquierdo-Useros
      Principal Investigator of the Institut de Recerca de la Sida ”la Caixa”, IrsiCaixa

    • Javier Martínez-Picado
      ICREA Research Professor at the Institut de Recerca de la Sida ”la Caixa”, IrsiCaixa, Badalona, and associate professor at Universitat de Vic

ISGlobal, Instituto de Salud Global de Barcelona

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    «CONFIRMATION THAT THE RTS,S VACCINE FAVOURS THE ACQUISITION OF NATURAL IMMUNITY AGAINST THE MALARIA PARASITE»

    • Antoni Plasència
      Director General of the Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona (ISGlobal)

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    «WE HAVE TO MAKE CITIES GREENER TO MAKE THEM HEALTHIER»

    • Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
      Director of the Urban Planning, Environment and Health Initiative of the Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona (ISGlobal), Barcelona

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    «AN ANTIOXIDANT DIET REDUCES THE RISK OF COLORECTAL CANCER BY 33 %»

    • Gemma Castaño-Vinyals
      Researcher at the Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona (ISGlobal)

    • Manolis Kogevinas
      Scientific Director of the Severo Ochoa distinction, Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona (ISGlobal)

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    «WE WANT TO FIND EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS FOR THE MOST AGGRESSIVE TYPES OF CERVICAL CANCER»

    • Jaume Ordi
      Research Professor at the Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona (ISGlobal), Professor of Pathological Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine of Universitat de Barcelona and senior consultant at Hospital Clínic, Barcelona

VHIO, Vall Hebron Institute of Oncology

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    «WE WILL CONTROL CANCER WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THE INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH PATIENT’S TUMOUR»

    • Josep Tabernero
      Director of the Vall d’Hebron Institut d’Oncologia (VHIO), Barcelona

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    «THE THERAPIES FOR METASTATIC HER2+ BREAST CANCER THAT WE ARE DEVELOPING WILL BECOME A STANDARD OF CARE»

    • Cristina Saura
      Principal Investigator of the Breast Cancer & Melanoma Group of Vall d’Hebron Institut d’Oncologia (VHIO), Barcelona

    • Mafalda Oliveira
      Medical Oncologist and Clinical Investigator of the Breast Cancer Group of Vall d’Hebron Institut d’Oncologia (VHIO), Barcelona

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    «WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN PROVIDING ANOTHER THERAPEUTIC OPTION TO PATIENTS WITH PANCREATIC CANCER»

    • Teresa Macarulla
      Principal Investigator of the Gastrointestinal and Endocrine Tumours Group of Vall d’Hebron Institut d’Oncologia (VHIO), Barcelona

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    «SIX NEW DRUGS AGAINST CANCER HAVE BEEN APPROVED THANKS TO THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE UITM - ”LA CAIXA”»

    • Elena Garralda
      Director of ”la Caixa” Molecular Cancer Therapy Research Unit (UITM), Vall d’Hebron Institut d’Oncologia (VHIO), Barcelona

Barcelonaβeta. BRAIN RESEARCH CENTER

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    «EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF PEOPLE AT RISK OF DEVELOPING ALZHEIMER’S FACILITATES APPLICATION OF PREVENTION STRATEGIES»

    • José Luis Molinuevo
      Scientific Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program of Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, Barcelona

BILATERAL AGREEMENTS

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    «WE RE-EDUCATE DEFENCE SYSTEM CELLS SO THAT THEY STOP THE PROGRESSION OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS»

    • Irati zubizarreta
      PhD student researcher in the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona

    • Daniel Benítez
      Researcher in the Immunogenetics of the Autoinflammatory Response Group of the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Barcelona

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    «I WANT TO DEFINE LIFESTYLES THAT ARE MORE BENEFICIAL FOR THE BRAIN»

    • Patricia Pozo-Rosich
      Head of the Migraine Adaptive Brain Center, Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona

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    «PROCEDURES WITH ARTIS PHENO HAVE A RESOUNDING SUCCESS, AND THERE ARE NOW MANY PATIENTS WHO HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THIS ROBOT»

    • Josep Ramon Armengol
      Director of the WIDER Centre-Barcelona

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    «WE HAVE PUT A FACE TO OTHER HUMANS THAT COEXISTED WITH US»

    • Tomàs Marquès-Bonet
      ICREA Research Professor. Director of the Instituto de Biología Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Barcelona

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    «LOOKING AFTER PREGNANT WOMEN IS KEY TO IMPROVING THE FUTURE HEALTH OF THEIR BABIES»

    • Eduard Gratacós
      Director of BCNatal, Centre of Maternal-Foetal Medicine at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic, Barcelona

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    «DAILY PHYSICAL EXERCISE IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE ELDERLY»

    • Nicolás Martínez-Velilla
      Researcher at Navarrabiomed and Head of the Department of Geriatric Medicine of Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra

HEALTH RESEARCH CALL

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    «EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF HOW CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKAEMIA WILL EVOLVE IN A PATIENT WOULD HELP OFFER THEM A MORE PERSONALISED TREATMENT»

    • Elías Campo
      Director of the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) and of the Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica (FCRB), Barcelona

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    «IF WE ARE ABLE TO REDUCE THE ACCUMULATION OF NEUROMELANIN IN NEURONS WE COULD AVOID THE PROGRESSION OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE»

    • Miquel Vila
      ICREA researcher at the Vall d’Hebron Instituto de Investigación (VHIR), Barcelona

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    «USING RETINA MINIORGANS ENABLES US TO BRING RESEARCH CLOSER TO THE PATIENT»

    • Pia Cosma
      ICREA Research Professor at the Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG), Barcelona

CAIXAIMPULSE CALL

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    “WE WANT TO PRODUCE RADICAL CHANGE IN GLOBAL EYE CARE”

    • Florencio González
      Physician in the Emergency Department of Hospital San Juan de Dios del Aljarafe and researcher of the Fundación Pública Andaluza para la Gestión de la Investigación en Salud de Sevilla

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    «WE ARE WORKING ON IMAGE-GUIDED PERSONALISED THERAPY TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH GLIOBLASTOMA»

    • Elies Fuster
      Marie Skłodowska-Curie researcher in the Department of Diagnostic Physics at Oslo University Hospital

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    «OUR DEVICE CAN DIAGNOSE THE RISK OF PREMATURE BIRTH WITH UP TO 90 % RELIABILITY»

    • Rubén Molina
      CEO of Innitius, a spin-off from the Universidad de Granada and the Servicio Andaluz de salud