The Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) focuses its research on the following areas of biomedicine:SPAN>

• Area 1: Biological Aggression and Response Mechanisms
• Area 2: Respiratory, Cardiovascular and Renal Pathobiology and Bioengineering
• Area 3: Liver, Digestive System and Metabolism
• Area 4: Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences
• Area 5: Oncology and Haematology
• Area 6: International Health

These areas, divided between more than 50 teams, are regularly evaluated on the basis of two criteria: Firstly, they are assessed on their scientific output, based on original articles published in high-impact-factor scientific journals (those quoted in the Science Citation Index).Secondly, they are assessed on their capacity to attract funding through public and private grants.

The Hospital Clínic’s long research tradition positions it as one of the leading institutions in its field both nationally and internationally.

A significant proportion of the Hospital’s research activity is performed through the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS).

Research project management and administration is carried out by the Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica.

Area 1 is formed by 8 teams that conduct research into the response mechanisms to biological aggressions from different standpoints. This area carries out a wide range of activities, which are divided up into two parts. Firstly, the study of infectious and toxic agents, and secondly, immunological and inflammatory reactions of the body. Among other topics of general interest, the research lines in this area are focused on aspects as important and varied as: retroviral diseases (AIDS); mechanisms of the immunological system and auto-immune diseases; study of genetic expression and epidemiology; mass spectrometry analytical techniques; and musculoskeletal system studies. The area is important for its capacity to attract public and private investment, and for its fast-growing scientific output.

• Coordinator: Dr. Jordi Vila Estapé, jvila@clinic.ub.es
• Delegate: Dra. Ana Angulo Aguado, aangulo@ub.edu
  • Inflammatory arthropathies (GRAI)

  • Systemic autoimmune diseases

  • Experimental and analytical toxicology
  • Signal transduction and gene expression regulation
  • Transplant immunology
  • Infectious diseases and AIDS
  • Epidemiology and International Health Research Group (GRESI)
  • Public health and nosocomial infections
  • Molecular and cellular bases of inflammation
  • Structural and biological mass spcetrometry

The area has 8 teams, and is focused on the study of three vital parts of the body: the respiratory, cardiovascular and renal systems. It deals with the various pathologies and risks affecting these systems, from different standpoints. Half these teams are dedicated to the study of arterial hypertension, coronary disease and electrophysiology, lipids as a cardiovascular risk factor and nephrourological diseases, and kidney transplants. The other half are part of the Networked Biomedical Research Centre on Respiratory Disease (CIBERes), in which a large number of Spanish centres participate. Its research programmes deal with the following topics: inflammation and repair of the respiratory tracts, molecular bases of respiratory infections, pathobiology of lung cancer, respiratory disorders during sleep and respiratory failure. The scientific output of Area 2 is reflected in its high impact factor.

Area 3 has 14 teams and is formed by researchers who combine their skills in clinical, experimental and basic research. Its translational research approach has succeeded in contributing important breakthroughs in terms of knowledge, diagnostic techniques and the treatment of pathologies of interest to the groups. The mission of the different teams composing this area is to apply innovative methods to different medical problems: cirrhosis and liver complications, inflammatory and neoplastic diseases of the digestive tract, metabolic disorders in diabetes, metabolic bone diseases and foetal medicine. The Liver, Digestive System and Metabolism area is one of the most productive areas, with many publications in the first quartile of the Science Citation Index. It has also proved to be one of the most competitive areas in terms of private investment and competitive public grants.

• Coordinator: Dr. Julià Panés Diaz - jpanes@clinic.ub.es
• Delegate: Dr. Jorge Ferrer Marrades - jferrer@clinic.ub.es
  • Gynaecological endocrinology and human reproduction
  • Fetal & perinatal medicine
  • Metabolic regulation and molecular pathologies
  • Metabolic regulation & molecular disease
  • Bone metabolic disease
  • Viral hepatitis in immunocompetent & liver transplant patients
  • Pathophysiology and treatment of ascites and renal function disorder in liver cirrhosis
  • Hepatic oncology
  • Hepatic haemodynamics and portal hypertension. Digestive tract bleeding ue to rupture of oesophageal varicoses veins
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Liver failure and cholestasis
  • Mitochondrial regulation of cell death and steatohepatitis
  • Liver transplantation and graft viability
  • Gastroentestinal and pancreatic oncology
  • Diabetes. Metabolic and molecular networks

This area of IDIBAPS specialises in the study of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Based on the excellent cooperation between the experimental and clinical units, its 11 teams conduct research into topics ranging from the study of the structure/function relationship in the nervous system and its basic molecular mechanisms for neurotransmission and cell death to the development and evaluation of new experimental therapies. It also includes innovative trends such as systems neuroscience. Some of the pathologies studied are neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases of the nervous system and serious psychiatric disorders. The different teams complement one another by sharing objectives, techniques and know-how. The public and private investments in this area, as well as its scientific output, are proof of its considerable human and technical potential.

• Coordinator: Dra. Anna Planas - ampfat@iibb.csic.es
• Delegate: Dr. Pablo Villoslada Diaz - pvillosl@clinic.ub.es
• Degenerative and autoimmune diseases of the nervous system
• Neurophysiology and functional study of the nervous system
• Secondary lesions due to chronic alcohol consumption; muscular pathology
• Cell biology of pathological processes
• Biological bases of mental disorders and nuclear psychiatry
• Neuropsychology
• Neurobiology unit
• Neuropharmacology and experimental neuropathology
• Systems neuroscience
• Cerebral ischaemia: clinical and experimental studies

The 12 teams composing this area perform basic, experimental and clinical research tasks in the fields of oncology and haematology. Their aim is to improve prevention, prognosis and treatment in a group of diseases that is becoming more and more common in modern-day society: cancer processes. The research lines of the different teams dedicated to the study of cancer are focused on the molecular mechanisms involved in the programmed growth and death of cells, the development of neoplastic models and improvements in diagnosing cancer with new tumour markers. In addition, the haemato-oncology teams study the different erythropathies and disorders of haemostasis as well as blood coagulation. The large number of national and international collaborations produced in this area, together with the many original articles generated, show that oncology and haematology are topics of current interest in the biomedical sector.

• Coordinator: Dra. Dolors Colomer Pujol - dcolomer@clinic.ub.es
• Delegate: Dra. Cristina Nadal Sanmartin - cnadal@clinic.ub.es
  • Biological markers in oncology
  • Human and experimental functional oncomorphology
  • Diagnosis and therapy in oncology
  • Molecular genetics
  • Genetics
  • Genetic factors and treatment of malignant melanomas 
  • Haemopoietic progenitor transplantation
  • Haematology-Oncology
  • Pathophysiology and molecular bases in haematology
  • Cell interaction and adhesive proteins
  • Haemotherapy and haemostasis (www.platelet-research.org)
  • Cell proliferation and signalling

Area 6. International Health

This area was set up in 2007 to provide a response to the growing importance of tropical diseases and those of developing countries. Its basic missions are research related to public health, epidemiology and the prevention and control of transmissible diseases. Other key fields of research conducted by the two teams in this area are health emergencies and hospital infections. The recent creation of this area responds to the enormous scientific and economic potential of its researchers, and the social interest in epidemiology and international health.