Researchers from IIS IGTP share their CIBER group advances at the consortium’s conference

The Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER), a public research consortium created by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), celebrated its tenth anniversary as a consortium during a congress held from 27 to 29 November at the Valencia Conference Centre.

Over three days, the CIBER congress hosted 227 oral presentations on research projects, 6 round tables, 10 thematic sessions, 8 'flash talk' sessions, training workshops, and several science communication activities. Among the more than 1,500 attendees were researchers from the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) -  Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), which hosts eight CIBER groups across seven of the consortium's thematic areas. The presentations, round tables, and activities covered various topics, including global health, artificial intelligence and big data, drug development, collaboration with the private sector, precision medicine, early disease diagnosis, advanced therapies, ageing, antimicrobial resistance, patient and public involvement in research, and gender perspectives in biomedicine.

Some researchers from IIS IGTP had the opportunity to share their advances during the 'flash talk' sessions:

Elisa Martró, leader of the Pathogen Diagnostics and Genomic Epidemiology (DxEpiPath) research group at IGTP and a researcher in the group led by Jordi Casabona (CEEISCAT-IGTP) at the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), gave a talk on "Screening for Hepatitis B and C and linking migrants from endemic countries in Barcelona to care through a community-based intervention." Martró states: "This congress, held for the first time, has been an excellent opportunity to connect with researchers from other fields and foster collaborations. Since 2007, CIBERESP Group 27, which includes CEEISCAT and my research group, has been regularly collaborating with groups from CIBEREHD (Liver and Digestive Diseases), CIBERES (Respiratory Diseases), and CIBERINFEC (Infectious Diseases), as well as with CIBERBBN (Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine). Transdisciplinary collaborations are challenging but highly rewarding".

Meanwhile, Carolina Armengol, leader of the Childhood Liver Oncology Group (c-LOG) at IGTP and CIBEREHD, discussed identifying molecular targets for innovative therapies for hepatoblastoma. During her presentation, she explained the efforts being made as part of the intramural PMed4HB project, funded by the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer and coordinated at IGTP, in collaboration with four other CIBEREHD groups. "It has been very interesting to participate in the first meeting that brings together the different CIBER groups across Spain. It has been an inspiring experience, with transdisciplinary talks highlighting the need to research the impact of climate change on health and round tables with leaders in public health, such as the WHO. I especially valued the talks on the importance of integrating gender perspectives into our research, and I'd also like to mention the physical activity workshops, which created a dynamic atmosphere and reminded us how important it is to stay active during a conference".

Armengol also explains the significance of leading a CIBEREHD group: "It enables us to connect with other leading research groups across Spain in various fields to carry out collaborative projects, access specialised platforms, and secure stable funding. This allows us to stabilise our research staff and strengthen our lines of work. In recent years, we have established valuable multidisciplinary collaborations with different groups within CIBEREHD and others such as CIBERES, CIBERDEM, and CIBERONC".

Omar Ortega, a postdoctoral researcher in the Oropharyngeal Dysphagia and Neuro-gastroenterology research group at IGTP and CIBEREHD, led by Pere Clavé, presented his work titled "Basic and clinical research programme on oropharyngeal dysphagia associated with ageing: universal diagnosis using AI, neurophysiopathology, compensatory treatment, and the development of new treatments for the neurorehabilitation of swallowing function".

Ortega, Clavé, and Noemí Tomsen, from Consorci Sanitari del Maresme and part of IIS IGTP, comment: "For us, being part of CIBER means having the opportunity to collaborate with both clinical and basic interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary groups nationwide, with whom we have shared projects and strategic actions. Furthermore, it now allows us to participate in projects such as the 'Proyectos Semilla', which enable collaborations with CIBER groups from different thematic areas to create synergies and achieve greater impact in our research".

Joan Gil, postdoctoral researcher in the Endocrinology and Obesity group and Susan Webb's group at CIBERER, was one of the standout speakers in the thematic sessions on Artificial Intelligence and Big Data applied to health and research, held in the main auditorium before hundreds of attendees. Gil delivered an inspiring talk on the role of precision medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of acromegaly, a rare disease, using innovative data exploration tools. "It was a very gratifying surprise to see how a rare disease like acromegaly sparked so much interest among such a diverse audience," noted Joan Gil. His presentation stood out for illustrating the practical application of emerging technologies in personalised medicine and the direct benefits for patients derived from the "Proyecto de investigación de Medicina Personalizada de Precisión" by ISCIII, led by Manel Puig-Domingo, with the collaboration of Mireia Jordà.

The CIBER conference also provided a unique platform to foster interdisciplinary collaborations. "These meetings allow us to establish synergies with scientists from fields seemingly distant from ours, but by joining forces, we contribute to better research, more precise diagnoses, and more effective treatments for patients," Gil stated. This event exemplifies the transformative potential of collaboration across disciplines. The integration of AI and Big Data into biomedical research demonstrates CIBER's commitment to advancing toward more efficient, patient-centered medicine.

The Consorcio CIBER-ISCIII is a multidisciplinary, cooperative, and networked biomedical research structure that includes nearly 6,000 researchers from multiple centres and research groups affiliated with various public and private administrations and institutions across Spain. It is committed to advancing health and promoting joint work across all areas of research it encompasses.