Awards for Research Career in Primary Care and for Best Article at the 16th Conference of Institut Català de la Salut, focused on cancer

• It has been a meeting point and an opportunity to share strategies, knowledge and innovative projects that contribute to improving the health and quality of life of people affected by cancer.
• Researchers affiliated with the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) have been recognised in the 2025 Research Awards granted by the Scientific Council of Institut Català de la Salut (ICS).
• Pere Torán, coordinator of the Research Unit at IDIAPJGol - ICS Metropolitana Nord and director of the Program in Public Health and Primary Care (CORE) at IGTP, received the Award for Research Career in Primary Care; and Federico Fondelli, postdoctoral researcher in the Immunopathology Research Group at IGTP, received the Award for Best Research Article in Health Sciences.

In 2024, more than 40,000 new cases of malignant tumors were diagnosed in Catalonia and it is estimated that 17,000 deaths from cancer occurred, making it one of the main causes of death in Catalonia and also worldwide. The 16th edition of the ICS Research Conference is based on this reality and highlights the need to continue advancing in clinical and translational research. 

Professionals from the different research institutes linked to the ICS have spoken about how they see the future of the disease, the current challenges and the need to approach research from multidisciplinary perspectives that integrate diverse knowledge and experiences. 

Along these lines, the managing director of the ICS, Josep M. Pomar Reynés, has summarized the current state of research at the ICS. He has highlighted that: "The ICS and its associated research institutes are the greatest power in biomedical research in the country" and that this leadership position is the result of a sustained collective effort and a firm commitment to innovation, teaching and the transfer of results to society". 

The data for the years 2020 and 2023 from the ICS and its linked institutes confirm a trend of growth and consolidation in scientific production, with more indexed publications and an increasingly greater international impact. 

He also highlighted the increase in competitive funds obtained, a clear indicator of the ability to attract funding for the research teams that are part of the ICS and which has allowed projects with high transformative potential to be promoted. 

In the field of cancer, data shows that significant advances have been made. The Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida), with more than two decades of continuous research, is an outstanding example of the commitment and capacity to generate useful knowledge for people's health. 

In the keynote lecture, Xavier Matias-Guiu, head of the Pathological Anatomy service at the Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital and head of the Oncological Pathology Research Group at the IRBLleida, explained the importance of the role of pathologists in integrated morphological-molecular analysis. 

In the round table, professionals from research institutes linked to the ICS presented experiences and research projects that aim to improve the approach to cancer treatment from different disciplines . 

The meeting also announced the winners of the 2025 call for the various Research Awards, awarded by the Scientific Council of the ICS. In this edition, of the seven award categories, five were for women researchers. The Awards distinguish the significant contribution to the development of research in health sciences, with the aim of promoting and recognizing high-quality biomedical research, of a preclinical and clinical nature, carried out by the institution and its associated research institutes. 

In this sense, Francesc Xavier Cos, head of the Innovation and Research Support Office (OSIR) of the ICS, highlighted that "these Awards that we present today are just a small sample of the talent that exists at the ICS. It is an honor that you have chosen us as a place to develop yourself as research professionals". He also added that the will of the OSIR is to continue accompanying the researchers of the ICS and encouraging them on this path to the future. 

At the conclusion, the president of the ICS Board of Directors, Montserrat Figuerola, congratulated all the winners "for their passion, enthusiasm and perseverance", values ​​that, she added, "the institution also has integrated into the center of its activity and strategy". 

This year's award-winning professionals were: 

Awards for Research Career at the ICS

• María Butí Hospitals (VHIR) , for her internationally outstanding career in clinical and translational research focused on viral hepatitis and chronic liver disease. 

ICS 2025 Young Researcher Award to

• Glòria Iacoboni (VHIO), who stands out mainly in the field of knowledge generation for the high number of high-impact scientific publications and her contribution in the field of advanced CAR-T therapies. 

ICS 2025 Nursing Research Career Award to  

• Gemma Via Clavero ( IDIBELL ), who stands out for her excellent career in the fields of teaching, care, research and innovation focused on patient safety. Her research focuses mainly on the use of mechanical restraints in the ICU and person-centered care in the field of intensive care. 

ICS Primary Care Research Career Award 2024

Award for Research with Impact in the Field of ICS 

• The ICS 2025 Research with Impact Award has been awarded jointly to the narrative of Manel Mendoza (VHIR) and the narrative of M. Rosa Dalmau (IDIAP Jordi Gol). 

Manel Mendoza's project aims to develop a screening and early detection program for preeclampsia. The studies have allowed the validation of preeclampsia screening algorithms and the establishment of cut-off points applicable to pregnant women in Catalonia, optimizing the use of aspirin and introducing new biomarkers in screening. These results have been incorporated into official protocols, which have benefited more than 200,000 pregnant women in Catalonia, in the last 7 years. 

Regarding the project by M. Rosa Dalmau, it is a relevant initiative aimed at improving the adequacy of anticoagulant treatment through the implementation of the CDS-NVAF tool, based on the visualization of the time in therapeutic range (TRT) in the electronic medical record of primary care, improving the adequacy of anticoagulant treatment in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, reducing hospitalizations for stroke and mortality. 

Award for the Best Research Article in Health Sciences 

• As for the Best Article Award presented by a resident, the ICS Scientific Council awarded it to Inés Serratosa de Caralt (IDIBELLL), for her article "Neoadjuvant Therapy in Robotic Lung Surgery: Elevating Surgical Complexity Without Compromising Outcomes". 

ICS 2025 Best Research Poster Awards 

• The two winners of the Best Research Poster of the ICS 2025 were Rosalia Dacosta Aguayo (IDIAP Jordi Gol) and Laia Fernández Resano , from the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR).