ISGlobal Turns Into a University of Barcelona Affiliated University Research Institute

Through an order published in DOGV on July 22, the Generalitat de Catalunya accepted the affiliation of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) as university research institute of the University of Barcelona. This measure comes six years after the creation of ISGlobal and involves recognition, not only for its research activities but also for their training programs and activities of knowledge transfer on global policies and development.

“Becoming a university research institute of the University of Barcelona makes ISGlobal an academic reference regarding worldwide health fields”, said the Director of the Training of the institute, Núria Casamitjana.

The Vice-Rector of Research, Innovation and Transference, Jordi Alberch, values positively this agreement: “This agreement creates a collaboration situation between the University of Barcelona and ISGlobal from many years ago, which now allows them to be more competitive internationally regarding global health. These kind of collaborations places us in on world top regarding research and innovation in biomedicine which allows us having a better health care”.

The affiliation to the University of Barcelona as a university research institute happened some weeks after the integration between the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) and ISGlobal. As a result of this merge, the new ISGlobal has now a staff made up of 376 people and 30 research teams, divided into two big areas: infectious diseases on the one hand, and non-communicable diseases and environment on the other. Therefore, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health has two campuses: Clinic Campus, near the Clinic Hospital, and MAR Campus, in the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB).

Regarding education, ISGlobal participates and coordinates 24 postgraduate programs and short courses at the University of Barcelona, among which stand out the Master on Global Health, Master on Clinical Research: major on International Health, or the doctorate lines on International Health of the Translational Medicine and Research program; and the Erasmus Mundus Trans Global Health program.

As a result of the merger between CREAL and ISGlobal, the ‘University Pompeu Fabra affiliated university research institute’ status that CREAL held since 2012 has been also conferred to ISGlobal, awaiting the official notice by the Catalan Government, that should occur shortly.

Reference in the fight against Malaria or Chagas

The University of Barcelona adds one of the most distinguished marks in Europe and worldwide regarding global health research and which has led research on diseases such as malaria, Chagas or frambesia, as well as mother-child health or health-related problems which affect the most disadvantaged populations in the world.

“For both the University of Barcelona and ISGlobal, this eases the creation of synergies and a better collaboration in research, education, innovation and transfer of the knowledge in the health field, and more specifically, in biomedicine, where the University of Barcelona is already a worldwide reference university” said Doctor Casamitjana.

The University of Barcelona has more than 301 consolidated research groups. In 2015 the university got 489 research agreements through calls and more than 35 accepted projects in the program Horizon 2020, with earnings of around 89 million euros. Now the University of Barcelona has thirty research centers and institutes, both single and participants.