Quique Bassat Will Be the New Director General of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health

The Board of Trustees of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has appointed Quique Bassat as the new Director General of the institution. Bassat will succeed Antoni Plasència, who has led the institution since October 2014. 

A paediatrician and epidemiologist, Quique Bassat is ICREA Research Professor and Director of the Malaria and Neglected Parasitic Diseases programme at ISGlobal, as well as Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona and researcher at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. Throughout his professional career, which has included long stays in the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM), in Mozambique, he has combined his clinical work with biomedical research on infectious diseases affecting the poorest and most vulnerable populations, with his two main areas of interest being childhood malaria and respiratory infections (bacterial or viral). 

"I am honoured and thrilled by this opportunity that the Board of Trustees has given me," says Bassat. "ISGlobal plays a critical role in advancing global health and equity, and I look forward to continuing to work with the incredible team of professionals that make up ISGlobal in my new role to further our positive impact around the world.

A rigorous selection process 

On behalf of the Executive Committee of ISGlobal's Board of Trustees, a selection committee made up of experts appointed by the Board of Trustees, with the support of the CERCA system of the Generalitat de Catalunya, carried out the selection process for the new director through a public and international call for applications. From the list of applications received, a group of highly qualified candidates were interviewed to assess their scientific solvency, management skills and strategic proposals for ISGlobal. Quique Bassat was the unanimous choice because of his proven scientific, clinical and translational track record and his commitment to ISGlobal's mission and values. His experience in the field, his ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and his innovative vision were key aspects in the Committee's final assessment. 

In relation to the change of Director, the Board of Trustees expresses its deep gratitude to the outgoing director, Antoni Plasència, for his strong commitment and exemplary leadership, and expresses its full confidence in his successor, Quique Bassat. "Through a rigorous selection process we have chosen the best candidate to lead this new cycle. The "la Caixa" Foundation is proud to continue to support ISGlobal in its strategy to address the major global health challenges and promote equity in health through excellence in research and the transfer and application of knowledge", said Javier Solana, Chairman of the Executive Committee of ISGlobal.

A cycle marked by institutional growth 

Antoni Plasència, with a distinguished professional career in public health, has led ISGlobal for the past nine years. Under his leadership, the three pre-existing institutions were integrated, contributing to ISGlobal's remarkable growth and achieving a level of institutional excellence that, together with its recognition as a Severo Ochoa centre, consolidates it as an international benchmark in global health research and translation. It has also strengthened strategic alliances with national and international institutions, thus broadening the impact of its research and programmes. 

Last June, Plasència informed the Board of Trustees that he wished to complete his mandate and renew the executive leadership of ISGlobal, contributing to its institutional strengthening. The transition process between the two directors will take place in the coming weeks, to ensure a smooth transfer of responsibilities, and is expected to be completed by 31 December 2023. Plasència will remain associated with the Institute and will take on new responsibilities, thus maintaining his valuable link with the institution he has helped to strengthen. 

"I am deeply grateful to have enjoyed the trust of ISGlobal's Board of Trustees and professionals in this collective success of construction and consolidation of which we should all feel very proud," says Antoni Plasència. "It is a unique privilege - in Spain, in Catalonia, in Barcelona and on the international scene - that institutions of such prestige and diversity in their visions and missions agree on the importance of continuously supporting excellent research in global health, research that pursues 'health and equity without borders'. I am confident that with the commitment and cooperation of the entire ISGlobal community, the new leadership that now begins will contribute to a period of new progress and recognition while keeping with the centre’s 'science with heart'. 

In his new role as General Director of ISGlobal from January, Bassat will be responsible for leading ISGlobal into a new strategic cycle, maintaining its commitment to excellence in research, training and translation to promote health equity worldwide, especially among the most disadvantaged populations.