Lines of research: Introduction

The Doctoral Degree in Health Sciences at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya is coherently adapted to the current educational and academic offer in which the following lines of research are proposed, all of which are carried out by a large group of lecturers with accredited research experience.

Coordinator: Dr. Albert Balaguer Santamaría

Head of research line: Dr. Cristina Monforte Royo

Objectives:

• To study the protective and precursory factors of the suffering of people diagnosed with terminal illness and their families.
• To further our understanding of the needs of people with advanced illness and their families.
• To analyse the different treatments for alleviating the suffering of both patients and their families following a diagnosis of advanced illness.
• To investigate the impact of and approach to suffering and the desire to anticipate death in patients with advanced illness.
• To develop diagnostic, support and treatment models for patients and families.
• To create learning models that provide professionals training on how to address the needs of people with terminal illness and their families. 
   

This line integrates a recognised and consolidated research group (2021-SGR-01379) and the WeCare Chair: End of Life Care.

The group’s object of study is suffering, particularly the desire to anticipate death (DAM) in people with terminal illness. In recent years, we have attempted to answer some of the most urgent questions about this phenomenon: What does it mean for those who experience it? Why do some patients, but not all, wish to die? How prevelant is it, and what factors trigger DAM?

Our research has been carried out from a multidimensional perspective (including physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects) and encompasses not only patients, but also families and professionals. This group has contributed to improving:

a) the understanding and conceptualisation of DAM,
b) its detection and evaluation,
c) the identification and understanding of certain related factors,
d) the identification and evaluation of the needs of people with advanced illness,
e) the design, consensus and implementation of assessment models on the needs of people with advanced illness,
f) self-confidence among professionals to address and manage suffering and a desire to anticipate death in patients with advanced illness, and
g) the importance of providing patients in palliative care the opportunity to talk about death.

Website: https://wecare.uic.es/en/home/
 

Research and teaching team:

• Dr Cristina Monforte Royo
• Dr Albert Balaguer Santamaría
• Dr Iris Crespo Martin
• Dr María Fernández Capo
• Dr Andrea Mercedes Rodríguez Prat
• Dr Joaquim Julià Torras
• Dr Blanca Goñi Fusté 
   

For more information, please contact: Dr Iris Crespo (icrespo@uic.es) or Dr Andrea Rodríguez (arodriguezp@uic.es)

Head of the line of research: Dr. Alberto Gallart Fernández-Puebla

Objectives:

The UIC Barcelona Health Education line of research focuses on two main areas:

• Health education, aimed at improving the population's knowledge of health and its determinants, and training future health professionals as health educators;
• Education in health sciences, aimed at improving the training of future health professionals to achieve professional excellence both in their technical skills and in their relational skills, self-management, inter-professionalism, prioritisation and decision-making.

Team of research professors

• Dr. Alberto Gallart Fernández-Puebla
• Dr. Esteve Llargués Rocabruna
• Dr. Mireia Llauradó Serr
• Dr. Lluís Giner Tarrida
• Dr. Encarnación Rodríguez Higueras
• Dr. María Ángeles de Juan Pardo
• Dr. Pablo Mezquita Mas

For more information, please contact: Dr Albert Gallart agallart@uic.es

Head of the line of research: Dr. Xavier Corbella Virós

Objectives:

• Application in clinical practice of the knowledge acquired in the biomedical and/or basic and/or experimental sciences laboratory, with the aim of improving healthcare.
• To understand the mechanisms of the disease, as well as its demographic, epidemiological and/or socioeconomic determinants, as well as its clinical characteristics, diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures, prognostic factors and/or preventive measures.
• To analyse best practices in terms of activity, quality, safety, efficiency and satisfaction, at the level of care, professional, organisational, institutional and/or health system itself, as well as in the field of public health and/or health policies.

Team of research professors

• Dr. Xavier Corbella Virós
• Dr. Alfonso Antón López
• Dr. Rafael Fernández Fernández
• Dr. Rafael Ignacio Barraquer Compte
• Dr. Paloma Puyalto de Pablo
• Dr. Esperanza Luisa Gómez Durán
• Dr. José María Serra Renom
• Dr. Ramón Grimalt Santacana
• Dr. Pedro Álvarez Díaz
• Dr. Albert Pérez Bellmunt

For more information, please contact: Dr Xavier Corbella xcorbella@uic.es

Head of the line of research: Dr. José Nart Molina

Objectives:

• To study scientific advances and establish medical and health improvements in preventing, diagnosing and treating infectious diseases.
• To study the interrelationship and translation of different infectious diseases.
• To promote general patient health, reducing the risk of infections and inflammatory diseases.

Team of research professors

• Dr. José Nart Molina
• Dr. Carmen Muñoz Almagro
• Dr. Esther Calbo Sebastían
• Dr. Josep Mª  Badía Pérez
• Dr. Andrés Matteo Pascual La Rocca
• Dr. Antonio Santos Alemany
• Dr. Cristina Vallès Vegas

For more information, please contact:

Dentistry area: Dr Cristina Vallès Vegas cristinavallveg@uic.es

Medicine area: Dr. Carmen Muñoz Almagro cmunoza@uic.es

Head of the line of research: Dr. José M.ª Martínez Sánchez

Objectives:

To characterise the health determinants of the population in our environment.

• To evaluate the implemented health policies.
• To develop public health policies of primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary prevention to reduce the impact of non-communicable diseases in the population.
• To find new biological markers for the correct characterisation of health determinants.

Team of research professors

• Dr. José M.ª Martínez Sánchez
• Dr. Juan Carlos Martín Sánchez
• Dr. Carlos García Forero
• Dr. Joan Bosch Sabater
• Dr. Cristina Lidón Moyano
• Dr. Adrián González Marrón

For more information, please contact: Dr. José M Martínez-Sánchez jmmartinez@uic.es

Head of research line: Dr. M.ª Caridad Bagur Calafat

Objectives:

The main research objective of this group is to analyse the mechanisms of physiotherapy assessment and performance in the processes involved in movement control and execution.

Research and teaching team:

• Dr Rosa Cabanas Valdés
• Dr Silvia Ortega Cebrian
• Dr Pere Ramón Rodríguez Rubio
• Dr Marcio Vinicius Fagundes Donadio
• Dr M. Caridad Bagur Calafat
• Dr Daniel Romero Rodríguez
• Dr Andoni Carrasco Urribaren
• Dr Sara Cabanillas Barea
• Dr Monique Sartor 
• Dr David Blanco de Tena Davila
   

For more information, please contact: Dr M. Caridad Bagur Calafat (cbagur@uic.es)

Head of research line: Dr. Román Pérez Antoñanzas

Objectives:

• To interlink multidisciplinary concepts from various fields such as biology, chemistry, materials science, physics and medicine to develop medical devices that can enhance the regeneration or replacement of damaged organs. 
• To understand and study the interactions between such medical devices and living tissues.
• To learn experimental methodologies and techniques in the field of Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine.

Research lines:

The main objective is to establish new systems and devices that can stimulate the regeneration of damaged or injured tissue. The Institute is subdivided into four main research areas:

1. Substrates for tissue regeneration

A key aspect of research will be to develop new biomaterials and substrates capable of guiding cells towards specific lineages to stimulate the regeneration of damaged tissue. This will be achieved by adjusting the chemical and physical characteristics of biomaterials to mimic the native structure of tissues and organs. 

2. Biomolecule/cell distribution systems

Our goal is to mimic the regenerative pathways of native tissues by releasing multiple molecules involved in tissue regeneration. This objective will be achieved through the sequential distribution of therapeutic molecules and/or ions, as well as the encapsulation of cells capable of releasing signalling molecules to surrounding tissues. The intention is to obtain fibre-based systems that can be easily applied to 3D printing to allow for the allocation of cells and molecules in specific assignments. 

3. Cell therapy

The aim is to develop protocols that allow for cellular differentiation through more efficient strategies than those currently being used. It also aims to modulate cell response through different molecules and/or ions. 

4. Dental materials 

The aim of this research line is to improve the materials currently being used in dental implants, to enhance their activity and increase the success of the implanted materials. 
 

Research and teaching team

• Dr. Román Pérez Antoñanzas
• Dr. Javier Gil Mur
• Dr Miguel Angel Mateos Timoneda
• Dr Begoña Bosch Canals
• Dr Jennifer Olmos Buitrago
• Dr Emilio Castro Otero
• Dr. Luis Delgado Garoña
• Dr Soledad Pérez Amodio
• Dr Xavier Marimón Serra
• Dr Alejandro Portela Ontaño
• Dr Behnam Mobaraki

For more information, please contact: Dr. Isabel Elorduy (ielorduy@uic.es)

Head of research line: Dr. Federico Hernández Alfaro and Dr. Miguel Roig Cayón

Objectives:

Treatment and rehabilitation of oral disability. To further explore the treatment of processes that cause oral disability, the treatment of sequelae caused by maxillofacial tumour disease, osteochemionecrosis of the jaws, trauma, maxillomandibular atrophy due to edentulism, maxillofacial developmental alterations and dental pathology. The Treatment and Rehabilitation Team for Patients with Oral and Maxillofacial Disability is the result of the merger of three research teams and focues on the comprehensive restoration of patients’ oral and facial function. This encompasses everything from problems in the jaw and maxilla to bone reconstruction procedures and conservation and restoration techniques in endodontic dentistry. The objective is to unify all research that involves the holistic and comprehensive treatment of patients:

• Comprehensive reconstruction project for people with oro-facial disability.
• Rehabilitation project in maxillary atrophies.
• Dental autotransplantation project.
• Treatment project for obstructive sleep apnea.
• Minimally invasive digitised orthognathic and reconstructive surgery project.
• Project for the creation of computer programs for clinical decision-making in patients with oral pathology.
• Personalised reconstructive medicine project.
• New technologies in endodontics.
• Projects in the treatment of TMJ dysfunction.
   

Research and teaching team:

• Dr. Federico Hernández Alfaro
• Dr. Miguel Roig Cayón
• Dr. Josep Cabratosa Termes
• Dr. Fernándo Duran-Sindreu
• Dr. Francesc Abella Sans
• Dr. Jordi Gargallo Albiol
• Dr. Andreu Puigdollers Pérez
• Dr. Marta Vallès Rodríguez
• Dr. Marta Satorres Nieto
• Dr. Juan Gonzalo Olivieri
• Dr Pablo Altuna Fistolera
• Dr José Antonio González
• Dr Jordi Caballé Serrano
• Dr https://www.uic.es/en/teacher/avalls
• Dr Marc García Font
• Dr Jordi Tomas Aliberas
• Dr Oscar Salomó Coll
• Dr Samir Aboul-Hosn Centenero
• Dr Susana García González
• Dr Jorge Bertos
• Dr Maria Giralt Hernando
   

For more information, please contact:

Periodontics: Dr Cristina Vallés (cristinavallveg@uic.es)

Surgery: Dr. Maria Giralt Hernando (mgiralt@uic.es)

Orthodontic: Dr. Andreu Puigdollers Pérez (andreup@uic.es)

Endodontics: Dr Francesc Abella Sans (franabella@uic.es)

Head of research line: Dr. Núria Casals Farré

Objectives:

The molecular, cellular and physiological study of neurons and their integration into the organism as a whole.

Currently, the research sublines are as follows:

• Hypothalamic control of energy metabolism and obesity prevention.
• Transport of AMPA glutamate receptors and their role in cognition.
• Molecular bases of hereditary spastic paraplegia.
• Regulation of axonal transport by nutrients.
• In vivo functional imaging of brain circuits for sensory, predictive and attention processing.
• Cerebral bases of language processing and learning.
• Interaction between synaptic plasticity and brain waves as a molecular mechanism of learning and memory. 
• 4D functional mapping of dendritic spine plasticity in models of autism spectrum disorders.
   

Research and teaching team

• Dr Núria Casals Farré
• Dr Rosalía Rodríguez Rodríguez
• Dr Rut Fadó Andrés
• Dr Miguel Baena Muñoz
• Dr Sebastián Ignacio Zagmutt Caroca
• Dr West Kristian Paraiso
• Dr Begoña Díaz Menéndez
• Dr Patricia León
• Dr Miguel Bosch Pita
• Dr Andrea Santuy Muñoz

For more information, please contact: Dr Núria Casals (ncasals@uic.es)

Head of research line: Dr Roni Helene Grace Wright

Objective:

Team formed with the aim of studying different aspects of cellular physiology and pathology, especially proliferation. Some of the questions it addresses are:

• Analysis of the role of new cyclins in tumours.
• Cellular response to nutrient limitation.
• Study of the role of nuclear ATP in metastasis.
• Discovery and cellular validation of potential cancer biomarkers in 3D spheroids and CAM in vivo models.
   

Research and teaching team:

• Dr Roni Helene Grace Wright
• Dr  Josep Clotet
• Dr Samuel Bru
• Dr Eva Quandt
• Dr Martí Aldea
• Dr Javier Jiménez
• Dr Joan Marc Martínez

For more information, please contact:

• Tumour cell metabolism (Polyphosphate):  Dr Samuel Bru Rullo (sbru@uic.es)
• Mechanisms of tumour cell proliferation by Atypical Cyclins: Dr Eva Quandt (equandt@uic.es)
• Mechanisms of aggressive cancer progression: Dr Roni Helene Grace Wright (rhgwright@uic.es)

Head of research line: Dra. Mayka Sánchez 

Objective:

This research line is part of the SGR group: 2021 SGR-00561- GRC- Hereditary Haematology and Iron Metabolism.

This SGR is comprised of researchers from the Research Group in Iron Metabolism: Regulation and Diseases at UIC Barcelona and external researchers from VHIO, FTM, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Hospitals HM Nens de Barcelona, ICO-Badalona-HGTiP.  

This team has been formed with the aim of studying different aspects of iron metabolism and other hereditary haematological diseases at the molecular, cellular, genetic and pathophysiological levels. 

The group’s objectives are:

• To improve the genetic diagnosis of diseases related to iron metabolism and other hereditary haematological diseases using NGS panels in cooperation with BLOODGENETICS and WHOLE GENIX SL.
• Discovery and functional characterisation of new diseases related to iron metabolism and other hereditary haematological diseases through WES and WGS.
• Development of telemedicine tools to improve the diagnosis and management of patients with hereditary haematological diseases and diseases related to iron metabolism.
• Discovery of new mRNAs regulated by IRPs through molecular and cellular studies in cell lines and in vitro and in vivo studies.
• Development and improvement of bioinformatics tools to predict mRNA elements called Iron Response Elements or IREs. 

At present, the research lines are as follows:

• DIAGNOSIS AND GENE THERAPY IN CDA. Translational research on Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anaemias (CDA), a rare type of hereditary anaemia, to improve its diagnosis and develop innovative therapies such as Gene Therapy for Type II CDA.
• NEW GENES IN IRON METABOLISM – IRP/IRE Regulatory System. Basic research on new mRNAs that contain an Iron Response Element (IRE) and are post-transcriptionally regulated by Iron Regulatory Proteins (IRPs).
• NEW DISEASES, NEW GENES AND NOVEL MUTATIONS IN HEREDITARY HAEMATOLOGICAL DISEASES AND DISEASES RELATED TO IRON. Transnational research on the discovery of new human diseases and new mutations in hereditary haematological disorders and iron-related diseases. 
• CLINICAL GUIDELINES, TELEMEDICINE TOOLS, BIOINFORMATIC TOOLS AND PATIENT SUPPORT (HEMOCHROMATOSIS AND RARE ANAEMIAS), NANOTECHNOLOGY AND HAEMATOLOGICAL DISEASES. Multiplexed nanobiosensors for instant diagnosis and classification of anaemia at the point of care. 
   

Research team:

• Dr Mayka Sánchez
• Dr Gonzalo Hernández Viedma
• Dr Rodrigo Fraile-Beneitez
• Dr Sandra Fernández Moya 
• Dr Mate Maus (VHIO)
• Dr Inés Hernández-Rodríguez (IJC-HGTiP-ICO Badalona)
• Dr Álvaro Díaz Conradi (UIC/Hospital HM Nens BCN)
• Dr Cristina Chantal Sanz Marcelo (Hospital Clínic Barcelona)
• Dr Cristian Tornador Antolín (Fundació Teresa Morató)

For more information, please contact: Dra. Mayka Sánchez  (msanchezfe@uic.es).