In 2021, the Area has been composed by nine groups addressing main unsolved issues in cancer, covering the fields of child and adolescent cancer, melanoma, gynecology, urology, cancer stem cells and molecular mechanisms of the tumor pathologies, as well as nanomedicine. We work in close collaboration with the corresponding clinical departments at the Hospital. This provides a unique opportunity to tackle the abovementioned pathologies during the entire journey of the disease, from diagnosis (a focus and strength of our Area) to personalized treatment (with important international impact during 2021 in the field of child cancer). Our research in 2021 has been relevant also in the field of the use of nanotechnology in biomedical applications to improve therapeutic strategies and diagnostics. Despite, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Area has kept active at virtual shared activities and ONCO-VHIR seminars and the organization of the World Cancer Day event to get closer to the society. During 2021 in-Campus collaborations with VHIO have been strengthen and internalization of our research has been amplified.  It is also noteworthy the shared scientific production in terms of publications between different groups of the Area and the stable collaborations between groups that have consolidated during these period.

The VAM area was created to allow a comprehensive, cooperative and multidisciplinary approach in basic, clinical and epidemiology research. The ultimate goal is the innovation and transfer of solutions in a group of diseases that are closely interrelated and that constitute the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world: cardio-cerebrovascular disease, diabetes-metabolic syndrome and renal impairment. The VAM area includes preclinical and clinical research staff from our center, and collaborative work with groups of the highest international prestige. VAM area includes 8 groups: Cardiovascular Pathology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Nephrology, Ophthalmology (focused on retinal vascular disease), CIBBIM-Nanomedicine and Kidney Physiopathology, Medical Molecular Imaging, Neurovascular Diseases, and Research on Aging, Frailty and Transitions in Barcelona. All groups use an integrative tridimensional approach to generate knowledge on the mechanisms of diseases to generate new diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

The Neuroscience area is consolidating its position as one of the largest clusters of research labs working on neurological diseases across Europe. At present, the area comprises 14 groups with more than one hundred fully dedicated researchers in close contact with top clinicians in the hospital. These research groups pursue a better and multifaceted understanding of the etiopathogenic mechanisms underlying a large variety of mostly adult but also pediatric neurological disorders including stroke, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, primary headaches, epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders, and also neurosurgical and psychiatric pathologies. The area also integrates groups involved in neuroimaging, analysis and interpretation of high-throughput data, and gene therapy strategies to target inflammatory and neurodegenerative neurological conditions.

The Infectious Diseases research area is composed by eight groups, whose main goal is to develop strategies to diagnose, control, prevent and solve clinical problems caused by infectious diseases agents. The members of this group also work in the characterization of the mechanisms of pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance of microorganisms, in the research of critical care and sepsis as well as in aspects related to children’s infectious diseases and primary immunodeficiencies. During 2021, we have additionally continued developing basic, translational and clinical research in the field of the COVID-19 infection, including the virus characterization, the study of the mechanisms of pathogenesis, the diagnosis, the epidemiology, the prevention of the disease and the therapeutics and management options to improve the outcome of the patients suffering this infection.

The Digestive and Liver Diseases / Nursing research area is composed by three groups, whose main goal is to develop basic and translational studies on the most frequent and impacting digestive and liver disorders afflicting the general population. In particular, the group of Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Digestive Tract integrates investigations on the function of the gastrointestinal tract including secretion, motility and absorption with cellular, molecular, immune and genetic aspects and their interactions with the microbiota and the brain-gut axis. The Liver Diseases Group deals clinical and basic research in viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and also non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and their complications. Finally, our area includes the Multidisciplinary Nursing Research Group which aims to generate knowledge in the specific area of activity of nurses and collaborate with other health professionals to improve care given to patients.

The Immunomediated Diseases and Innovative Therapies is a heterogeneous area composed by both translational and clinical research groups which cover fields such as immunology, respiratory and systemic diseases, pharmacology, clinical biochemistry, rheumatology, advanced therapies or transfusional medicine. Its main strength derives precisely from this heterogeneity and the complementarity of the scientific interests and expertise of the different groups, many of which are currently joining efforts and synergizing in a variety of collaborative research projects.

The area of Research in Surgery includes more than 50 investigators distributed in five groups of research focused respectively on general and thoracic surgery, cranio-maxillofacial surgery, spinal disorders, skeletal reconstructive surgery and musculoskeletal tissue engineering. Their activity combines basic and clinical research together with robotics and virtual surgical planning. Their aims are to advance in the understanding of the causes and mechanisms underlying surgical pathologies, to deliver new knowledge and better integrated patient-centered solutions, improving surgical care and outcomes.

The Obstetrics, Pediatrics and Genetics area is focused on the research on the congenital malformations and pediatric diseases. The Fetal Maternal Medicine group creates synergies through the combined work of basic science researchers and clinical investigators in the preclinical basis of placental insufficiency complications and congenital heart disease. The Bio-Cell Fetal group, recently incorporated, studies basic pathophysiological mechanisms of fetal and pediatric congenital malformations, while the Growth and Development group does research on pediatric endocrine diseases. There is also a Genetics Medicine group that combines genetic diagnosis and research and is pioneer in Spain.