The second Scientific Retreat brings VHIR researchers and support units closer together

On 11 and 12 November took place the second Scientific Retreat at Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). The gathering took place in Cardona, and for two days, the principal investigators and the heads of the VHIR's Support Areas shared the research and the technical and administrative support that they offer.

Like in the first edition of the retreat, were presented 15 research groups that by their heads of groups or PIs summarized their activities, displayed research lines and challenges and shared knowledge and joint projects with other groups.

On the first day were presented the groups of Biomedical Research in Melanoma, Digestive Transplant, Neurovascular Diseases, Pulmonology, Epidemiology and Public Health, MRI and Neuroradiology, Gene Therapy, Microbiology, Reconstructive Surgery of the Musculoskeletal System, Biomedical Research in Gynaecology, and Neuromuscular and Mitochondrial Pathology. On the second day, were presented the research groups of Clinical Pharmacology, Paediatric Neurology, Nephrology and Drug Delivery and Targeting.

There were also presented the transversal projects approved by the Board of External Scientific Research (SAB): The Centre Spina Bifida: research, intrauterine treatment and long-term monitoring; the Patient-centred Management of Cardiovascular Risk: An Integral and Multidisciplinary approach; and the Paediatric and Adult Rare Diseases.

The Scientific Retreat also served to bring the researchers closer to the work of the support staff. Thus, on the morning of Saturday research support units showed the role that each plays in the life of a research project since the researcher has the first idea until it is transferred to society via publication, device or medical breakthrough. This oral information, combined with presentations and videos, was also accompanied by a poster session to explain the work of all units.

The leadership of VHIR took the opportunity to introduce two new improvements that will revert directly to the researchers. On the one hand, the optimization of working processes through lean methodology, and secondly, the implementation of the reference figures, thanks to which a member of the leadership will be the referent of the groups that make up each of the eight research areas. In addition, it was explained what are the cost and how Support Units are funded, and it was also presented a benchmarking to compare with other support units of institutes similar to VHIR.

To conclude the meeting, Alfons Cornella gave a lecture on Collaborative Innovation with which all attendees were able to imagine in a informative way how to apply new techniques in their daily lives in the context of biomedical research and how to add value for the patients.