Hospital del Mar Research Institute Hospital del Mar Research Institute

News / General information

  • 13/05/2022 - General information

    Catalan collaboration helps end ‘diagnostic odyssey’ for rare disease patients

    A platform developed by the Centre Nacional d'Anàlisi Genòmica (CNAG-CRG) allows doctors and researchers from Catalan hospitals to share data and otherwise scattered expertise and diagnose patients with neurologic rare diseases. During the pilot project, a diagnosis was provided to 67 out of 323 patients (20.7% of cases), just by reanalysing previously available data. The results constitute an important milestone for ending the 'diagnostic odyssey' faced by patients in Catalonia. The collaborative approach also resulted in the identification of six new genes linked to specific diseases, which will make it easier to diagnose certain diseases in the future. The results, published today in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, were possible thanks to the Undiagnosed Rare Disease Program of Catalonia (URD-Cat), funded by the Departament de Salut de la Generalitat de Catalunya. The URD-Cat project was coordinated by the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM-Hospital del Mar) and involved more than 140 professionals from 15 different research centres and hospitals.

    Més informació "Catalan collaboration helps end ‘diagnostic odyssey’ for rare disease patients"

  • 19/04/2022 - General information

    European Support for Validating Artificial Intelligence Tools Sensitive to Human Values

    The VALAWAI project, led by the CSIC with the participation of the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and the Hospital del Mar, has received nearly four million euros from the European Innovation Council under the Pathfinder Challenges. A team from the Neuroimaging of Mental Disorders Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, led by Dr. Òscar Vilarroya, along with the Innovation Directorate of the Hospital del Mar, headed by Dr. Jordi Martínez, is part of the VALAWAI project (Value-Aware Artificial Intelligence). The project has recently been granted European funding of nearly four million euros. Its objective is to develop a set of tools for creating artificial intelligence systems that incorporate mechanisms sensitive to human values. In other words, these systems should be capable of deciding whether certain actions are morally acceptable and be aware of their users' value systems.

    Més informació "European Support for Validating Artificial Intelligence Tools Sensitive to Human Values"

  • 14/02/2022 - General information

    More than 50% of people with treatment-resistant epilepsy also suffer depression or anxiety

    In addition, 71% of them claim to have a poor quality of life due to epileptic seizures, according to a study carried out by Hospital del Mar's Epilepsy Unit. Women suffer higher levels of depression and anxiety, as well as a poorer quality of life, compared to men. The results obtained raise the issue of how to address these factors as triggers of epileptic seizures. This is the largest study to date analysing psychiatric comorbidities in patients with this type of pathology. The work has been published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology. People diagnosed with treatment-resistant epilepsy have high levels of depression and anxiety, as well as a poor quality of life, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology by Hospital del Mar's Epilepsy Unit . In fact, half of these patients suffer from depression and anxiety and more than 70% claim to have a poor quality of life. This fact suggests that a global approach to these patients should be evaluated, taking into account the psychiatric aspects of their pathology to try to control their epileptic seizures.

    Més informació "More than 50% of people with treatment-resistant epilepsy also suffer depression or anxiety"

  • 28/01/2022 - General information

    Chef Ada Parellada shares the thrill of food with the volunteers of the PENSA project.

    The renowned chef gave an online session in which she explained that it is possible to eat well and healthily and still enjoy food. The talk, organised by the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute's Neurosciences programme, is part of the cognitive and social stimulation sessions for volunteers in the PENSA project on the prevention of cognitive impairment. Can you eat healthily and still get excited about what you eat? The answer is yes. This was explained by Ada Parellada, the chef and director of Restaurant Semproniana and 2016 Creu de Sant Jordi winner, who this morning visited the facilities at the Hospital de Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) as a guest of the Institute's Neuroscience Programme. Her visit was part of the PENSA project, promoted by the programme, in collaboration with the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Centre from the Pasqual Maragall Foundation.

    Més informació "Chef Ada Parellada shares the thrill of food with the volunteers of the PENSA project."

  • 21/10/2021 - General information

    The SEE awards Natàlia Soldevila-Domènech for her work on the prevention of cognitive deterioration

    The Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE) in its XVII edition has awarded the "Prize for research by young researchers. Edition 2021: Miguel Carrasco" to Natàlia Soldevila-Domènech, predoctoral researcher of the Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience research group at IMIM, for the project "Analysis of trajectories of cognition evaluated in a continuous manner with cognitive training tasks in older adults at risk of Alzheimer 's disease". The work aims to evaluate the feasibility, validity and reliability of a measure of cognition obtained from the performance on self?administered computerized cognitive training tasks, and to identify and characterize subgroups of elderly individuals following a similar cognitive trajectory during the course of a preventive intervention for cognitive decline (PENSA Study).

    Més informació "The SEE awards Natàlia Soldevila-Domènech for her work on the prevention of cognitive deterioration"

  • 05/05/2021 - General information

    Dr. Ana Aldea elected member of the Steering Committee of the ISCIII Platform for Clinical Research Support

    The General Assembly of the ISCIII Clinical Research Support Platform has elected Dr. Ana Aldea, Head of the Clinical Pharmacology Section at Hospital del Mar and coordinator of the IMIM Clinical Research Unit, as a member of the Steering Committee. The ISCIII Clinical Research Support Platform, (SCReN, Spanish Clinical Research Network), is a network structure supporting clinical research and is made up of the 34 units financed in the PT20 call of the Carlos III Health Institute, distributed among hospitals throughout the National Health System (SNS). This network structure, acting in a coordinated manner, will be responsible for executing the actions necessary to achieve the Platform's objectives.

    Més informació "Dr. Ana Aldea elected member of the Steering Committee of the ISCIII Platform for Clinical Research Support"

  • 28/04/2021 - General information

    Dr. Rodrigo Rocamora to represent the Spanish Society of Neurology in the European Academy of Neurology

    The head of the Epilepsy Unit at Hospital del Mar and coordinator of the Epilepsy Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute has been appointed Spanish Society of Neurology representative in the field of epilepsy to the top European scientific body in the field of neurology.

    Més informació "Dr. Rodrigo Rocamora to represent the Spanish Society of Neurology in the European Academy of Neurology"

  • 12/03/2021 - General information

    Recognition of Dr. Marta Torrens for her contribution to research on addictions in Europe

    The head of Addictions Process at the Hospital del Mar Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions (INAD) and coordinator of the Addictions research group at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute has been recognised for her contribution to addictions research in Europe. Dr. Marta Torrens has be honoured with the EUFAS EAR 2020 Award, presented by theEuropean Federation of Addiction Societies and the journal European Addiction Research. This award recognises the work of the head of the INAD Addiction Process in terms of European research into addictions. The award has been presented since 2016 to figures who are outstanding in the field of addiction research. The awarding committee considered that the work of Dr. Torrens, with more than 200 high quality articles published in international journals, has made a substantial contribution to the advancement of translational research in this field, and has been instrumental in the introduction of various tools and scales for diagnosing and assessing dual pathology

    Més informació "Recognition of Dr. Marta Torrens for her contribution to research on addictions in Europe"

  • 21/03/2021 - General information

    We are supporting World Down Syndrome Day through the campaign “21 reasons to collaborate with science”. Can you help us spread the word?

    March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day and we are joining in by launching the "21 reasons to collaborate with science" campaign. The goal is to promote clinical research into people with Down's syndrome, to encourage them to get involved in the clinical studies that are currently being carried out and, in this way, to help improve the health and quality of life of these people. Through the 21 reasons campaign, the team of Dr. Rafael de la Torre, director of the Neurosciences research programme at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, wants to raise awareness and encourage people with Down syndrome to get involved in the studies they are conducting. According to Dr. de la Torre, "The therapeutic approach to these people, given their genetic features, has been quite specific, and the more knowledge we have, the more we will be able to adjust the therapy to their needs. Certain medical practices should also be studied in individuals with this syndrome."

    Més informació "We are supporting World Down Syndrome Day through the campaign “21 reasons to collaborate with science”. Can you help us spread the word?"

  • 21/03/2021 - General information

    The ICOD project is ready to start

    Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal abnormality in children leading to lifelong intellectual disability. Over one million people in the EU and US have DS, and its prevalence has increased in the last ten years. Thanks to significant advances in medical and social care, the life expectancy of individuals with DS has increased greatly, so that many of them reach even the age of 60-70. DS causes lifelong cognitive dysfunction, which results in important negative consequences for these individuals, their families and society. Despite the heavier social burden and the greater medical needs linked to this intellectual disability, there isn't an approved therapy for DS-related cognitive dysfunction yet. Furthermore, though there are specific cognitive screening tests designed for individuals with DS, no official guidelines have been developed to assess their cognitive deficits or their impact on quality of life of DS individuals and their families.

    Més informació "The ICOD project is ready to start"

© Institut Hospital del Mar
d'Investigacions Mèdiques
Legal Notice and Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Site Index | Accessibility | Find Us | Contact