Research within the framework of the new chair will focus on three main lines: personalization of radiotherapy treatments through radiosensitivity and radiotoxicity studies, predictive diagnosis prior to high-precision radiotherapy treatment, and the effect of radiotherapy on the immune response against cancer.
The signing ceremony was chaired by the rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Guardia, who in the subsequent presentation highlighted that “this chair contains a combination of ingredients – public institutions, business, knowledge and ethics – that ensures a scientific success and a commitment to the future that will allow us to go from mass therapy to personalized therapy, and from talking about illness to talking about sick people”.
For his part, Ferran Guedea, head of the Radiobiology and Cancer Group of IDIBELL, professor of the Department of Clinical Sciences of the UB and director of Radiation Oncology at the ICO, who will direct the new chair, explained: «this chair will organize, among other activities, a translational research symposium in radiation oncology and the best papers presented will be awarded. Research lines will also be promoted such as predictive studies of radiotoxicity and radiosensitivity, and the immune response to high doses of radiotherapy». Finally, Santiago de Torres, president of Atrys Health, emphasized the importance for the company of “research and translational medicine, especially in the field of hypofractionated or high-precision radiotherapy.”
National Research Awards in Personalized Radiotherapy
Among the actions that will be carried out to meet the aforementioned objectives, it is worth highlighting the call for the National Research Awards in Personalized Radiotherapy, awards that will annually reward the three best research articles published in recognized scientific journals and in which the first or the last author belong to a research group established in Spain.
In addition, within the framework of this training activity, an annual conference on advances in translational research in radiotherapy will be held, with the participation of a speaker of international relevance and that will serve as a forum for the presentation and delivery of the awards.
The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a biomedical research center created in 2004. It is participated by the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecans Hospital of the Catalan Institute of Health, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
IDIBELL is a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the University of Barcelona HUBc and is part of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centers accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the “HR Excellence in Research” program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Center of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).