With the Barradas auditorium full, the 6th IDIBELL sLHam of female scientists was a total success. With this playful-festive event, created to join the global commemoration of the Day of Women and Girls in Science, women scientists disseminate the factors that affect their careers, make their work visible, and create new referents. This year the sLHameres were Sandra Acosta, Begoña Arán, Lidia Franco, Núria Lloberas, Patricia Prada and Gemma Via, Fatima Akhtar and Paula Barrios, who, in a five-minute informative talk, explained their career in the scientific world, the challenges they have been overcoming and the motivations that have helped them to do so.

This year the event incorporated a novelty celebrated by the entire audience. Apart from the six IDIBELL scientists, we also enjoyed the participation of two junior sLHameres, students from the Bellvitge Institute, who have carried out their research work in the IDIBELL laboratories thanks to the Educational Tandem project developed by both institutions, Paula and Fátima.

At the end of the act, the public was responsible for choosing the night winner through a mobile application. Gemma Via with her monologue on nursing research managed to captivate the audience and win the golden pipette that identifies her as the winner of sLHam 2023.

In his speech, Gabriel Capellá, director of IDIBELL, highlighted how “the sLHam has become a consolidated act of our institution that highlights the excellence of our scientists”. And he added that “at IDIBELL we work all year to promote the visibility and prestige of women in science, and although there is still a long way to go, we are headed in the right direction”.

For his part, David Quirós, Deputy Mayor for Education, Innovation and Culture of the L’Hospitalet City Council highlighted the close relationship between IDIBELL and the City Council, a tandem that creates synergies and for which he promises a great future. The LHCiència strategic plan of the L’Hospitalet City Council has a strong presence in the research institute.

The sLHam is organized with the collaboration of the Hospitalet de Llobregat City Council, the Barradas Auditorium, the Hospitalet School of Music and Center for the Arts, the Bellvitge Institute, and the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT). The initiative also has the support of BioNova Científica, Sarstedt, Labclinics, Aire Ancient Baths, and the Debut restaurant, which provide prizes for the participants. The activity is part of the LHCiència strategy, recently started, and is part of the territorial specialization and competitiveness project (PECT), co-financed with European FEDER funds, coordinated by the Hospitalet de Llobregat City Council.

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).