The ERA-NETs (European Research Areas) are a European collaboration network between different public bodies or agencies that are dedicated to funding research from different countries on the continent. Through them, the aim is to promote multinational collaboration and coordination between researchers to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and resources and to be more ambitious. Thus, it is possible to give opportunities to the internationalization of research of greater impact, and to aim at the creation of more integrated and cohesive research spaces within Europe.  

Within the framework of this programme, four projects from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), three in personalised medicine and one in translational medicine, have received funding from different national entities. The total amount has added up to 709,689€ and the projects will start shortly at an international level.  

The lines of research that benefit from it are the following:  

• “Advancing Personalised Medicine for Anorexia Nervosa: A companion Biomarker-Target Approach” (BIOREXIA), by Dr. Fernando Fernández Aranda, co-head of the Psychoneurobiology of eating disorders and addictive behaviors group at IDIBELL and director of the Eating Disorders Unit (ED) of the Psychology Service of the Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB).  

• “Setting up and validating improved strategies for the identification and eradication of the poor prognosis fetal-type colorectal tumors” (COLOSTEM-APPLY), by Dr. Alberto Villanueva, co-head of the Tumor and stromal chemoresistance group at IDIBELL and researcher of the ProCURE program of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO).  

• “A NANO-theranostic tool TO prevent mechanosensing-dependent pro-fibrotic evolution and failure of the HEART” (Nano-to-Heart), by Dr. Angel Raya, coordinator of the Regenbell program and head of the Stem cell potency research group at IDIBELL.  

• “Inclusive Healthcare Access and Personalized Health Management for Children and Adolescents” (CONNECT-CARE), with the participation of Dr. Fernando Fernández Aranda. 

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).