Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) was created in 2004. It is the foundation that manages the research activities of Bellvitge University Hospital, the Catalan Oncology Institute, the Bellvitge campus of the University of Barcelona, and the public health companies Institut de Diagnòstic per la Imatge (Image Diagnosis Institute) and Banc de Sang i Teixits (Blood and Tissue Bank). The Institute is the core of Biopol, the health research park of Hospitalet de Llobregat, in the South of Barcelona. The president of the IDIBELL’s managing board is the Catalan Minister of Health, Marina Geli. IDIBELL has more than 500 researchers and manages a budget of almost 22 millions of euros.

The Foundation’s main scientific partners are the University of Barcelona, the Catalan Oncology Institute and the Catalan Health Institute (the managing company of the Bellvitge University Hospital).

Since March 2009, it is one of the five research centers accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Health.

Mission and vision of IDIBELL

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute mission is to execute research activities on cellular medicine, so that high quality basic research is at service of clinic matters and economic development.

The IDIBELL’s vision is to convert the Bellvitge health park into one of the health excellent centers of South Europe.

More than a logo, a work of art

The IDIBELL’s mark is created by the famous Catalan artist Antoni Tàpies. It represents the heart and the sanitary cross which expresses the vocation of improving the people’s health, which is the aim of the institution’s researchers.

Situation

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute is located in the municipality of Hospitalet de Llobregat, in the South of Barcelona. Their facilities are divided between the Duran i Reynals Hospital, the Bellvitge University Hospital and the buildings of the Bellvitge’s University of Barcelona campus.

One main fact of the IDIBELL’s research is its proximity to patients. Its researchers know the people’s health problems and which clinical solutions are the most effective.

Research areas

IDIBELL‘s research is organized in six major scientific areas:

1. Cancer and Human Molecular Genetics

2. Neurosciences

3. Infectious Pathology and Transplant

4. Growth Factors, Hormones and Diabetes

5. Inflammatory, Chronic and Degenerative Diseases

6. Epigenetics and Cancer Biology

IDIBELL has more than 230 research projects in progress, 14 of them international.

The Institute has got six international patents ongoing, one of which is the first and unique [...] in phase-2 trial against cancer developed for the first time in a public research center.

Since August 2008, the IDIBELL has arranged six more patent applications.

IDIBELL has already got an office – member of the OTRI net - aimed at transferring research results recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Health.

In addition, IDIBELL’s activity holds the research developed at the 55 primary health care centers of Barcelona South Metropolitan Area. Thanks to that, the Institute has access to the clinical information of 2.000.000 people and consecuently, that allows to obtain complete disease registers – included the rarest ones - and improve the research.

Resources

IDIBELL has 530 workers and manages a 21.5 M€ budget. The 20% of which is public and the rest is obtained from private sources.