On March 19th, the Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL) successfully held the forum "The Patient at the Center of Research." The event, designed to bring scientific research closer to the community in an accessible and engaging manner, attracted a diverse audience, including members of patient associations from Cantabria and other citizens interested in the topic.
During the forum, short and interactive talks were held between patients and research staff with the aim of disseminating ongoing scientific projects at the institute. The event program included a wide range of topics, from the latest advances in diseases such as Alzheimer's and multiple myeloma to the application of 3D printers in the field of healthcare.
The session started with an introduction by the scientific director of IDIVAL, Dr. Marcos López Hoyos, who presented the various lines of research at the center. Dr. Marta Díaz, coordinator of the Cantabria Cohort study, shared the latest developments of this project, highlighting its focus on personalized medicine and the over 36,000 volunteers it has managed to gather to date.
Among the highlights of the program, researchers Dr. Eloy Rodríguez from the Neurodegenerative Diseases group and Dr. Patricia Maiso from the Hematological Neoplasms and Hematopoietic Progenitor Transplantation group offered informative presentations on the latest advances in these areas. The scientific director of the Valdecilla Biobank, Dr. María José Marín, also outlined the crucial role of the biobank in biomedical research in Cantabria. The session concluded with a visit to the Prototyping Unit of IDIVAL at the Laboratory of Innovation and Experience (Linnux), where engineer Gerardo García showcased the 3D printers and explained how they are employed by IDIVAL to address specific medical needs.
With this forum, IDIVAL bears witness to its commitment to the community and the advancement of medical research in the region of Cantabria. Thank you all for coming!