About the VHIR
Here at the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) we promote biomedical research, innovation and teaching. Over 1,800 people are seeking to understand diseases today so the treatment can be improved tomorrow.
Research
We are working to understand diseases, to find out how they operate and to create better treatments for patients. Get to know about our groups and their lines of research.
People
People are the centre of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). This is why we are bound by the principles of freedom of research, gender equality and professional attitudes that HRS4R promotes.
Clinical trials
Our work is not just basic or translational; we are leaders in clinical research. Enter and find about the clinical trials we are conducting and why we are a world reference in this field.
Progress
Our aim is to make the research carried out at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) a driving force for transformation. How? By identifying new channels and solutions for the promotion of people's health and well-being.
Core facilities
We offer specialist support for researchers, internal and external alike, ranging from specific services to preparing complete projects. All this, from a perspective of quality and speed of response.
News
We offer you a gateway for staying up to date on everything going on at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), from the latest news to future solidarity activities and initiatives that we are organising.
The Molecular Imaging and Therapy research group focuses its activity on deepening the molecular bases and developing new areas of research in molecular signaling pathways and the identification of new theranostic targets.
We promote the confluence of basic and clinical researchers, experts in imaging and molecular biology to provide:
In this context, the creation of a translational imaging unit constitutes a basic objective for the development of research aimed at the personalized treatment of patients.
The group is made up of medical specialists in molecular imaging, chemists and pharmacists specializing in tracer synthesis, and biomedical engineers and physicists specializing in image processing and tomography equipment. These are affiliated with different institutions, such as the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH) and the Institute of Diagnostic Imaging (IDI).
The main objective of this line of research is to apply high intensity focused ultrasound in order to produce cavitation phenomena (histotripsy) producing mechanical destruction of tumor tissue without the need to introduce any needle and without using ionizing radiation.
This line of research, of a transversal nature, was created with the aim of performing our own research or in collaboration with research groups at the Valle de Hebron Campus that wish to introduce high-intensity focused ultrasound, both in the field of basic, translational and clinical research.
The immunological response generated by histotripsy means that we need to study its close relationship with immunotherapy and also study the beneficial effects on liquid biopsy. We also want to study the effects of focused ultrasound on the alteration of the blood-brain barrier and explore its applications in neurological pathology.?
IP: Xavier Serres Créixams
IP: José Raul Herance Camacho, Manuel Escobar Amores
IP: José Raul Herance Camacho, Amparo García Burillo
Aquesta area es dedicarà a recerca pròpia i a col·laborar amb altres grups amb interessos comuns o companyies privades que puguin requerir la col·laboració de professionals i instal·lacions d’aquesta area. Principalment aquesta l’àrea de recerca es dedicarà a:
1. Trobar noves rutes de marcatge de molècules, biomolècules o sistemes nanomèdics,
2. Marcar molècules per obtenir nous traçadors o realitzar estudis de metabolització i/o biodistribució de fàrmacs o altre tipus de compostos,
3. Posar en marxa traçadors per utilitzar-los en diagnòstic o per realitzar probes de concepte, avaluar receptors o processos fisiològics, entre d’altres.
4. Posar en marxa nous radioinmuno-assaigs.
5. Disseny de procediments experimentals amb cèl·lules, animals o humans on es requereixin d’utilització de traçadors o altre tipus de compostos marcats.
6. A part de fer traçadors o marcatges amb isòtops radioactius, aquesta àrea tindrà la capacitat de fer altres tipus de marcatges amb:
7. Isòtops no radioactius per utilitzar-los en tècniques òmiques o amb altres finalitats,
8. Fluorocroms per utilitzar-los en tècniques inmunoquímiques o imatge òptica, àtoms que puguin ser utilitzats per fer estudis en les àrees d’ imatge per RMN o radiològiques (CT i RX).
IP: José Raul Herance Camacho
IP: Ignacio Ferreira González Collaborators: Nuria Vallejo Camazón, José Antonio Barrabés Riu, Cristina Saura Manich, Nuria Coma Auli, José Raul Herance Camacho, Gerard Oristrell Santamaria, Javier Limeres Freire, Raul Aguilar Lopez, Filipa Xavier De Carvalho Negrao Valente Funding agency: Fundació La Marató de TV3 Funding: 198125 Reference: 202311-10 Duration: 11/03/2024 - 10/03/2027
IP: Ana Villar Gomez Collaborators: Mónica Martínez Gallo, Christian Eduardo Romero Mesones, Ivan Vollmer Torrubiano, Cristina Berastegui Garcia, Javier Hernandez Losa, Luis Alexander Del Carpio Bellido Vargas, Iñigo Ojanguren Arranz, Irene Sansano Valero Funding agency: Fundació La Marató de TV3 Funding: 89946 Reference: 202534-32 Duration: 20/04/2026 - 19/04/2029
IP: Stephanie Solange Tasayco Huaman Collaborators: Santiago Pérez Hoyos, New tool based on Artificial Intelligence and Biomarkers for early non-invasive diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer - AI-Early PanC, Joaquin Balsells Valls, Xavier Merino Casabiel, Joan Dot Bach Funding agency: Ministerio Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades Funding: 293321 Reference: CPP2022-009592 Duration: 01/10/2023 - 31/12/2026
IP: Andreea Ciudin Mihai Collaborators: Lucia Iglesias Sanchez, Manuel Escobar Amores, Nuria Roson Gradaille, Fiorella Ximena Palmas Candia, Aitor Rodriguez Martinez, Marta Comas Martinez, Enzamaría Fidilio Meli Funding agency: Ministerio Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades Funding: 431460 Reference: CPP2023-010524 Duration: 01/11/2024 - 30/10/2027
PhD student: Queralt Martin Saladich Director/s: José Raul Herance Camacho University: Universitat Pompeu Fabra Year: 2025
PhD student: Gemma Burcet Rodríguez, Gemma Burcet Rodríguez Director/s: Hug Cuellar Calabria, Artur Evangelista Masip University: Year: 2024
PhD student: Nuria Roson Gradaille Director/s: Manuel López Cano, Salvador Pedraza gutiérrez University: Year: 2023
PhD student: Xingpeng Xiao Director/s: José Raul Herance Camacho University: Year: 2023
PhD student: Alberto Roque Pérez Director/s: Joan Castell Conesa, Nuria Fernández Hidalgo University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2022
Researchers incorporate advanced cardiovascular prediction algorithms into cardiac imaging software, enabling the automatic calculation of the risk of serious complications during the routine analysis of cardiac studies.
Researchers from the centre took part in international debates on AI in healthcare, spin-offs emerging from research were presented, and several initiatives linked to VHIR received recognition in the field of entrepreneurship.
ImmunoPET enables in vivo detection of LIF expression, a molecule linked to tumour growth, immune evasion and treatment resistance.
