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 Systemic Diseases group performs translational research based on at least 300 patients with systemic lupus erytomatosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), systemic sclerosis, vasculitis, dermatomyitis, Sjörgen syndrome or autoinflammatory syndromes in order to better understand their pathogenesis (both at the immunological and genetic regulation level), study their clinical and biological expression (through the detection of new markers that help characterize each of the autoimmune diseases), study morbimortality (through epidemiological studies) and analyse patients' response to medications. With these goals in mind, we seek to improve the diagnosis, clinical monitoring, and prognosis of our patients.
IgG4 Related Disease (IgG4RD) is a new fibroinflammatory disorder, described in 2009, and characterized by the presence of a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, storiform fibrosis and pylephlebitis. A Spanish Register of that disease is currently being established, the coordinator member of our institution being one of our researchers. This collaborative study encompasses 16 centers around Spain and has allowed us to describe one of the most important series of patients in the world. A program of a PhD fellowship is currently active, along with a clinical trial due to start very soon. On the other hand, studies on the immunologic mechanism of the disease and a radiologic evaluation with PET-SCAN is also expected to be carried out in the near future.
IP: -
Protein misfolding and aggregation are common features in many degenerative amyloid disorders. In each case, a specific amyloidogenic protein misfolds and follows a toxic aggregation pathway leading to a defined clinical outcome. Many factors that may trigger protein misfolding and aggregation have been implied in the development of these pathologies, such as abnormal proteolysis, point mutations and post-translational modifications. So far, though, no one has studied the SUMOylation status of TTR. In this project we are evaluating the role that SUMOylation plays in TTR amyloidosis in the different subtypes of patients with this disease. Furthermore, we are also studying the effect that the drug of choice, tafamidis, might have on the sumoylation process.
We want to describe the capillaroscopy alterations observed in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and primary Sjögren’s syndrome. Our main objective is to establish if there is a specific capillaroscopic pattern associated with Sjögren syndrome and if it is related to visceral extraglandular involvement.
IP: Roser Solans Laque, Vicenç Fonollosa Pla
Cardiac involvement is one of the most serious internal organ involvements and the leading cause of death in SSc patients. The prevalence is 14% by clinical observation and even higher by autopsy Many SSc patients with cardiac involvement are asymptomatic or underdiagnosed. The condition may progress silently to overt clinical manifestations, including systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction, myocardial ischaemia, myocardial hypertrophy, heart failure, pericardial effusion and arrhythmias. Early detection of cardiac abnormalities is therefore very important. We evaluate cardiac involvement by echocardiography, MR, SPECT, and coronary CT.
IP: Carmen Pilar Simeón i Aznar, Vicenç Fonollosa Pla
IP: Jaume Alijotas Reig Collaborators: Manel Mendoza Cobaleda, Francesc Miro Mur, Enrique Esteve Valverde, Ariadna Anunciacion Llunell Funding agency: Fundació La Marató de TV3 Funding: 50625 Reference: 202418-33 Duration: 20/09/2025 - 19/09/2028
IP: Francesc Miro Mur Collaborators: Jaume Alijotas Reig, José Pardos Gea, Ariadna Anunciacion Llunell Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III Funding: 102500 Reference: PI24/01302 Duration: 01/01/2025 - 31/12/2027
IP: Adria Curran Fàbregas Collaborators: Anna Sala Cunill, Vicenç Falcó Ferrer, Yolima Cossio Gil, Ignasi Cardona Pascual, Paula Suanzes Diez, Jordi Navarro Mercadé, Joaquin Burgos Cibrian, OPVIH (Optimización del proceso VIH): Definición del mapa del recorrido de la persona VIH y oportunidades para su optimización m, Maria Belén Gutiérrez Iglesias, Silvina Andrea Magnani Funding agency: Laboratorio ViiV Healthcare Funding: 55000 Reference: VIIV/BECAS/2023/CURRAN Duration: 15/01/2024 - 14/01/2026
PhD student: Paula Galvan Blasco Director/s: Anna Sala Cunill, Mar Guilarte Clavero University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2024
PhD student: Luz María Cruz Carlos Director/s: Albert Selva O'Callaghan University: Year: 2023
PhD student: Ma. isabel Gonzalez Nieto Director/s: Roser Solans Laque University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2023
PhD student: Maria Roca Herrera Director/s: Carmen Pilar Simeón i Aznar, Alfredo Guillen Del Castillo University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2023
PhD student: Joan María Mercadé Torras Director/s: Roser Solans Laque, Segundo Bujan Rivas University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2022
PhD student: Serafín Alonso Vila Director/s: Carmen Pilar Simeón i Aznar, Albert Selva O'Callaghan, Alfredo Guillen Del Castillo University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2022
PhD student: Isidro Sanz Pérez Director/s: Fernando Martínez Valle, Carmen Pilar Simeón i Aznar University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2022
PhD student: Jose Loureiro Amigo, Jose Loureiro Amigo Director/s: Roser Solans Laque University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2022
PhD student: Enrique Esteve Valverde Director/s: Jaume Alijotas Reig University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2021
PhD student: Núria Mulet Margalef Director/s: Albert Selva O'Callaghan University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2021
PhD student: Angela Quintana Vega Director/s: Javier Cortés Castan, Eva Muñoz Couselo, Vicente Peg Camara University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2019
PhD student: María Elena Martínez Ramos Director/s: Albert Selva O'Callaghan University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2019
PhD student: Maria Rueda García Director/s: Albert Selva O'Callaghan University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2019
PhD student: Andreu Fernández Codina, Andreu Fernández Codina, Andreu Fernández Codina, Andreu Fernández Codina Director/s: Inés de Torres Ramirez, Fernando Martínez Valle, Roser Solans Laque University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2019
PhD student: Ana Carolina Díaz Mendoza, Ana Carolina Díaz Mendoza, Ana Carolina Díaz Mendoza Director/s: Sara Marsal Barril, Maria America Lopez Lasanta University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2018
PhD student: Núria Moreno Pérez Director/s: Moisés Labrador Horrillo, Olga Luengo Sanchez University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2018
PhD student: Ana Jaqueline Bañuelos Ávila Director/s: Jaume Alijotas Reig, Isabel Ruiz Camps, Isabel Ruiz Camps University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2018
PhD student: Jordi Aligue Capsada Director/s: Antonio San Jose Laporte University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2018
PhD student: Alfredo Guillen Del Castillo Director/s: Carmen Pilar Simeón i Aznar, Vicenç Fonollosa Pla, Miguel Vilardell Tarres, Miguel Vilardell Tarres, Vicenç Fonollosa Pla University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2017
PhD student: Mònica Faro Colomés Director/s: José Alegre Martin University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2017
PhD student: Basilio Rodriguez Diez Director/s: Consuelo Modesto Caballero, Albert Selva O'Callaghan University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2010
PhD student: Olga Luengo Sanchez, Olga Luengo Sanchez Director/s: José Ángel Bosch Gil, Victòria Cardona Dahl, José Ángel Bosch Gil University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2008
PhD student: Fernando Martínez Valle, Fernando Martínez Valle Director/s: University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2007
PhD student: Victòria Cardona Dahl, Victòria Cardona Dahl Director/s: University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2002
A Vall d’Hebron team demonstrates, for the first time, the potential of optical genome mapping to detect genetic alterations associated with this rare disease that are not identified using conventional methods.
The study describes the first documented case worldwide of hereditary angioedema transmission through assisted reproduction.
15 researchers from the Rheumatology, Systemic Diseases and the Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Digestive Tract groups gave around 25 presentations.
