Dr. Cristina Solé, principal investigator of the Rheumatology Group at Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), has been awarded a bioethics research grant from the Víctor Grífols i Lucas Foundation to develop the project “BISC: Bioethics and Inclusion of Chromosomal Sex in Healthcare.”

The award ceremony took place on November 12, 2025, at the Casa de Convalescència within the modernist complex of Sant Pau, during an event that recognized the most innovative projects in the fields of bioethics and responsible research.

The BISC Project addresses a key challenge in contemporary healthcare: how to ethically, safely, and respectfully integrate biomedical variables such as chromosomal sex, the presence of sexual organs, or the use of hormonal therapy into clinical and administrative systems—while ensuring confidentiality, privacy, and the self-determination of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals.

With a solid clinical, legal, ethical, and institutional foundation, the project aims to contribute to a more rigorous, personalized, and inclusive healthcare model within the Catalan health system.

The initiative has the strategic support of VHIR’s Directorate of Internal Strategy and the Office of Impact and RRI, which collaborate in the project’s coordination and technical follow-up. It also benefits from the guidance of VHIR’s LGBTI and Equality Committee. Sara Mas, Head of the Office of Impact and RRI within the Directorate of Internal Strategy, has also played an important role in the conception and promotion of the project.

This recognition from the Víctor Grífols i Lucas Foundation represents a significant boost for work in bioethics, inclusion, and equity in the healthcare field, and strengthens VHIR’s commitment to responsible and socially transformative research.