Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) has welcomed today the students who will be part of the 10th edition of the Master in Translational Biomedical Research that starts now. A decade that has already trained more than 400 students in health research knowledge and skills to contribute to the success of translational biomedical research of the future, by advancing the understanding and treatment of diseases.

This year, 47 new students will form part of the 2023-2024 promotion, with diverse profiles in the fields of biomedicine, biochemistry, biotechnology, biology, genetics, pharmacy and microbiology. As a starting point, to introduce and motivate the students to the world of research, the inaugural event included the lecture "Your lysosomes and you", given by Dr. Alberto Ortiz Arduan, head of the Nephrology Department of the Fundación Jiménez Díaz and Professor of Medicine at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Once again this year, scholarships were awarded to the best students of the promotion thanks to the collaboration of Roche and Ferrer, who have granted two students each with a 50% discount on the cost of registration. Moreover, the support of Nestlé will allow a student to travel to Switzerland for an internship.

Ten years promoting training in research

The program was launched in 2013 thanks to the impulse of Dr. Anna Meseguer, head of the Renal Pathophysiology group at VHIR and Dr. Francina Munell, researcher of the Pediatric Neurology group at VHIR. Currently, it has already established itself as one of the benchmarks in the training of health research professionals in Spain, with a very high employment rate: 92% of the students who have passed through the Master have a job.

"The coordination of the program has a firm commitment to quality and continuous improvement, offering, year after year, new activities to students to improve their training and promote their professional development", says Estefanía de la Torre, head of the Teaching Unit of VHIR.

Among others, the students highlight the proximity and support they receive from the teaching team and the staff of the Teaching Unit. "All of us who work at VHIR do it because of the impact of our work on research and patients' health. Managing to transmit this motivation to students for our work, and the vocation for research and helping others, is our main challenge", adds de la Torre.

In 2018, the Master's Degree achieved program accreditation by AQU and, in the future, we will continue to work to achieve reaccreditation of the program in 2024 with the seal of excellence.

A master's degree in an ideal environment for translational biomedical research

Among the differential points of the Master in Translational Biomedical Research of VHIR is its location and high level of research and teaching faculty. It is a program that is taught entirely in a third level Health Research Institute, by basic and clinical researchers and physicians who are in close contact with patients in the hospital. The location of the VHIR within the Vall d'Hebron Campus provides the ideal environment for translational research in biomedicine.

In fact, last year, 82% of the students did an internship in a VHIR research group. "Internships are an ideal opportunity to meet other researchers and to participate in scientific discussions", said Dr. Josep Quer, principal investigator of the Liver Diseases group at VHIR and coordinator of the Master, during the inauguration of the Master. "Working in laboratories allows students to learn much more about the real needs and current limitations in research to improve the diagnosis of diseases and develop new treatments for patients", he said.

The Master's program is well received by students, since very few programs admit fifty new students each year and the demand is always approximately double the number of places available. In addition, the vast majority of students recommend the program to other students, maintaining the program's success year after year.