On June 18, the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) held a gathering designed to recognize the commitment of the individuals and organizations that support biomedical research and bring them closer to the real impact of their contribution.

The event brought together the Friends of Vall d’Hebron for an afternoon dedicated to meeting this year’s scholarship recipients and discovering how their support helps foster new scientific careers and research projects with the potential to transform people’s health. The program currently includes more than 10,000 individuals and organizations committed to biomedical research and, throughout 2025, has raised more than €2.32 million thanks to their contributions.

Dr. Begoña Benito, Director of VHIR, opened the event with a presentation on the institute and its research activity. During her speech, she highlighted the contribution of the members of the Friends of Vall d’Hebron program, emphasizing that their support is essential for advancing research and fostering scientific talent with the aim of generating a positive impact on society’s health and well-being.

An Opportunity to Foster Talent

The event, hosted by Elisenda Camps, featured a conversation with Dr. Marta Vila, researcher in VHIR’s Headache and Neurological Pain Research Group and former recipient of a Friends of VHIR Scholarship. Through her testimony, she explained how this support represented a decisive opportunity to begin her research career and how, years later, she continues to develop her career at VHIR by leading new lines of research in the field of migraine.

Her experience illustrated the impact that a scholarship can have during the early stages of a scientific career and how philanthropic support helps attract, retain, and promote research talent within the research system.

The gathering continued with one of the most symbolic moments of the afternoon: the presentation of the 2025–2026 Friends of VHIR Scholarships. The eight selected researchers received this recognition, which will allow them to continue developing their projects and consolidating their scientific careers.

This year’s scholarships were awarded to Núria Casalé Cabanes from the Infectious Diseases Research Group; Iker Elosua Bayés from the Clinical Neuroimmunology Research Group; Marc Patricio Liebana from the Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation Research Group; Adriana Martínez Cifuentes from the Translational Molecular Pathology Research Group; Marina Pérez González from the Neurovascular Diseases Research Group; Chiara Piccinini from the Gene Therapy in the Nervous System Research Group; Marco Tomasino from the Cardiovascular Diseases Research Group; and Rafael Oleo Taltavull from the Reconstructive Surgery of the Musculoskeletal System Research Group.

The event concluded with remarks from Dr. Albert Salazar, General Manager of Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, who highlighted the connection between research, innovation, and healthcare. He stressed that “the combination of research, education, technology, and direct patient care is what enables us to drive advances that transform clinical practice.” He also thanked the donors for their commitment, emphasizing that their support is essential to making projects with a direct impact on patients’ health possible.

Discovering Research from the Inside

After learning how their contributions are transformed into research, attendees visited different areas of VHIR’s main building to gain first-hand insight into some of the laboratories and environments where their solidarity takes shape. Guided by the researchers themselves, these visits allowed them to discover the day-to-day reality of scientific work and better understand the challenges and opportunities facing biomedical research.

The Friends of Vall d’Hebron Gathering demonstrated that research is a collective effort that extends far beyond the laboratory. Thanks to their commitment, new researchers can begin or strengthen their scientific careers every year and contribute to generating knowledge that will ultimately lead to better diagnoses, treatments, and opportunities for patients.