Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) celebrated its 20th anniversary with an academic event that took place on Friday at the Pavelló Docent building, in front of over 200 people who are part of its history. On Thursday evening, promoters and authorities that participated in VHIR’s foundation, as well as donors, private companies who support the Instititute and technological partners, participated in an institutional dinner at Cosmocaixa. In both events, VHIR presented a "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK7xBid56Kc" video of its history.The academic event paid tribute to the key researchers in the foundation of the Institute: Dr. Simó Schwartz, HUVH’s first Research Director, Dr. Jordi Soler i Soler, former head of the Cardiology Service, Dr. Joan Ramon Malagelada, former head of the Gastroenterology Service, Dr. Jaume Guàrdia, former head of the Liver Diseases Group, and Dr. Àngel Ballabriga (1920-2008), former Director of the Children’s Hospital.Special mention was also given to people who have contributed to the center’s management during the past 20 years. This would be the case of former directors, –Dr. Carles Miquel, Dr. David García Dorado, Dr. José María Sáez as a posthumous title, and Dr. Juan Emilio Feliu– Trustees’ presidents or vice-presidents –Marina Geli, Dr. José Luis Sancho, and Dr. Jaume Raventós– and presidents of the Scientific Internal Committee that still are connected to VHIR –Dr. Joaquín Arribas, Dr. David García Dorado and Dr. Rafael Simó–. After receiving the award, some of the prizewinner researchers had a chance to speak and share their trajectory and views about VHIR’s future research. Ebola was the main topic of the academic event that was presented by Dr. José Manuel Echevarría, responsible of the Virology Area of the Microbiology National Center of the Health Institute Carlos III. The researcher spoke about how fast diagnosis and efficient communication are vital elements to manage skillfully the disease, and also talked about his direct experience in the case of Teresa Romero. Dr. Carles Constante, Planning and Research General Director of the Health Department, presided over the academic event, highlighting VHIR’s role in biomedical research in Catalonia, as “an excellence and front line center, thanks to the effort and implication of each of the researchers”. VHIR’s director, Dr. Joan Comella, went over VHIR’s most important discoveries, and thanked researchers, VHIR structure staff, businessmen, politicians and donors for the role played in the center’s progress. , , Finally, the Hospital’s manager, Dr. José J. Navas, empathized the accreditations that VHIR has overcome to achieve today’s level, but also said “there is still work to be done: researchers must convert their research into guidelines and clinical protocols, they must sign more agreements with the industry and introduce new products and more effective organizational models”.Dinner at the Flooded ForestThe weird-named animals that live in Cosmocaixa’s Flooded Forest were witnesses to a night full of emotion, memories, and anecdotes from VHIR’s 20 year history. With an institutional dinner, VHIR paid tribute to the people who made possible for this project to start, who have worked so hard to give the center the excellence level that it has today, and who will work to keep it where it is and go beyond in the next 20 years. The event had the presence of the mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, who empathized the importance of research in “one of the world’s most important hospitals”, the Vall d’Hebron Hospital, where he worked as a pediatrician and researcher under Dr. Àngel Ballabriga’s (1920-2008) supervision, former director of the Children’s Hospital. Researchers such as Dr. Ballabriga, Dr. José María Sáez (1934-2003) and Dr. Joan Córdoba (1964-2014) were remembered during dinner by historical former services heads as Dr. Simó Schwartz, Dr. Jordi Soler i Soler, Dr. Joan Ramón Malagelada and Dr. Jaume Guàrdia. Surrounded by live-music played by Mancuso Blues Band, guests tasted the 20th anniversary cake, backed specially for the occasion by the Chocolate Museum of Barcelona. They also met VHIR, the institute’s new pet, who will help the center to spread its research to the society more easily.One of the night’s special moments was when Barcelona’s Football Club player and Spanish’s national team player, Andrés Iniesta, sent a congratulation message for the institute’s 20 years and announced his commitment to raise society’s awareness about the key role that research plays in our country. Dr. Joan Comella, director of the VHIR, presented an emotive event in which also participated the Hospital’s Manager and the Health’s Department Planning and Research General Director. The 20th anniversary celebration will continue until 2015s spring, when there will be a popular event addressed to all society. "https://www.flickr.com/photos/vhir/sets/72157649337281766/" - Images of the anniversary