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Barcelona, 24 April 2026.<\/b> His Majesty King Felipe VI has today inaugurated the CaixaResearch Institute<\/b><\/a>, the first centre dedicated entirely to the study of immunology in Spain and Portugal<\/b>, and one of the first in Europe. The event was attended by the President of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa; the Minister of Health, M\u00f3nica Garc\u00eda; the Spanish Government Delegate in Catalonia, Carlos Prieto; and the Chairman of the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation, Isidro Fain\u00e9.<\/b><\/p>\n The new institute, whose construction has involved an <\/span>investment of 100 million euros by the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation<\/b>, aims to become a leading international centre for translational research in this discipline, which is redefining the way diseases are understood and addressed. Immunology lies at the heart of the study of complex conditions such as cancer, and neurological and infectious diseases, among others.<\/span><\/p>\n The CaixaResearch Institute, created out of the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation\u2019s century-long commitment to health research, aims to <\/span>advance scientific knowledge and promote its transfer to society<\/b> in the form of more precise or earlier diagnoses and treatments that improve people\u2019s quality of life.<\/span><\/p>\n To this end, the Foundation has created a 20,000 m\u00b2 centre equipped with cutting-edge facilities and with capacity to accommodate 500 professionals, 425 of whom are scientists. They will work in a cross-disciplinary way to unravel the keys to the functioning of our immune system \u2013 the body\u2019s first line of defence \u2013 and its relationship with the most prevalent diseases. For 2026, the institute has a <\/span>budget of 10 million euros dedicated to talent recruitment and scientific equipment<\/b>, with the aim of consolidating its position as a leading centre in immunology.<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>Scientific Committee of the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation<\/b>, chaired by <\/span>Javier Solana<\/b>, has played a strategic role in defining the vision of the CaixaResearch Institute, which represents a further step forward in the Foundation\u2019s commitment to science as a driver of transformation. In addition, the institute has its own <\/span>Scientific Council<\/b>, led by the oncologist <\/span>Josep Tabernero<\/b>, which ensures that its progress remains aligned with international standards of scientific excellence in immunology.<\/span><\/p>\n A number of <\/span>collaborations with institutions and public authorities<\/b> have also been essential in bringing the project to fruition: Barcelona City Council, which has provided support on urban planning matters; the Government of Catalonia, with which the \u201dla\u00a0Caixa\u201d Foundation established an agreement to foster synergies between the CaixaResearch Institute and the Catalan biomedical ecosystem; the Spanish Government, which supports the institute through its agencies promoting biomedical research; and the European Investment Bank, which signed a loan agreement with <\/span>CriteriaCaixa<\/span><\/a> to finance the construction of the building.<\/span><\/p>\n The CaixaResearch Institute is organised across two buildings. In the first, which is being inaugurated today, four group leaders, Dr <\/span>Gabriel Rabinovich<\/span><\/a>, Dr <\/span>Josep Dalmau<\/span><\/a>,<\/span><\/p>\n Dr <\/span>Gemma Moncunill<\/span><\/a> and Dr <\/span>H\u00e9ctor Huerga-Encabo<\/span><\/a> are already carrying out their research. They will be joined in the autumn by Dr Maria Mittelbrunn, who has recently been recruited by the institute, and by Dr <\/span>Mar\u00eda Mart\u00ednez<\/span><\/a>, that will join in July.<\/span><\/p>\n The institute also already employs about twenty professionals. In the coming years, once the centre is fully operational, it will have capacity to house 45 research groups and units, thereby becoming a <\/span>hub for attracting and retaining international talent<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The creation of the CaixaResearch Institute crystallises the <\/span>historic commitment of the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation to biomedical research in the service of people\u2019s health and wellbeing<\/b>, a commitment that dates back to its founding more than 120 years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to the <\/span>social vision of the founder of \u201dla Caixa\u201d, Francesc Moragas<\/b>, the institution set out from the very beginning to improve health through research and knowledge. This is reflected in the creation of pioneering facilities such as the Anti-Tuberculosis Institute, which had one of the first electron microscopes in Spain; the Santa Madrona Maternity Clinic, which promoted maternal and child healthcare; and the Empar de Santa Ll\u00facia Home, a residence for the care of blind girls and women.<\/span><\/p>\n The \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation has continually adapted its support for research in response to the health challenges of each historical period. It currently <\/span>allocates 20% of its annual budget (147 million euros in 2026) to this field<\/b>. The institution\u2019s firm commitment to research has taken many forms, including the creation of its own calls for proposals for Health Research and Innovation projects and initiatives to foster research talent, such as the INPhINIT doctoral fellowships and the Junior Leader postdoctoral fellowships.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition, for more than 30 years, the Foundation has worked to advance knowledge of the most widespread diseases through <\/span>sustained support for centres associated with the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation that are leaders<\/b> in the study of infectious diseases (<\/span>IrsiCaixa<\/span><\/a>), cancer (<\/span>Vall d\u2019Hebron Institute of Oncology<\/span><\/a>) and neurodegenerative diseases (<\/span>Barcelona\u03b2eta Brain Research Center<\/span><\/a>), as well as in understanding the social and environmental determinants of health on a global scale (<\/span>Barcelona Institute for Global Health<\/span><\/a>). More recently, the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation has expanded its support to paediatric rare diseases (<\/span>Sant Joan de D\u00e9u Institut de Recerca<\/span><\/a>) and to basic and translational biomedicine through the first research centre in Portugal to receive its support (<\/span>Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Together with all these institutions, the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation <\/span>aims to build Europe\u2019s first philanthropic ecosystem of biomedical and biotechnology research centres<\/b>, led by the CaixaResearch Institute.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Immunology cuts across all medical disciplines<\/b> and requires an interconnected approach, making it an integrative framework. On this basis, the CaixaResearch Institute is structured around three scientific pillars \u2013 immunology and disease, exposome sciences, and systems immunology and engineering \u2013 conceived as cross-cutting areas that are interlinked and work collaboratively with one another.<\/span><\/p>\n The commitment to a <\/span>collaborative working model<\/b> goes beyond internal exchange between research groups through the promotion of initiatives aimed at developing new therapies that benefit both the CaixaResearch Institute and the wider network of centres associated with the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation.<\/span><\/p>\n One example of this collaborative work is the <\/span>Innovation Hub<\/b>, a strategic initiative involving all the centres within this ecosystem and providing a <\/span>space for sharing ideas<\/b> in order to maximise the impact of their research on society. The hub includes the organisation of training activities, tailored support from experts such as consultants and mentors, and backing through specific funding for ideas that help validate the potential transfer of assets to the market. In the same vein, the CaixaResearch Institute will establish an <\/span>Industrial Advisory Board<\/b> made up of representatives from the pharmaceutical industry to provide guidance and ensure the real-world impact and transfer of the institute\u2019s research.<\/span><\/p>\nResearch: a cornerstone of the \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation\u2019s social action<\/b><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nCross-disciplinary and collaborative science<\/b><\/h4>\n
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