Barcelona consolidates its leadership in Alzheimer's research with the creation of the HUB Alzheimer Barcelona

Leading institutions and organizations in Barcelona have come together today to form the HUB Alzheimer Barcelona, a pioneering initiative born with the collaborative commitment to transform the future of research and support for people and families affected by this disease. 

This unique project, promoted by the Pasqual Maragall Foundation with the support of the Barcelona City Council, is made up of the Hospital de Sant Pau, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Hospital del Mar and Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. From the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), FPM research center and Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, we are also part of this initiative as leading institutions specialized in Alzheimer's research.

The event was inaugurated by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, who emphasized that “Barcelona is committed to actively contributing to the fight against Alzheimer's disease. This is a city issue, and that is why, with the impetus of the City Council, the main institutes and research centers on the disease in the city, which are global references, come together to collaborate, pool talent and resources. Today, we send a message of unity in favour of science. I am sure that from this Barcelona union will come promising discoveries that will bring us closer to finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease”. The Barcelona City Council is contributing one-fifth of the budget.

Dr. Arcadi Navarro, director of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation and the BBRC, stressed the magnitude of the challenge due to the worldwide impact of dementias, with millions of people affected, almost one million of them in Spain, and a growing prevalence due to population aging. In this regard, he stressed: “given this scenario and taking advantage of the paradigm shift in the approach to Alzheimer's disease thanks to recent scientific advances, Barcelona must take a step forward by taking advantage of scientific leadership. The creation of this HUB will foster scientific excellence, attract investment, improve the transfer of research to clinical practice and promote training in Alzheimer's and neurodegenerative diseases”.

During the presentation of the Alzheimer Barcelona Hub, some of the key activities that have already been carried out were detailed, such as the organization of the first Conference on “Challenges and opportunities in the implementation of biological therapies for Alzheimer's disease”, with the participation of the Catalan Health Service, and others that are underway or about to be launched, as well as the first call for collaborative pre-doctoral fellowships, aimed at promoting cooperative research among HUB member centers, and training activities to improve the diagnosis and management of the disease in Primary Care, developed in collaboration with the CAMFiC (Catalan Society of Family and Community Medicine).

In this regard, Dr. Mercè Boada, founder and medical director of the Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona and member of the HUB, said that “initiatives such as these are essential to promote research and advance scientific knowledge. In particular, the collaboration with CAMFiC is key to strengthen the role of Primary Care in the early diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease”.

During the event, a document was signed by the highest representatives of the participating entities, formalizing the joint commitment to promote the HUB Alzheimer Barcelona. The event was closed by Ms. Olga Pané, Minister of Health.