Natàlia Soldevila awarded Juan de la Cierva fellowship to advance research on the prevention of cognitive decline

Researcher Natàlia Soldevila has been awarded one of the prestigious Juan de la Cierva – Incorporación fellowships, granted by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The decision on the call for applications has already been made public, and the fellowship will begin in July 2026, for a duration of two years, during which Soldevila will continue her research work at the BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center (BBRC).

The €76,600 grant will allow the researcher to develop her project within the Clinical Research and Risk Factors for Neurodegenerative Diseases Group at the BBRC, focused on the prevention of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

During her PhD at the Department of Neurosciences of the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Dr Soldevila gained strong methodological and statistical training, with experience in conducting randomised controlled clinical trials. Her track record also includes training in epidemiology, with research stays as a visiting researcher in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Imperial College London, and a Master’s degree in Public Health, which reinforces her multidisciplinary approach to population-based research.

Her work focuses on understanding the heterogeneity and mechanisms of cognitive change that influence the effectiveness of preventive interventions, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, aimed at slowing cognitive decline and dementia. She also works on the harmonisation and meta-analysis of large cohorts to identify established and emerging risk factors.

One of her main objectives is to move towards personalised preventive interventionsapplied at identifying the optimal effectiveness window, in order to delay or prevent the onset of dementia. Her incorporation into the BBRC will help strengthen research lines in prevention, a strategic area for the centre.

With this fellowship, Dr Soldevila aims to contribute to the development and implementation of optimised multimodal strategies for the prevention of cognitive decline, reinforcing the BBRC’s commitment to excellence in research in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. This distinction also consolidates the centre’s commitment to attracting and promoting young research talent with high-impact projects in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

The grant JDC2024-053463-I is funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the FSE+.