IDIVAL – Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Valdecilla

This fellowship must be completed not later than November 2025

IDIVAL is the Health Research Institute of Cantabria, was created as a place for biomedical research, knowledge generation and socioeconomic tractor for the region as a result of the relationship that has been maintained over the years between the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital (HUMV) and the University of Cantabria (UC).

Since its constitution in 2013, on March 2015, IDIVAL it is an accredited institution by the Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), and re accredited on June 2020 for a 5 years period, meaning that the work performed at IDIVAL meets the highest standards of quality. The close collaboration between IDIVAL, UC, MVUH and the Health System, is allowing IDIVAL to foster basic-clinical collaborations and a fast-growing and excellent research activity, specifically oriented to generate new knowledge helping to solve the medical problems of the population. The Institution is made up of more than 750 people (workers, researchers and administrative staff).

IDIVAL has acquired an international reputation due to the excellence of its standards of biomedical research, with a cumulative scientific production of more than 3,687 papers published, exceeding 45,000 citations, with an average of 12.22 citations per paper and an H-index of 81.

Research proposals

Hematological Neoplasms and Bone Marrow Transplantation: This research group is dedicated to the investigation and treatment of hematologic malignancies. There are several areas in the group: 1st: it has two main laboratories dedicated to research in the biology of these diseases (post-translational modifications, interaction with the microenvironement, investigation and evaluation of novel therapeutic mechanisms or strategies. It also has a big diagnostic lab for the everyday practice including, hematimetry, morfology, flow cytometry, cytogenetics and molecular biology, hemostasia or blood bank. Finally, it also has the clinical area in which it treats all hematologic diseases with the classical and the most advanced therapies including allogeneic transplantation and cellular therapy.
Autoimmunity and Transplantation: These two lines of research study the immune response involved. Although they appear to be separate, they both share pathogenic mechanisms transfered from one field to the other with satisfactory results. The creation of the proposed group goes from basic research carried out by the Immunology groups of the Faculty of Medicine to more clinical research with the Rheumatology, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Dermatology and Intensive Care groups. The translation from basic to clinical research represents the entire Immunology group of the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital. The multidisciplinary approach to immune-mediated diseases leads to knowledge transfer from one area of the group to the other in both directions, which enriches the lines of the group.
Clinical and Translational Research in Digestive Diseases: One of the main lines of research of this group focuses on understanding the actual epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection, evaluating the role of the innate immune system in the spontaneous clearance of C virus infection, in the evolution towards chronicity and its implication in the response/failure to treatment with the new direct-acting antiviral agents (DDA). Another line of research is fatty liver disease (FLD). Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with a chronic inflammatory state. Current evidence indicates that activation of the signal transduced at the level of the innate immune system by receptors such as TLRs and NLRs plays a decisive role in the genesis of such an inflammatory state. Both families of receptors, together with NLRs, represent what we know as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). However, the role of PRRs in the pathogenesis of GHDD is largely unknown.
Nanomedicine: The nanomedicine research group investigates the interaction of nanomaterials with proteins, cells and tissues to develop applications in the field of biotechnology and nanomedicine for the treatment of diseases where traditional drugs have failed. Guided by a spirit of transfer to the clinic and innovation, the team is composed of researchers from the fields of biology (inc. biotechnology, biochemistry), health sciences, physics and chemistry. Recent publications include contributions to ACS Nano, Adv. Heathc. Mat., Nanoescale, Nanomed, Angew. Chem., J. Nanobiotech among others; the group has registered 4 patents in nanomedicine (and more in other fields), and participates (or has participated) in more than 30 national/international competitive research projects and with industry.