The “la Caixa” Foundation has been cooperating for years with different projects promoted by the University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. This is the case with the AIDIR units located in the Ciutat Vella district and in the Pere Virgili Healthcare Complex in Barcelona, a learning and service project that allows Nursing degree students to share the knowledge and skills they acquired in their university training with the community.
Likewise, the Foundation cooperates in providing care for people with advanced diseases and in the final stage of life through its support of the Cuides UIC Barcelona Clinic. With help from the “la Caixa” Foundation, the university clinic has a psychosocial care team (EAPS) that integrally supports patients and their families through a person-centred care model (a key factor in the patient’s health), their values and preferences and considers the different psychosocial and spiritual dimensions.
On the other hand, the “la Caixa” Foundation also contributes to research and knowledge transfer to society through the Healthcare Management and Health Policy Chair. The Chair works to educate and train professional managers and directors in the health sector so that they can respond to the changes and challenges that arise in the world of health.
Likewise, the Foundation shows its commitment to research by financing competitive projects that have great social impact. Currently, thanks to the Foundation’s drive, UIC Barcelona is conducting the study entitled “A gender perspective study of homelessness in Barcelona,” directed by Cristina Lidon, researcher for the Department of Basic Sciences within the framework of the 2023 Social Research Project Call. The main objective of this competitive project, funded with €98,890, is to analyse the vulnerability of homeless women in Barcelona in terms of health, mental health, addictions and use of health and social resources.
Additionally, Roni Wright, researcher in Biomedicine under the Department of Basic Sciences, has a competitive project financed with €100,000, granted in the CaixaImpulse Validate 2022 call, with which the study “Characterisation of HitX for the targeted treatment of metastatic breast cancer” is being conducted. Wright is developing a therapeutic compound that will inhibit the survival of metastatic breast cancer cells as well as other aggressive cancers.
To reflect the social commitment of both entities, on 21 November, Antoni Vila, director general of “la Caixa” Foundation, visited UIC Barcelona, accompanied by Alfonso Méndiz, rector of the University; Conrado Aparicio, vice-rector of Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer at the University; Antoni Bosch, member of the UIC Barcelona Board of Trustees; and Juan Pablo Garrido, director of Corporate Development at UIC Barcelona.
