In spite of enormous advances in diagnosis and treatment over the last 20 years, cardiovascular diseases remain the major cause of death in the developed world. The costs generated in economic, social and human terms are immense. In response to this situation, the Spanish Government, through the Carlos III Institute of Health, created the CNIC to bring together the best of Spanish cardiovascular research and provide it with a modern infrastructure and ample funding to carry out world-leading biomedical research.
Research at the CNIC is grouped into three departments:
- Vascular Biology and Inflammation. The VBI department investigates the complex interactions between the components of circulating blood and the vascular wall, with emphasis on emphasis on vessel wall remodeling, inflammation and autoimmunity, and cell biology and signaling in metabolism and disease.
- Cardiovascular Development and Repair. The CDR department investigates the cell-cell interactions and signaling pathways operating during heart morphogenesis and vascular development, the origin and maintenance of the pluripotent state, and the metabolic regulation and repair of the adult cardiovascular system.
- Epidemiology, Atherothrombosis and Imaging. The EAI department develops non-invasive technologies for molecular-resolution imaging that can identify and characterize vulnerable plaques. In combination with epidemiologic analyses, this approach provides invaluable information on the underlying molecular mechanisms of disease, leading to tools for accurate diagnosis and targeted drug delivery.
The Translational Platform develops initiatives that foster translational research at the CNIC through collaboration with international partners and Spanish hospitals. The Platform also identifies, promotes, and co-develops CNIC research with potential industrial applications, by facilitating the acquisition of patents and their subsequent development or licensing. The Platform’s own Clinical Research Program provides logistics and methodological support to CNIC researchers and to collaborating institutions and healthcare companies requesting assistance in this area. One of the Platform’s key activities is the creation of a biobank to support state-of-the-art cardiovascular research.
Training is one of the CNIC’s principal areas of activity. The Center’s training activities are coordinated within the CNIC-JOVEN Training Plan, which includes programs at all levels from secondary education to the training of postdoctoral researchers and other young professionals.
The CNIC-JOVEN programs are designed to attract young people to a career in biomedical research and to create a wellspring of talented cardiovascular researchers for the future.
© 2012 Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares