Caixa Impulse funds four UB projects with the advice of Bosch i Gimpera Foundation
Four projects by the University of Barcelona, guided by Bosch i Gimpera Foundation, have been selected to take part in the program Caixa Impulse 2018, which offers an economic aid of about 50,000 and 100,000 euros to work on a valorisation and commercialization plan for technologies in the field of health and life sciences.
Four projects by the University of Barcelona, guided by Bosch i Gimpera Foundation, have been selected to take part in the program Caixa Impulse 2018, which offers an economic aid of about 50,000 and 100,000 euros to work on a valorisation and commercialization plan for technologies in the field of health and life sciences.
The four selected projects are the following:
“First-in-class dimerization inhibitors of the androgen receptor as novel therapeutics against prostate cancer”, by the lecturer Eva Estébanez, from the Faculty of Biology, to identify and verify dimerization inhibitors of the androgen receptor (iARdim) as potential drugs to fight prostate cancer.
The project “Novel compounds for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders”, led by Carmen Escolano, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, will allow researchers carry out in vivo studies on candidate compounds for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
“New HRI activators for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus”, presented by Manuel Vázquez, also from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, will define the development strategy and improvement of HRI activators for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Last, the project “Derma snap: turning any smartphone into a dermatologic instrument”, by the lecturer Daniel Prades, from the Faculty of Physics, aims to valorise a technology which provides images in real color that can be used by dermatologists and doctors.
A total of 85 projects were presented by universities, hospitals and NGOs from Spain and Portugal, but only twenty were selected. The people in charge of the selected projects will receive specific training to improve these projects and their valorisation plans, and will be advised by a mentor during this program.
New awarded projects on biomedical research
The ʻla Caixaʼ Banking Foundation published the twenty selected projects in the first call to fund projects on biomedical research, with a minimum fund of twelve million euros per year. A total of 785 projects from all around Spain and Portugal were presented in this call.
A project among the chosen ones, with the advice from FBG, led by the researcger Ofelia M. Martínez Estrada, member of the Research Group Celltec UB from the Faculty of Biology, has received fund as well. Its aim is to analyze the metabolic changes of epicardium cells during the different stages of the heart's embryonal development, in order to repair this organ properly after an injury.
Other lecturers were distinguished in this call: the lecturers from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Josep Dalmau and Elías Campo, through IDIBAPS , and Roger Gomis, from IRB Barcelona.