ISGlobal’s Severo Ochoa Programme Meets to Discuss Progress and Synergies

ISGlobal renewed its accreditation as Severo Ochoa (SO) Center of Excellence in June 2024, with an ambitious plan to connect infections, non-communicable diseases and the environment, using data and analytical tools combined with participatory approaches. The SO gathering, held on December 2, showed that this vision is taking shape, with an increasing number of projects involving several research groups across programmes and campuses. A cohort of nine PhD students (plus one yet to join), four postdocs and three senior technicians, recruited by the programme, are making this possible.

After a short welcome by Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, scientific director of the SO distinction, and Giulia Pollarolo, SO programme coordinator, the gathering opened with a keynote lecture by Silvia de Sanjosé, awardee of the Jaume I 2025 Prize in Clinical and Public Health Research. Her presentation was a powerful story of research with impact. From identifying the HPV strains causing most cervical cancer cases, to guiding the rollout of a highly effective vaccine reaching millions of girls, and advancing screening strategies for thousands of women in resource-limited settings.

The scientific sessions showcased excellent presentations by the PhD students and postdocs within the programme’s two streams: molecular mechanisms and health determinants of major diseases, and knowledge and tools for population health resilience.

Stream 1 projects ranged from basic research on host pathogen interactions, including research on extracellular vesicles, disease biomarkers, and single cell analyses, to multi-omics analyses in cohorts investigating the effects of early-life exposure to multiple chemical exposures or the impact of urban exposures on microbiota composition and function. 

Stream 2 projects highlighted the development of early warning systems for dengue outbreaks in Argentina and the Mediterranean, as well as a traveller app that predicts individual risk of infectious diseases while providing valuable data for pandemic surveillance. Point of care diagnostics for dengue and group B streptococcus, and for prognosis of severity in febrile patients were also presented. Another major focus was climate change adaptation and mitigation, with several projects linked to CATALYSE, UBD policy, and the role of social protection. Ongoing participatory approaches to mitigate heat stress effects among migrant agricultural workers, other high-risk occupations, and older adults were also featured.

In his concluding remarks, Mark Niewenhuijsen reminded the participants of the importance of integrating their research with the institution’s expertise in knowledge transfer and translation, to maximise the programme’s impact.