CREAL – Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology

The 'Centre de Recerca en Epidemiologia Ambiental' (CREAL) [Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology], was an institute created at the end of 2005 with the mission of promoting and developing advanced epidemiological research into the environmental factors that affect human health, in order to help prevent and control their harmful effects. On 30 June 2016, a process was completed whereby CREAL was integrated into ISGlobal, thus giving rise to a centre of reference at international level. 

Commitment with the public health

CREAL's research focused on 6 research programmes: Respiratory, Cancer, Childhood, Air Pollution, Water Pollution, Radiation. 

CREAL promoted environmental epidemiology as a main scientific area of public health and, as such, CREAL demonstrated the will and commitment for collaborating in the processes of risk evaluation and the practice of the public environmental health.

CREAL was an initiative of the Generalitat de Catalunya with the collaboration of Parc de Salut Mar from Barcelona and Universitat Pompeu Fabra. This centre followed environmental epidemiological research that was initially based at the Unitat de Recerca Respiratòria i Ambiental (URRA) [Unit of Respiratory and Environmental Research] of the Hospital del Mar Research Centre (IMIM).