A team of researchers from the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) has received the 2025 Best Communication Award from the Catalan Resuscitation Council (Consell Català de Ressuscitació, CCR), in recognition of the scientific and translational impact of their work.
The winning study, titled “Region-Specific Vulnerability to Brain Damage Following Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Preclinical Studies in Pigs,” was led by Dr. Gemma Vilahur, head of the Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics of Atherothrombotic and Ischemic Diseases Research Group at IR Sant Pau and a member of CIBERCV.
The research offers a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms that occur in the brain following a five-minute cardiac arrest and subsequent resuscitation. Using a preclinical model, the study analyzes markers related to glial activation, apoptosis, and the deregulation of cellular survival pathways. It reveals a differential neuronal response across brain regions, with more intense inflammatory reactions and greater vulnerability to neuronal loss in the cerebral cortex, caudate nucleus, and hippocampus. While further exploration of these findings is underway, the results may have important implications for the development and implementation of targeted neuroprotective strategies in patients who have suffered cardiac arrest.
The award was presented on Tuesday, May 20, during the closing ceremony for the awards and grants hosted by the Academy of Medical Sciences of Catalonia in Barcelona. Representing the team, María Ángeles Cánovas—who has been involved in the research project since its inception—accepted the award.
This recognition highlights the scientific excellence of the work being conducted at IR Sant Pau, particularly in the field of cardiovascular research and its connection to brain health. It also underscores the importance of cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration in advancing the understanding of complex conditions such as those resulting from cardiac arrest. The study involved researchers from Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, the Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science (United Kingdom), and CIBERCV (Carlos III Health Institute).
