The Institut de Recerca Sant Pau (IR Sant Pau) has secured funding for three research projects in the 2024 call for Knowledge Generation Projects from the Spanish State Research Agency, within the framework of the 2024–2027 State Plan for Scientific, Technical, and Innovation Research. Altogether, the projects have been awarded a total granted budget of €1,138,250. The grants will support the launch of new research lines in neuroscience, rare diseases, and cancer, as well as strengthen researcher training through two associated predoctoral contracts.
The awarded projects are led by Dr. Àlex Bayés, Dr. Jordi Surrallés, and Dr. Manel Esteller. They reflect the diversity and robustness of the research carried out at IR Sant Pau, combining high-level basic science with approaches that have strong translational potential.
The Knowledge Generation Projects program aims to foster excellent scientific research and advance knowledge across all fields, without a closed thematic orientation, promoting both fundamental research and research capable of laying the foundations for future applications. These grants are designed to strengthen the scientific system, support consolidated research careers, and promote the training of new research talent through predoctoral contracts associated with the funded projects.
The project led by Dr. Àlex Bayés focuses on the study of neuronal synapses and brain oscillations as pillars of brain organization and function, with awarded funding of €250,000. In this context, the researcher emphasizes that “understanding how synapses and brain oscillations are coordinated is key to deciphering the basic principles of brain function,” placing the focus on how information is integrated at different scales, from connections between neurons to the coordinated activity of entire networks.
The research is based on the idea that brain function does not depend solely on isolated connections but on the interaction between synaptic mechanisms and oscillatory activity patterns that enable the temporal synchronization of neuronal circuits. This coordination, expressed in the form of rhythms and oscillations, acts as an organizing system for communication between brain regions and underpins complex cognitive and behavioral processes.
Through an integrative approach, the project explores the molecular and functional mechanisms that support synaptic architecture and its relationship with these global activity dynamics. The aim is to generate fundamental knowledge on how these communication systems are structured, maintained, and adjusted, providing a solid basis for interpreting what happens when they are disrupted in neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.
The project led by Dr. Jordi Surrallés addresses Fanconi anemia, a rare inherited disease characterized by genomic instability, bone marrow failure, and a high predisposition to cancer development, such as acute myeloid leukemia or head and neck tumors. The initiative has been awarded €425,375, enabling the combination of advanced genomics and functional analysis with a clear orientation toward clinical applicability.
The study focuses on improving diagnosis and functional characterization of the mutations involved in Fanconi anemia and on exploring pathways to translate this knowledge into innovative therapeutic strategies. In this regard, the project integrates analysis of DNA repair processes with approaches based on synthetic lethality, a strategy that allows selective elimination of tumor cells by exploiting specific vulnerabilities that do not affect healthy cells. It also includes the study of responses to targeted therapies.
As summarized by Dr. Surrallés, “the goal is for genomic and molecular knowledge to translate into concrete improvements for patients, both in diagnosis and in therapeutic options.” The project also includes a predoctoral contract, strengthening the training of research talent in a highly specialized field and consolidating IR Sant Pau’s leadership in the study of rare diseases and cancer predisposition syndromes. In addition, the project is supported by a postdoctoral contract and a technical profile, contributing to molecular genomics tasks and laboratory technical support.
The third project, led by Dr. Manel Esteller, focuses on the epigenetic and epitranscriptomic characterization of cancer immunotherapies, both cellular—such as CAR-T, CAR-NK, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes—and pharmacological, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors. Under the acronym EPIMMUNOMICS and with funding of €462,875, the study applies single-cell technologies that enable analysis of molecular properties at the individual cell level, together with multi-omics analyses, to understand the mechanisms that determine response or resistance to these treatments.
The research addresses one of the main current challenges in oncology: explaining why immunotherapy, despite its transformative impact, does not benefit all patients. In this context, Dr. Esteller emphasizes that “understanding the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the immune response is essential to expand the benefit of immunotherapy and make it more effective and personalized,” highlighting the need to identify biological signals that allow treatment response to be anticipated.
The project examines in detail the epigenome and epitranscriptome of tumor and immune cells to identify predictive biomarkers and new therapeutic vulnerabilities, with the aim of optimizing patient selection and contributing to the design of more precise therapeutic strategies. The initiative also includes a predoctoral contract, reinforcing the project’s training dimension and its medium- and long-term impact. In addition, the project plans to strengthen the team with profiles specialized in computational analysis to provide additional support for the exploitation of multi-omics data.
With the award of these three projects, IR Sant Pau strengthens its capacity to attract competitive funding and to develop excellent research in key areas of biomedicine. At the same time, the incorporation of researchers in training helps ensure continuity and generational renewal in strategic research lines, consolidating the center’s commitment to knowledge generation and its transfer to society.
