NEWS

Mariona’s Adventure Returns to Inspire Scientific Vocations

Following the success of the first edition, which brought together more than 3,000 participants, the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) is launching the second edition of Mariona’s Adventure—an educational and science outreach project designed to inspire children and teens to pursue scientific careers and to break gender stereotypes that often discourage girls from entering the world of research.

This year, Mariona is back with three new missions taking place in July, September, and November, culminating in a grand celebration on February 15, 2026, as part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The event aims to honor scientific talent with a gender perspective.

The first event will be held on Saturday, July 19, at Tibidabo Amusement Park, with a fun and participatory day focused on the digestive system. Through workshops and activities designed by professionals at IR Sant Pau, children and families will learn how the digestive system works and take part in educational experiments and games.

A major highlight of this second edition is that one of the missions will take place at the Barcelona Zoo in September, reflecting the project’s commitment to expanding its locations and reaching new audiences in educational and accessible environments.

All activities are free and open to the public, and will be led by professionals from IR Sant Pau—researchers, healthcare professionals, technicians, and students—who will share their knowledge in a close and engaging way. Children and teens will accompany Mariona, an eight-year-old girl passionate about science, on an adventure filled with challenges related to the human body, health, and biomedical research.

More information is available on the website:
https://www.santpau.cat/es/web/public/mariona-investigadora

The first edition of “Mariona’s Adventure” featured three science-themed family events at the Tibidabo Amusement Park—held on July 20, September 21, and November 24, 2024—where children and families took part in interactive workshops, talks with female researchers, and educational missions to “activate” organs such as the brain, heart, muscles, and blood. All of these activities culminated in a grand finale on February 9, 2025, at Tibidabo, where more than 2,500 people came together to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in a festive, family-friendly atmosphere.

The Mariona project

Mariona the Young Researcher is an educational and outreach initiative developed by IR Sant Pau. Mariona is a character who represents an eight-year-old girl passionate about science and medicine. Her goal is to inspire children and teens to explore the world of scientific research. At the age of eight, girls often begin to lose interest in science, due to persistent stereotypes and a lack of role models—something this project aims to address.

Through a series of missions and challenges designed to take place at Tibidabo Amusement Park and the Barcelona Zoo, Mariona encourages children to discover the secrets of the human body. They participate in scientific experiments and learn the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle.

The project also highlights the role of women in science, showcasing real examples of female researchers who share their professional and personal experiences to promote gender equality in the field.

Science with a gender perspective

IR Sant Pau actively promotes ongoing dialogue with society, in line with its RRI (Responsible Research and Innovation) plan and its goals for Science Education and Public Engagement. As a CERCA center and a Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit accredited by FECYT, its commitment to bringing research closer to society is unwavering. As the only research institute in Catalonia with a cross-cutting gender research program, IR Sant Pau serves as a spokesperson for the latest scientific advances. It emphasizes the importance of gender-focused research and the role of women in science and the future of a more inclusive scientific community.

Second edition activity calendar:

  • July 19, 2025 – Tibidabo Amusement Park: Mission focused on the digestive system
  • September 27, 2025 – Barcelona Zoo: Mission focused on the nervous system
  • November 22, 2025 – Tibidabo Amusement Park: Mission focused on the respiratory system
  • February 15, 2026 – Grand finale at Tibidabo Amusement Park, coinciding with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Innovation Day – 17 June – Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site

On 17 June, we invite you to join us for Innovation Day, a meeting point to talk about innovation in healthcare and research, and to discover how ideas are turned into real projects with a positive impact on society. An event to connect talent, knowledge, and opportunities within the innovation ecosystem.

During the event, you will get to know the six projects from the second edition of the INNOPAU incubator, which will present the progress made throughout the programme. In addition, the winners of the €50,000 and €15,000 grants will be announced, thanks to the support of the Private Foundation Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

There will also be space for networking, encouraging synergies among professionals, companies, and members of the healthcare innovation ecosystem, all in the unique setting of the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site.

Date: 17 June 2025
Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Venue: Francesc Cambó Hall – Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site

Registration


Jornada de recerca 2024

On December 18 at 9:00 a.m., we will hold the Sant Pau Research Day in the Auditorium of the Hospital de Sant Pau. This annual event is a meeting point to highlight the value of research and the role of the Institute on the Sant Pau Campus.

This year, we will have a roundtable to discuss the commitment to research from the leadership of large hospitals, featuring the participation of the directors general from some of the main hospitals: Adrià Comella, from Hospital de Sant Pau; Josep M. Campistol, from Hospital Clínic; Manel del Castillo, from Hospital Sant Joan de Déu; and Anna Arán, from Hospital Parc Taulí. This session will be a unique opportunity to understand the strategic vision and shared challenges of these centers.

Throughout the day, which will be held in Catalan and English, we will cover major topics such as research and technological innovation for the benefit of patients and advances in Neuroscience at Sant Pau.

We will close the event with a keynote lecture by Prof. Valentín Fuster: From Basic Science to Clinical Application – Critical Challenges in the Two Extremes of Life.

View the full event program by clicking here.

We look forward to seeing you!


18:30 h New Talk at CC Palmira Domènech: Will we manage to cure Alzheimer’s disease? – Danna Perlaza

On ThursdayOctober 17, at 18:30 hDanna Perlaza, research technician at the Memory Unit of the IR Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Palmira Domènech Civic Center entitled “Will we manage to cure Alzheimer’s disease?”.

In this talk, she will explain what happens to the brain when symptoms appear, the state-of-the-art regarding the treatment of the disease, and what are the latest scientific advances we have made in our laboratories.

Address: Carrer de Lo Gaiter del Llobregat, 112, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona

Time: 18:30 h – 19:30 h

Registration

 


18:00 h New Seminar at CC Guinardó: Is it true? Disinformation, nutrition and science – Dr. Gonzalo Casino

On WednesdayOctober 16, at 18:00 h, Dr. Gonzalo Casino, researcher at IR Sant Pau and head of knowledge transfer at the Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, will give a talk at the Guinardó Civic Center entitled “Is it true? Disinformation, nutrition and science”.

Messages and recommendations about food and nutrition made by the media are not always in line with the latest scientific evidence. In this talk, we will discover whether some of these messages are true or not, as well as the importance of having a critical eye to make informed decisions about nutrition and health.

Address: Rda. Guinardó, 113-141 Barcelona 08043

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration

 


18:00 h New Seminar at CC Guinardó: Will we manage to cure Alzheimer’s disease? – Danna Perlaza

On Wednesday, October 9, at 18:00 h, Danna Perlaza, research technician at the Memory Unit of the IR Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Guinardó Civic Center entitled “Will we manage to cure Alzheimer’s disease?”.

In this talk, she will explain what happens to the brain when symptoms appear, the state-of-the-art regarding the treatment of the disease, and what are the latest scientific advances we have made in our laboratories.

Address: Rda. Guinardó, 113-141 Barcelona 08043

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration

 


18:00 h New talk at CC Navas: The journey of the drug: from the laboratory to your pharmacy – Pol Molina Perelló

On Tuesday, October 15 at 18h, Pol Molina Perelló, Pharmaceutical Researcher at CIM Sant Pau and the IR Sant Pau Clinical Research Platform will give a talk at the Navas Civic Center about the clinical trials that are carried out at the Medicament Research Center – CIM of the Sant Pau Research Institute.

During his talk, he will discuss how clinical trials with medicines that are carried out at the CIM are developed and supervised, mostly in Phase I with healthy volunteers in order to establish the effect of medicines in the initial stage of their development and Phase II trials, in small groups of patients in collaboration with various clinical services of the Hospital in order to obtain more kinetic or conceptual information of the drugs under study.

 

Address: Ptge. Torent, 1, 08027 Barcelona

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration


18:00 h New Talk at CC Guinardó: To see is to believe: the incredible world of the brain image – Dra. Lídia Vaqué Alcázar

On Wednesday, May 29 at 18:00 h, Dra. Lídia Vaqué Alcázar, Memory Unit, Neurology Service of the IR Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Guinardó Civic Center entitled “To see is to believe: the incredible world of the brain image”.

The talk will deal with neuroimaging techniques, how we can study the brain through magnetic resonance and other tools, to have information about its structure and function.

Adress: Rda. Guinardó, 113-141 Barcelona 08043

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration


18:00 h New talk at the CC Navas: The patient in the clinical trial – Iris Artesero

On Tuestday, May 21 at 18 h, Iris Artesero, Study Coordinator of the Infectious Diseases Unit of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Navas Civic Center on the perspective and involvement of the patient in a clinical trial from the moment he is “detected” to beyond the end of the study.

Clinical trials are a complex field of which we can find quite a lot of information about the theoretical concept and its execution, but not so much about how the patient is reached, which involves him or who and how accompanies him during the process. This talk focuses on the patient’s experience rather than on the trial itself.

Address: Ptge. Torent, 1, 08027 Barcelona

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration


18:30 h New talk at the Sagrada Família Library: Let’s talk about drugs, what do we know – Dra. Rosa M Antonijoan

On Thursday, May 16 at 18:30 h, Dra. Rosa M Antonijoan, Director of Clinical Pharmacology at the IR Sant Pau Drug Research Centre, will give a talk at the Sagrada Família Library entitled “Let’s talk about drugs, what do we know?”.

In this talk we will learn about the pattern of drug abuse in our surroundings. In addition, we will identify the pharmacological and toxic effects of different stimulating drugs and depressing drugs.

Adress: C/ de Provença, 480, 08025 Barcelona

Time: 18:30 h – 19:30 h

Information


18:30 h New talk at Sagrada Familia Library: Letalment vital – Debora Cavero Moreno

On Wednesday, May 15th at 18:30h, Debora Cavero Moreno, predoctoral researcher of the Cancer Predisposition and DNA Repair Syndromes Group at IR Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Sagrada Família Library entitled “Letalment vital”.

Have you ever imagined that lethality could be a fundamental element for life? This talk talks about “synthetic letality” as a special interaction for the fight against cancer and the cure of rare diseases.

Address: C/ de Provença, 480, 08025 Barcelona

Time: 18:30 h – 19:30 h

Information


18:00 h New Talk at CC Guinardó: Why is it important to sleep? – Dra. Sandra Giménez Badia

On Wednesday, May 8 at 18:00 h, Dra. Sandra Giménez Badia, Clinical Neurophysiologist specialized in Sleep Medicine at the Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau and researcher at the IR Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Guinardó Civic Center entitled “Why is it important to sleep?”.

The talk will deal with sleep and brain health, from the importance of sleeping well to being physically, mentally and cognitively well, both in teenagers and adults. What we have to do or not do, to sleep well and which pathologies are related to sleep.

Adress: Rda. Guinardó, 113-141 Barcelona 08043

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration


18:00 h Nova Xerrada al CC Navas: Aconseguirem curar l’Alzheimer? – Danna Perlaza

El proper dimarts 16 d’abril a les 18h, la Danna Perlaza, estudiant de màster de la Unitat de Memòria de l’IR Sant Pau, farà una xerrada al Centre Cívic Navas sobre què és la malaltia d’Alzheimer, quines són les seves principals causes i símptomes i coneixerem en quin punt ens trobem quant al tractament de la malaltia.

Adreça: Ptge. Torent, 1, 08027 Barcelona

Horari: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Inscripcions


18:00 h New Talk at CC Guinardó: How to feed your brain – Olga Perea Cabrera

On Wednesday, April 10 at 18 h, Olga Perea Cabrera, speech therapist, who specialized in neurology at the IR Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Guinardó Civic Center entitled “How to feed your brain”.

We live in a society where neurological diseases are frequent: stress, anxiety, strokes, embolisms, dementias, among others. This talk talks about how the brain can be our best ally to control and avoid as much as possible suffering some brain difficulty. Resilience, positivism activates a chain of neurons that benefit not only our brain but our state in general.

Address: Rda. Guinardó, 113-141 Barcelona 08043

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration


18:00 h New Talk at CC Navas: Stem cells in research – Dra. Alba Tristán Noguero

On Tuesday, April 9 at 18h, Dra. Alba Tristán Noguero, postdoctoral researcher of the ‘Margarita Salas’ Program in Physiology of synapse at the Sant Pau Research Institute will give a talk at the Navas Civic Center on research stem cells.

In this talk, we will talk about what stem cells are and the different types that exist giving several examples of their use in biomedical research.

Adress: Ptge. Torent, 1, 08027 Barcelona

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration


18:00 h New talk at the CC Navas: What would I have liked to know about genetics if I wasn’t a geneticist? – Aina Marsal Olivan

On Tuesday, March 19 at 18 h, Aina Marsal Olivan, Mixed Unit Research in Genomic Medicine, UAB-IR Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Navas Civic Centre about genetics and the involvement it has in our lives.

Do you know what genetics is? What involvement does it have in our lives? And in society? In this talk we will answer these questions and discover some interesting curiosities about DNA.

Address: Ptge. Torent, 1, 08027 Barcelona

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration


18:30 h New Talk at the Sagrada Família Library: Women, Science and Health – Laia Llucià Carol

On Thursday, March 14 at 18:30, Laia Llucià and Carol, Predoctoral Researcher of the Pharmacogenomic and Neurovascular Genetics Group at IR Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Sagrada Família Library entitled “Women, Science and Health”.

Did you know that the presence of women at the beginning of the research career is 47.3%, while in the highest positions it is reduced to 25.6%? Do you know more scientific references apart from Marie Curie? Have you ever considered whether, when studying and visualising diseases, it is done with enough gender perspective? We talk about gender bias in science and health.

In this talk, it will be exposed some of the causes and consequences that from a very young age mark the gender bias that exists in science, both in terms of positions of greater power and in the study and visualization in the media of certain diseases.

Adress: C/ de Provença, 480, 08025 Barcelona

Time: 18:30 h – 19:30 h

Information


18:30 h New talk at the CC Vil·la Urània: Tuberculosis, a disease of the present – Raquel Prieto

On Monday, February 26 at 18:30 h, Raquel Prieto, Nurse of the Epidemiology Service of the Public Health Agency of Barcelona, will give a talk  at the Vil·la Urània Civic Center about  the tuberculosis disease in the present.

Tuberculosis was in 2021 the second cause of death by a single infectious agent after Covid-19. In Barcelona it continues to be a public health problem with 14.9 cases / 100,000 inhabitants notified in 2021. In addition, there is a decrease that is irregular so that it is observed in men but not in women, where there has been an increase, and in groups in a situation of vulnerability.

The aim of this talk is to highlight a problem that exists and that requires great efforts from Salut Publica if we want to achieve SDG 3 of the 2030 Agenda and the objectives of the WHO End-TB Strategy to reduce tuberculosis mortality by 95% and incidence by 90%. We will delve into differentiating between latent tuberculosis infection that means that the person is not ill and therefore cannot entrust the disease and active tuberculosis. On the other hand, the importance of both patient follow-up and the study of contacts in the different scenarios in which the patient moves will be explained.

Adress: C/Saragossa, 29, 08006 Barcelona

Time: 18:30 h – 20:00 h

Registration


18:00 h New talk at the CC Navas: Support for patients and the public in clinical research – Dra. Mª José Martínez Zapata

Tuesday, February 20 at 18 h, Dra. Mª José Martínez Zapata, Ibero-American Cochrane Center-Clinical Epidemiology Service, IR Sant Pau, will give a talk a the Navas Civic Centre on clinical research.

The talk will focus on the different types of patient and public participation in clinical research projects, whether clinical trials or observational studies or systematic reviews. In the sense of how their experience can improve the design of the studies, the usefulness of the results and their application.

Adress: Ptge. Torent, 1, 08027 Barcelona

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration


18:00 h New Seminar at CC Guinardó: What is a clinical trial? – Pol Molina Perelló

On Wednesday, February 21 at 18:00 h, Pol Molina Perelló, Pharmaceutical Researcher at the CIM Sant Pau and the Clinical Research Platform of the IR Sant Pau, will give a talk at the Guinardó Civic Center about the clinical trials that are carried out at the Center of Medicine Research – CIM of the Institut de Recerca Sant Pau.

During his talk he will talk about how the clinical trials with medicines that are carried out at the CIM are developed and monitored, mostly in Phase I with healthy volunteers in order to establish the effect of medicines in the initial stage of their development and trials Phase II, in small groups of patients in collaboration with various clinical services of the Hospital in order to obtain more kinetic or conceptual information on the drugs under study.

Address: Rda. Guinardó, 113-141, Barcelona 08043

Time: 18:00 h – 19:00 h

Registration


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