Five IR Sant Pau Researchers Join ISTAART Leadership and Representative Bodies
The international recognition of IR Sant Pau’s research on Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders is once again reflected in the recognition of its researchers within leading scientific networks in the field. Five researchers from IR Sant Pau, who are also affiliated with the Sant Pau Memory Unit, have taken on new responsibilities in different specialized areas of ISTAART, the international community of the Alzheimer’s Association dedicated to advancing research, collaboration, and progress in the fight against dementia.
Dr. Carla Abdelnour, Dr. Olivia Belbin, Dr. Oriol Dols, Judit Selma, and Elena Vera-Campuzano are joining the leadership and representative bodies of five ISTAART Professional Interest Areas. The appointments cover fields ranging from clinical trials and neuroimmunology to neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognition, and Lewy body dementias, strengthening the presence of IR Sant Pau researchers in international forums for scientific exchange and cooperation.
ISTAART—Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment—brings together researchers, clinicians, and other specialists from around the world to promote knowledge exchange and accelerate scientific advances in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. A central part of its activities is organized through Professional Interest Areas (PIAs), specialized communities that enable members to share knowledge, establish collaborations, and promote scientific initiatives in specific fields.
Five Areas of Research
These five appointments place IR Sant Pau researchers in ISTAART areas covering different aspects of research into neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Carla Abdelnour has been appointed Chair of the Clinical Trials Advancement and Methods Professional Interest Area, where she will help guide and coordinate the activities of this specialized community. Dr. Olivia Belbin will serve as program chair of the Neuropsychiatric Syndromes Professional Interest Area, playing a direct role in developing its scientific programming and initiatives for its members.
Meanwhile, Dr. Oriol Dols joins as a member of the Executive Committee of the Immunity and Neurodegeneration Professional Interest Area, becoming part of the team responsible for promoting and coordinating the community’s activities. IR Sant Pau’s presence also extends to the representation of researchers at earlier stages of their careers: doctoral student Judit Selma will serve as student representative of the Cognition Professional Interest Area, while fellow doctoral student Elena Vera-Campuzano will take on the same role in the Lewy Body Dementias Professional Interest Area. These positions allow early-career researchers to contribute their perspectives to the activities and initiatives developed by their respective areas.
Together, these appointments demonstrate IR Sant Pau’s involvement across fields ranging from clinical research and trials to the study of immune mechanisms, cognition, and the neuropsychiatric manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases, combining scientific leadership responsibilities with the participation of a new generation of researchers.
A Growing International Presence
The appointment of these five researchers to ISTAART’s organizational structures reflects the diversity and maturity of IR Sant Pau’s research in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. At the same time, it facilitates direct participation in international communities where researchers from different countries share advances, identify common challenges, and create new opportunities for collaboration.
This presence also helps strengthen the connection between research conducted at IR Sant Pau and an international scientific community that is particularly active in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, promoting knowledge exchange and participation in initiatives that can contribute to advancing research in these areas.
