Project leader

Josefina Castro-Fornieles, MD, PhD

Phone:93-227-5441
Fax:93-227-5795

E-Mail message

Institute presentation

IDIBAPS is a public research centre dedicated to translational research in the field of biomedicine. It aims to integrate state of the art basic research and quality clinical research in order to acquire and transfer knowledge regarding the main health problems present in our society, with the final purpose of improving their prevention and treatment. Therefore, innovation and technological progress are essential lines of activity at IDIBAPS. The IDIBAPS task force combines more than 400 researchers, making IDIBAPS probably the most powerful translational research centre in Spain. Founded in 1996, IDIBAPS is formed by the Generalitat de Catalunya's Ministry of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise (DIUiE), the University of Barcelona's Faculty of Medicine, the Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona (HCPB) and the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona of the Council for Scientific Research (IIBB-CSIC). This is a long term on-going collaboration.

The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology of the Neurosciences Institute of the HCPB is specialized in top-level clinical care and research in psychiatric disorders such as Psychotic disorders, Eating Disorders, Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Conduct Disorders and Substance Abuse Disorders. Research projects comprise clinical, pharmacological, neuropsychological, biological markers and efficacy and safety of medication treatment for psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Neuroimaging assessments and research are on the priority list. The staff of the team includes a total of 14 child and adolescent psychiatrists and 12 clinical psychologists. The Department of Radiology and the clinical imaging research Unit, is highly dedicated to advanced imaging research in clinical environment. The medial imaging facility core provides services related to medical imaging techniques and perform first-rate basic and clinical research into medical imaging using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, molecular imaging, other types of medical imaging and image processing.

The center has been involved in collaborative national studies related to treatment and neuroimaging of different psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents such as psychotic disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, eating disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Several members have been Investigators of other collaborative research projects related to psychiatric disorders in different European Projects: Pediatric European Risperidone Studies –PERS. Coordinator: Jan Buitelaar, FP7-HEALH-2009 European Commission; Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP). Coordinator Dr. P.Santosh, FP7-HEALTH-2009 European Commission.