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27/01/2026 - General information

Barcelona City Council and “la Caixa” Foundation fund two projects involving the Hospital del Mar Research Institute

They are part of the thirteen emerging research projects in the fields of health and sustainability selected in the two institutions' joint 2025 grant call.

The Hospital del Mar Research Institute is participating in two of the projects selected by Barcelona City Council and the "la Caixa" Foundation as part of the 2025 edition of the grants awarded by the two entities to emerging research projects in the fields of health and sustainability. Altogether, the initiatives will receive a total of two million euros in funding.

One of the projects (DESODEM-BCN) will analyse social determinants in urban dementia. It will study how socioeconomic position, social infrastructure and air pollution influence dementia symptomatology and biology in Barcelona. The project combines biomedical, social and urban research to identify inequalities in diagnosis and disease progression, with special attention to the pTau217 biomarker. It is led by the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), in collaboration with the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, the Barcelona Urban Research Institute (IDRA) and the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB).

The second project (BECOME) will study the usefulness of mindfulness in preventing relapse in depression. It aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) delivered in online group formats or as self-help to prevent relapse in people with recurrent major depression. Through a clinical trial with 300 participants, the intervention will be compared with usual care. The study seeks to provide digital, scalable and non-pharmacological alternatives that improve quality of life and community mental health. It is led by the Sant Joan de Déu Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

The thirteen winning projects were selected from 77 proposals and will receive up to 80% of the total research cost, with a maximum of €150,000. The remaining amount, up to 100% of the project value, will have to be obtained from other funding sources.

The grants are part of the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan for Science and Innovation, which aims to foster talent and scientific careers in Barcelona in order to consolidate the city as a leading hub for scientific output at both national and European levels. This is the fifth edition of the call, resulting from the collaboration agreement signed between the City Council and the "la Caixa" Foundation.

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