Designated a “María de Maeztu” Unit of Excellence by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, is part of Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), a leading Spanish university, which has recently been recognized as:

• A Campus of International Excellence (CEI UPF-ICARIA, Spanish Ministry of Education)
• The No. 1 Spanish university (Times Higher Education Indicator) and 186th worldwide (THE Ranking, 2011)
• The top Spanish university in terms of the quality of its scientific output (CyD Report, 2011)
• One of the top twenty European universities in terms of projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC, 2016)
• The most productive university in Spain (U-ranking, by BBVA Foundation and Ivie, 2016)

UPF graduates also have high satisfaction (90%) and job placement (83%) rates (AQU Catalunya, 2014).

Teaching

The Faculty offers outstanding training and excellence at all university levels: undergraduate, master’s and doctorate. It currently offers three bachelor’s degree programmes, in Human Biology, Medicine, and Biomedical Engineering (together with the UPF Department of Information and Communication Technologies). It also offers five master’s degrees, in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry, Clinical Analysis Laboratory, Public Health, Biomedical Research and Bioinformatics for Health Sciences, the latter two in English, and a PhD programme in Biomedicine, likewise taught in English, that is highly international in terms of both students and teaching staff.

Teaching innovation and educational project

Since it was founded, the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences has implemented a collective and innovative educational project characterized by, among other things, the promotion of active learning, the importance of learning practical skills, the use of new technologies and student involvement in order to improve teaching quality. All the Faculty’s teaching activity is directed and coordinated by the Unit of Education in Health Sciences (UECS).

Research

As a result of its research excellence, the Department was recognised as a “María de Maeztu” Unit of Excellence in 2014, and again in 2018. This research is led by the experimental and health sciences department, which includes 35 research groups divided into eight distinct programmes:

• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Molecular Medicine Programme
• Evolutionary Biology and Complex Systems
• Biomedical Informatics
• Genetics and Neurosciences
• Systems Bioengineering
• Cross-disciplinary Programme: Public Health and Education in Health Sciences

The number of publications has increased to a total of more than 1,000 in the last 5 years, with most papers being published in top-quartile (Q1) journals.

The Faculty’s international external advisory board enables continuous assessment of the scientific output. External funding comes from competitive sources and research contracts with both Spanish and international industry and amounts to more than 10 million euros per year.

Alliances

The Faculty has made a big effort to establish important strategic alliances with several UPF-affiliated research institutes, such as:

• Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL)
• Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)
• Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)
• Pasqual Maragall Foundation (FPM)

These alliances have increased the critical mass of scientists in several fields of research, with some Faculty members conducting their research at these partner institutes.

Location

Our activity is divided between two physically and functionally linked areas: classes are taught at the University’s Mar Campus and research is conducted at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park.

UPF’s Mar Campus is home to three teaching areas related to the field of health: the Mar Health Park teaching unit of the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the UPF’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, and the Mar Nursing School, affiliated with Mar Hospital (ESIM-PSMAR). This building, located on Carrer del Doctor Aiguader, is part of a pioneering interuniversity cooperation project including six undergraduate degree programmes – Human Biology (UPF), Biomedical Engineering (UPF), Bioinformatics (ESCI-UPF), Medicine, Physiotherapy (UAB) and Nursing (ESIM) – and several postgraduate programmes. The direct link with Mar Hospital and the research centres located in the adjacent Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) make UPF’s Mar Campus a knowledge hub capable of offering students access to both healthcare practice and research.

The Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) hosts eight high-level scientific research centres, which bring together over 1,400 people from more than 50 countries. The PRBB provides the Faculty with an excellent scientific environment, regular scientific seminars, and a continuing professional development programme.

Presentation materials

Download our brochure for information about the Department and the Faculty. 

UPF Fact Sheet - Medicine and Life Sciences.