The DCEXS

The Department of Experimental and Health Sciences (DCEXS) was founded in 1998 by the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), a young, public and modern university born in 1990 and called to become one of the leading European universities. Within this framework, the great challenge of the DCEXS has been to successfully develop a project where research and teaching are firmly integrated. Together with the UPF’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, the DCEXS is responsible for three undergraduate degrees: Human Biology (since 1998), Medicine (2008), Biomedical Engineering (2011) and Bioinformatics (2016). The Department also runs Master’s degrees in the fields of biomedicine, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, clinical laboratory sciences, and public health, and PhD Programme in Biomedicine fully taught in English and recognised by independent agencies. Scientific research is perceived by the students, both undergraduates and postgraduates, as an essential tool in their studies.

The DCEXS is strategically located within the Barcelona’s Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), a large scientific infrastructure that gathers together several public research centres and is physically connected to Barcelona’s Hospital del Mar, thus being one of the largest hubs of biomedical research in southern Europe.

This close contact has allowed DCEXS to establish strategic alliances with surrounding research institutes affiliated to the UPF such as the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGLOBAL), the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) or the Hospital del Mar - Medical Research Institute (IMIM), and now the EMBL-Barcelona. Outside the PRBB, the DCEXS has established an alliance with the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST, which integrates top research centres of Barcelona) for coordinating a joint pioneering Master’s degree in Multidisciplinary Research in Experimental Sciences. Over the last few years, the DCEXS has achieved a remarkable presence in different research fields and growing research output and impact.

DCEXS researchers have published 322 research articles in 2017 and 2018, 81 % of which in journals that fall in the first quartile, and 62 % in the first decile. The DCEXS has carried on its María de Maeztu (“Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu”, funded by the MINECO, reference MDM-2014-0370) strategic research programme to promote the department’s output including scientific exploratory and technology transfer projects and training, outreach, and gender balance activities.

Regarding participation in international projects, some highlights are the H2020 projects “e-TRANSAFE: Innovative Medicine Enhancing TRANslational SAFEty Assessment through Integrative Knowledge Management” awarded to Manuel Pastor in 2017 and “UPGRADE: Unlocking Precision Gene Therapy”, awarded in 2018 to Marc Güell and Pura Muñoz, and the 2018 H2020 FET projects “NOVIRUSES2BRAIN-'One size fits all' unique drug to eradicate multiple viral species simultaneously from the central nervous system of co-infected individuals” awarded to David Andreu and “MADONNA: Microbial deployment of new-to-nature chemistries for refactoring the barriers between living and non-living matter” awarded to Ricard Solé.

The excellence of the department has been recognised with several awards, like the ERC Advanced Grant awarded to Pura Muñoz in 2017; Tomàs Marquès-Bonet was one of the two researchers in Spain to receive the International Early Career Award by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute also in 2017; and in 2018 Marc Güell was awarded the Generalitat de Catalunya National Research Award for Young Talent which recognises young researchers who have stood out in their professional careers for the quality and excellence of their work.

Management team

Direction

Director:
David Comas

Vice Directors:
José Aramburu, Francisco J. Muñoz, and Eulàlia de Nadal

External Scientific Advisory Board 

President:
Isabel Fariñas (Universitat de València)

Members: Cosima Tatiana Baldari (Università di Siena)
Carmen Birchmeier (Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine)
Søren Brunak (Technical University of Denmark)
José Luis López Barneo (Universidad de Sevilla)
Trudy McKay (NC State University)
Francisco Sánchez Madrid (Universidad de Madrid)
Alfonso Valencia (CNIO)

Administrative and Services Staff 

Campus director

Fina Lorente

Heads

Rosa Olivé, David Moreso, Mar Garreta, Jordi Solà, Joan Carles Carrión, Sonia Lago, Sílvia Mora, Lluïsa Rojas

Staff

Anna Almor, Alejandro Aparici, Xavier Ardite, Josep Aymami, Marta Bonet, Gemma Burballa, Bianca Cabañero, Mamen Carmona, Neus Cartes, Pilar Cerro, Anna Dieste, Gemma Esparó, Txema Farrona, Lluís Flores, Sònia Gandul, Jordi Garriga, Josep Gibert, Robert González, Cintia Gutiérrez, Sonia Iturrate, Pilar Larramona, Mireia Llimós, Regina López, Núria Margalef, Vanesa Mesquida, Tamara Monrás, Tòfol Moreno, Jordi Palau, Diana Pardo, Susana Pérez, Carolina Pozo, Rafael Puente, Natàlia Ras, Lidia Reichenberg, Núria Reixach, Anna Rivas, Montse Saladrigas, Santa Taberner, Víctor Tomás, Marta Torras, Pedro Vázquez, Alexis Vicioso.