In 2022, the MELIS Department organized several outreach activities and also participated in yearly activities organized by other institutions. We had activities that reached across disciplines and age groups, aimed at high school students, senior people, patients, and their relatives, and the general public.

Activities with patients, their relatives and general public

Prostate Forum: From benign hypertrophy to cancer

October 2022, organized together with the QUAES-UPF Chair.

Three experts in medicine, diagnosis and research of this disease will explain the current scenario of this disease to patients, relatives or the general public interested in learning about the latest developments in biomedicine.

Rheumatoid arthritis forum: advances in diagnosis and treatment

May 2022, organized together with the QUAES-UPF Chair.

What are the risk factors and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis? What do we know about its causes? What is the state of research? What techniques allow its diagnosis? At the Rheumatoid Arthritis Forum, experts in different fields will answer these and many more questions. 

This forum was especially appreciated by the public. One year later, it had 25,000 views on YouTube.

Parkinson’s Forum: present and future of the disease

March 2022, organized together with the QUAES-UPF Chair.

What are the risk factors and symptoms of Parkinson’s? What do we know about its causes? What is the state of research? Is there any treatment to improve the quality of life of patients? At the Parkinson’s Forum, experts in different fields from medicine to research will answer these and many more questions.

Activities aimed at the general public

No esperes a otra pandemia para saber qué se está investigando en salud y biomedicina

In October 2021 the MELIS launched the cycle “Do not wait for another pandemic to know what is being investigated in health and biomedicine”, with the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT). The Cycle has been designed to create a space for constant dialogue between the scientific community and society. It consists of nine hybrid sessions distributed throughout the course, one each month.

In 2022 the cycle continued with the sessions:

  • Cancer news: an ongoing epidemic June 2022. Four experts discussed cancer diagnosis, treatment and research.
  • The genetic fingerprint of diseases, May 2022. Two experts discussed why some diseases are common to all human populations, but others only occur in some populations.
  • Internet and health: opportunities and risks April 2022. Three experts discussed the opportunities and risks of social networks, how they can affect our health or how they can allow us to detect diseases.
  • From the embryonic brain to the social brain March 2022. Three experts discussed how neural circuits are built and established, the study of brain structure in adults, and the challenges of Artificial Intelligence to help people.
  • Are we integrating the gender perspective in biomedical research? February 2022. Three experts discussed how the gender perspective can be applied to the different phases of biomedical research. They also shared best practices and success stories in clinical and basic research.
  • The hidden face of our genes. January 2022. Two experts discussed how hereditary alterations in our genes can cause rare and serious diseases and how we can prevent, through assisted reproduction techniques, these diseases from passing to our children.

PRBB Podcasts

The Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona has produced a series of scientific podcasts to explain the research being carried out at PRBB centres. In 2022, Lorenzo Pascuali was interviewed in the podcast ‘Asbolutos y Relativos’ (202 listeners) where he talked about the gene regulation of diabetes. Baldo Oliva was invited to ‘La Mare de la Ciència’ (167 listeners) to talk about protein folding and structure. Blai Vidiella starred in another episode of the same podcast about his studies on Terraforming the Earth (161 listeners).

Also, ‘La Mare de la Ciència’ episode starring Cristina Pujades, broadcasted in 2021, had 163 listeners in 2022.

OpenDay of the PRBB

Every first Saturday of October the PRBB opens its doors in an event that usually allows people to come to the facilities and see, touch, and experience with their own hands. The event was held on Saturday, October 8. About 1200 people attended the Open Day. 

Activities aimed at secondary school students

PRBB-UPF Awards

The UPF Faculty of Health and Life Sciences and the PRBB jointly organize this award for research in the health and life sciences for upper secondary school students. It is the perfect moment to address scientific concerns and plant the seeds that will grow into future scientists. In the 2022 edition, 247 students participated and the winning work was about Sunscreens.

Junior Campus

The University organizes a program of summer courses aimed at secondary school students. It aims to help young people decide what they want to study in the future, offering courses in various disciplines that combine teaching and experimental and playful practice. Two of the courses are given by MELIS researchers and around 50 students participated in those.

Scientific talks for secondary school students

In the context of the Brain Awareness Week, one talk was held for high school students, to raise awareness of the lines of research being pursued in neurobiology.

UPF professors Rafael Maldonado and Andrés Ozaita with Elena Martín gave a talk entitled “The brain and behavior: think what you want and we’ll see what happens.”, organized by the MELIS and the PRBB. The event was attended by 200 students from nine different schools.

Activities aimed at primary school students

“Periodistes científics”

”Periodistes científics”, jointly organized with the PRBB, allows high school students to interact with scientists online. In March 2022, 50 children from the Raiers School at la Pobla de Segur interviewed Oriol Gallego from the MELIS.

In May 2020, 47 children from the Llorer School in Barcelona interviewed Nerea Moreno from IBE (UPF-CSIC).