Alberto Muñoz Terol, CSIC research professor at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, IIBM (CSIC-UAM) has been appointed new president of the Fundación de Investigación HM Hospitales (FiHM).
FiHM is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote and manage the development of a translational biosanitary R+D+i, which contributes to the clinical application of new technologies for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases.
Dr. Alberto Muñoz, head of the research group "Colon cancer: organoids, microenvironment and vitamin D" in the Cancer Department of the IIBM has just been appointed new president of the HM Hospitals Research Foundation (FiHM).
The FiHM is a non-profit entity, established in 2003 with the main purpose of promoting and managing the development of a biosanitary R+D+i and manage the Social Work of the HM Hospitals group. Its intention is to offer Spanish society a unique environment that favours the clinical application of new technologies and products for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases, with the aim of practising translational and fully personalised medicine. The Translational R&D programme includes consolidated lines of research in adult and paediatric Medical Oncology, Oncological Surgery, Cardiology, Neurosciences, Regenerative Medicine, Paediatrics, Dentistry and Medical Genetics.
Alberto Muñoz, a researcher for more than 3 decades at the IIBM, has worked on several lines of research, including the study of the function of thyroid hormones and erbA genes in the brain and mammary gland, as well as the study of the action of vitamin D and its receptor VDR. Currently, his research group is focused on the study of the effects of vitamin D on the tumour microenvironment of colon cancer, as well as the effects of vitamin D and Wnt factors on gene expression, proliferation and cell phenotype in colonic organoids (established from healthy and tumour tissue samples from colon cancer patients). We want to emphasise that his research group is a leader in the development and applications of colonic organoids.
The CSIC professor has assumed the position of president of the FiHM with hope and great enthusiasm to promote research, training and teaching activities, "in terms of teaching, I am particularly excited about the opening of the new Faculty HM Hospitales de Ciencias de la Salud at the Universidad Camilo José Cela", Alberto tells us. He also intends to promote new lines of research, such as bacterial resistance, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, viral infections or healthy ageing (delaying the age of onset of frailty and dependence). It also aims to foster collaborations between members of the HM Hospita Group and the HM Hospita Group.
The new president of the FiHM also told us, "I have the firm intention of strengthening the scientific dissemination and health education of the FiHM to increase the visibility of the Foundation as a reference point for Spanish private healthcare for Spanish society as a whole".
Dr. Alberto Muñoz, a researcher of international relevance, with numerous awards to his name after his long career dedicated to biomedical research, has collaborated since his beginnings with expert groups in cancer to establish synergies in mechanisms, processes and techniques and thus contribute to the advancement of their research. All this makes him worthy of the distinguished honour of having been appointed president of the HM Hospitales Research Foundation, which is an additional recognition - by one of the most important groups of the national private health - to his excellent research career.
The IIBM congratulates our colleague for this appointment.