Navarrabiomed and ADItech join forces to promote biomedical research with a gender dimension and achieve scientific excellence
With the aim of promoting excellence in biomedical research and development, this morning, the managing director of ADItech, coordinator of the Navarra R&D&I System, SINAI, Diego Garrido Vidal and Maite Mendioroz Iriarte, director of Navarrabiomed, announced a strategic alliance, which aims to consolidate Navarra's position as a benchmark specifically in the field of research with a gender dimension, a fundamental aspect to classify research as excellent.
Therefore, since 2019, thanks to the strategy set by the Department of University, Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Government of Navarra, ADItech has been supporting and promoting the inclusion of the gender dimension in the content of research. Likewise, the Department of Health's commitment to more inclusive biosanitary research that responds to the reality of citizenship and results in better patient care continues.
Including the gender dimension means taking into account the sex variable, understood as biological characteristics, and gender analysis, a concept of social construction, when approaching research. Through this alliance, ADItech intensifies its collaboration with the SINAI Navarrabiomed representative, a public reference centre in biomedical research, in order to go forward in this aspect together.
Although all research should be considered from a gender perspective, it is in the field of biomedical research where it is most necessary to incorporate this analysis, so that the result of research benefits both women and men equally.
In this regard, Navarrabiomed has launched a cross-sectional research area focused on the differential effect of gender and sex on the pathologies commonly studied at the centre. The aim is to better understand the biological and clinical effects that gender and sex exert in different areas of biomedicine, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases, physical activity, aging, the immune system and infectious diseases or neurodegeneration. This area will help to understand why men and women get sick differently and what are the reasons and genetic, molecular, cellular and pathological bases of these divergences.
Some of the main objectives of this alliance between ADItech and Navarrabiomed include:
• Promotion of excellent research: ADItech will provide support for the development of a cross-sectional line of research that considers the sex variable and gender analysis in all biomedical research projects of Navarrabiomed.
• Generation of new scientific knowledge in unexplored areas: development of research programs and projects on topics that specifically affect women, since they represent 50% of the population.
• Awareness-raising, education and training: so that all research staff are familiar with the basic concepts and good practices in research with a gender dimension, ensuring cutting-edge excellence in biomedicine.
• Establishment of a network of national and international reference contacts: it will be supported by identifying and talking to experts, research groups and entities, which have been developing excellent research through the incorporation of the gender dimension for some time.
Both entities have committed to work on the development of specific actions to achieve the central goals in the next four years. The Managing General of ADItech, Dr Diego Garrido Vidal, said that "this alliance represents a unique opportunity for Navarra. By combining ADItech's knowledge of the gender dimension and Navarrabiomed's capacity for practical application in research, we are laying the foundations for a more excellent future in biomedical research." For her part, the director of Navarrabiomed, Dr Maite Mendioroz Iriarte, has pointed out that "our vision has always been to become a benchmark in biomedical research of excellence for the public health system. With the support and collaboration of ADItech, we are one step closer to achieving this.” This agreement is in line with the work carried out by the regional government, which has been implementing specific policies that have contributed to promoting and boosting the role of women in all areas and, specifically, in science, technology and innovation.
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