Barcelona Institute for Global Health – ISGlobal

ISGlobal addresses key global health challenges related to infectious diseases, chronic non-communicable diseases, and environmental factors, including climate. We aim to go beyond state-of-the-art by strengthening research within and across our 5 research programmes and promoting innovation and collaboration on methodological issues through cross-faculty knowledge hubs.

The Global Viral and Bacterial Infections Programme aims to reduce the relevant viral and bacterial disease burden by generating knowledge that translates into novel tools and strategies for their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It has a multidisciplinary and translational research portfolio ranging from basic science to clinical, epidemiological, and public health-oriented research. It works at various steps of the prevention-treatment cascade for pathogens such as M. tuberculosis, non-tuberculous Mycobacteria, antimicrobial resistant bacteria, other bacteria of public health relevance (pneumococcus, group B streptococcus, etc.), CMV, HIV, arboviruses, and viral hepatitis.

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The Environment and Health over the Life-course programme conducts high-quality integrative research to expand knowledge on the causes and mechanisms of NCDs. The programme focuses on environmental, radiation, occupational, lifestyle, social, infectious, and genetic risk factors throughout life, from prenatal to late adulthood. Key topics include respiratory, immune, and cardiovascular health, neurodevelopment, and cancer.

The Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health programme aims to strengthen evidence related to the health effects of climate change and exposures in urban and natural environments and to assess the health co-benefits of climate action. It focuses on factors such as temperature, noise, air pollution, and green spaces, and their effect on a spectrum of health outcomes, including premature mortality, cardiovascular and respiratory health, and cognitive function. Their main methods consist of the assessment of exposure and health impact, epidemiological modelling, and intervention evaluation, complemented by computational modelling of global climate variations, tipping points, and their impact on health.

The Malaria and Neglected Parasitic Diseases programme aims to generate valuable knowledge and expand, through a multidisciplinary approach, the current scientific understanding of malaria, Chagas, and other neglected parasitic diseases (NPD) affecting humans, and their interactions with human and animal hosts and/or vectors.

The Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health programme aims to bridge the know-do gap and support the global efforts to ensure that all women and children, regardless of where they live or are born, have access to quality healthcare services. Its research focuses on developing and assessing the efficacy and effectiveness of maternal and reproductive health interventions through relevant clinical trials and implementation science.