FUNDACION PARA LA INVESTIGACION BIOMEDICA DEL HOSPITAL UNIVERSITARIO RAMON Y CAJAL

Their core work

FIBIO-HRC is the biomedical research foundation of Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, one of Madrid's major university hospitals. They conduct translational research bridging clinical cardiology, oncology, and molecular biology — with particular depth in understanding how cancer treatments damage the heart (cardio-oncology) and how diabetes leads to heart failure. Their hospital-embedded position means they combine patient access and clinical data with laboratory research, making them a valuable partner for projects that need real-world clinical validation of biomedical technologies and therapies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2017–2019) centered on cardiovascular disease mechanisms — diabetic cardiomyopathy, heart failure modeling, and omics-based disease characterization. From 2019 onward, their portfolio broadened significantly: cancer diagnostics (VISION), antibiotic resistance (REPLAY), and cardio-oncology (RESILIENCE) all appeared. The clearest trend is the emergence of cardio-oncology as a unifying theme, connecting their cardiology roots with oncology — a field where understanding treatment-induced heart damage is increasingly critical.

FIBIO-HRC is converging on cardio-oncology — the intersection of cancer treatment and cardiac health — positioning them for a growing clinical need as cancer survival rates improve but treatment side effects demand attention.

How they like to work

FIBIO-HRC operates predominantly as a third-party contributor (4 of 6 projects), providing clinical expertise and patient cohort access to larger consortia rather than leading them. They coordinated just one project (REPLAY, an MSCA fellowship), suggesting they function as a specialist resource that other institutions bring into their projects. With 79 unique partners across 18 countries, they have broad European connections but tend to be invited for their specific clinical and research capabilities rather than acting as consortium architects.

Despite their modest project count, they have collaborated with 79 unique partners across 18 countries, indicating involvement in large multi-partner consortia. Their network spans broadly across Europe, consistent with their role as a hospital-based research contributor that major consortia recruit for clinical expertise.

What sets them apart

FIBIO-HRC brings something rare: a direct bridge between a major teaching hospital's clinical environment and EU-funded translational research. Their growing cardio-oncology expertise fills a specific gap — few hospital research foundations combine deep cardiology knowledge with oncology and advanced diagnostics (microfluidics, omics). For consortium builders, they offer clinical validation capacity and patient access that pure research institutes cannot provide.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RESILIENCE
  Addresses the emerging field of cardio-oncology — protecting lymphoma patients' hearts during anthracycline chemotherapy — running until 2027, their longest commitment.
• REPLAY
  Their only coordinated project, an MSCA fellowship on antibiotic resistance evolution using CRISPR interference — shows independent research leadership capacity beyond their cardiology core.
• NanoTBTech
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 450,250), applying nanoparticle-based thermal bioimaging — their most technology-oriented project.