INSTITUT DE INVESTIGACIO EN CIENCIES DE LA SALUT GERMANS TRIAS I PUJOL

Their core work

Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) is a biomedical research centre based in Badalona, near Barcelona, focused on translational health research — bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical application. Their core strength lies in infectious disease (particularly tuberculosis), immunotherapy, and metabolic-neurological comorbidities such as the diabetes-dementia link. They run clinical trials, develop diagnostic tools, and investigate host-directed therapies, working at the intersection of immunology, systems biology, and precision medicine. Their work spans from vaccine development and immune cell therapies to emerging environmental health topics like micro/nanoplastics impact on human health.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), IGTP focused on broad infectious disease work (TB vaccines, mucosal immunity), thyroid disorders, paediatric liver cancer, and liquid biopsy technologies for cancer diagnostics. From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened considerably: tuberculosis became a leadership priority (two coordinated projects), immunotherapy deepened into regulatory cell therapies, and they branched into diabetes-neurodegeneration links and environmental health (plastics toxicology). The evolution shows a shift from being a participant across diverse health topics to becoming a recognised TB and immunotherapy hub with coordinating ambitions.

IGTP is consolidating around tuberculosis precision medicine and immune cell therapies, positioning itself as a go-to partner for clinical trials combining systems biology with host-directed treatment strategies.

How they like to work

IGTP predominantly joins consortia as a participant (8 of 13 projects), but has stepped into coordination roles in their strongest domain — tuberculosis (INNOVA4TB, SMA-TB). They also contribute as a third-party expert in 3 projects, suggesting they are often brought in for specific clinical or immunological expertise rather than full consortium membership. With 216 unique partners across 39 countries, they are well-networked and comfortable in large international consortia, though their coordination experience is still developing.

IGTP has collaborated with 216 unique partners across 39 countries, giving them a genuinely global research network. Their partnerships span well beyond Europe, reflecting the international nature of TB and infectious disease research communities.

What sets them apart

IGTP stands out among Spanish health research institutes for its deep tuberculosis expertise combined with immunotherapy capabilities — they are one of few centres that both coordinate TB clinical trials and develop advanced cell-based therapies. Their dual competence in infectious disease and immune modulation makes them particularly valuable for projects needing clinical trial sites with strong translational immunology. The emerging work on plastics-health interactions also signals an ability to apply their immunological methods to new environmental health questions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SMA-TB
  Their largest funded project (EUR 1.68M) and a coordinator role — developing a stratified medicine algorithm for TB host-directed therapy using systems biology and biomarkers.
• INNOVA4TB
  First coordination role, establishing IGTP as a TB research hub focused on diagnostics, latent TB detection, and genotypic drug susceptibility.
• iPC
  Unusual cross-sector project combining paediatric oncology with cloud computing and virtual patient models — shows capacity for digital health collaboration.