Page 3 - CIBERSAM-2015-eng

Scientific Director’s Presentation
When the decision has to be made whether or not to take part in a structure - in this case, a research body - with a specific mission and values, the two possibilities to be considered from a standpoint of consistency and integrity are to accept this or re- fuse the offer. This CIBER accepted the challenge to form a centre of excellence in cooperative research in 2008. Since then its groups, and with them each of the persons forming the organisation, with their Principal Investigators (PIs) at the head, have en- deavoured to participate in multi-centre projects of translational research with the ultimate aim of im- proving the mental health of this world’s inhabitants. We have done this with the tools that have been made available to us, with the financing provided by the ISCIII, but also with innovation, creativity, exter- nal funds and above all the firm belief that the values defining the CIBER are the ones that will enable us to progress in scientific knowledge materialising in a better quality of life of the persons who finance us through their taxes. Eight years later the results are there for all to see. It is easy to see the watershed meant by the CIBERSAM in cooperative and transla- tional research culture in neurosciences and mental health in this country. We should feel proud of the work that we have done and get ready to continue improving in the coming years.
Our institution has undoubtedly become an inter- national reference attracting the interest of private industry to be able to safely and efficiently develop some of its projects with the quality guarantee pro- vided by a centre subject to annual assessments and under national and international scrutiny. The capacity for recruiting patients for studies, advice of international leaders in their fields and the scientific thoroughness with which studies are carried out at our centre are some of the elements ensuring the added value that we can offer as a research centre. The increasing level of cooperation between our research centre and the private sector vouches for
this. The participation of hospitals, University, Public Research Bodies (Spanish - OPIs) and private indus- try in cooperation projects is unquestionably a path that has not yet been sufficiently explored.
We continue with our commitment to Europe, even more so in view of the country’s complicated eco- nomic situation. We are persuaded that return can be improved even further in the form of participation and coordination by our groups in projects financed by the European Union. The participation of over one half of the CIBERSAM groups in European projects and our centre’s coordination in strategic projects in the European Union bear witness to this fact. Being assigned two strategic projects of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 (IMI 2) in 2015 is another part of the success that our CIBER and its groups have enjoyed in competitive international calls.
In 2015 we went on taking care of and strengthen- ing our relations with associations of relatives and patients, holding meetings and joint events with many of them and taking part in cooperation with industry and other agents in campaigns against the stigma of disability or for shattering some harmful myths on mental health. Apart from the VII Foro Social, we held the first encounter of researchers into mental health, patients and relatives with the slogan “research into mental health is a common commitment”. Our Twitter account @CIBER_SAM, which discloses our activities and main discoveries, already has over 1200 followers and our Facebook page is increasingly active.
One of the key aims of this CIBER has since its be- ginnings been to train young researchers in the gratifying and stimulating task of research into mental health. In 2015 we gave the third year of our inter-university Master course on introduction to research into Mental Health, in which five of the best universities in the country are taking part. We have continued to arrange the CIBERSAM Intensive
CIBERSAM I Annual report 2015 I 3