An ICFO project, among the notable results of the research funded by La Marató 2020
The 3Cat La Marató Foundation held the 27th social return event on TV3 to present the results of the projects funded in the edition dedicated to Covid-19.
In 2020, La Marató raised a record €13,864,073. These funds, in addition to representing a vital effort in raising social awareness at the height of the pandemic, financed 36 research projects involving 98 teams and 850 researchers. The goal was to advance our understanding of the disease and develop more effective tools for its diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
One of the projects funded in that round was co-led by ICREA Professor Turgut Durduran at ICFO and Dr Jaume Mesquida, an intensive care physician and researcher at Parc Taulí Hospital. The project investigated intensive care-acquired weakness, a syndrome of muscle weakness that affects patients who spend long periods in intensive care units. Using non-invasive optical technologies, the researchers analyzed key parameters of the microvascular function that help to better understand the pathology and personalize physiotherapy treatment. Following the positive results obtained during the project and in other studies, the team decided to extend the research to more protocols and clinical trials.
The act of social return of research
The event brought together the 98 teams that received funding for that edition, as well as representatives from the scientific community, organizations, companies, 3Cat, Foundation teams, and the general public. The opening ceremony featured speeches by Carme Figueras, a member of the CCMA-3Cat governing board and second vice-president of the LaMarató Foundation's Board of Trustees, and Lluís Bernabé, director of the LaMarató de 3Cat Foundation.
Figueras emphasized: "Public media probably receive the most important mandate the public can give us: to contribute to improving the health and well-being of everyone." In this regard, he noted that publicizing the results of the research made possible thanks to the solidarity of Catalan society is "a moment of great significance and pride."
During the event, several discussions were held with award-winning researchers and others who shared their experiences at La Marató 2020. The results of the projects funded by La Marató 2020 can be consulted through the reports and videos prepared by the research teams.
"Material owned by the Fundació La Marató de 3Cat".