In the coming years, the 81 winning research teams will work to find answers and offer a comprehensive approach to mental health.
In 2021, La Marató de TV3 i Catalunya Ràdio was dedicated to mental health in order to raise public awareness of disorders with many stigmas, and it raised 12.1 million euros. Now, these funds will be used to promote 36 research projects led by 81 research teams. The ceremony took place on Thursday 3 November at the TV3 facilities. Rosa Romà, President of the Catalan Audiovisual Media Corporation and of the Board of the La Marató Foundation, and Lluís Bernabé, Director of the La Marató Foundation, took part. With the funds raised thanks to this solidarity initiative, new tools will be created for the prevention and diagnosis of mental illnesses, and more efficient treatments will be designed, with the aim of improving the quality of life of patients and their families.
A total of 150 projects applied for this funding, and these were assessed by 111 international experts on mental health. They assessed the projects' quality, methodology and relevance. This evaluation was managed by the Catalan Agency for Health Quality and Evaluation of the Catalan Ministry of Health. In the coming years, the 81 winning research teams will work to find answers and offer a comprehensive approach to mental health. Out of the total number of selected projects, 8 are conducted by a single institution and 28 are coordinated by two or more research institutions.
As in previous editions, La Marató promotes UB research projects, in this case, dedicated to the fight against mental illness.
List of La Marató 2021 awarded projects linked to the University of Barcelona
"Prospective study of biomarkers and clinical predictors of long-term outcome and treatment response in obsessive-compulsive disorder: the Barcelona cohort (B-OCDC)"
Mª Pino Alonso, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Bellvitge University Hospital; Carlos Soriano, Faculty of Psychology and Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL); María Luisa Lázaro, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Natalia Rodríguez, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Funding: €395,290.63
"Homeostatic plasticity defects in autism: contributions from the study of human mutations in the CNTNAP2 gene"
Xavier Altafaj, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Ana Luisa Monteiro, University of Coimbra (Portugal)
Funding: 299,625 €.
"Suicide as an extreme phenotype to understand suicidal behaviour: an approach from the interaction of the genome with the epigenome"
Antoni Benabarre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and Clinic Foundation for Biomedical Research; Bárbara Arias, Faculty of Biology and Bosch i Gimpera Foundation; Thomas G. Schulze, LMU Klinikum (Germany)
Funding: €376,384.29
"Retinal structure as a potential biomarker in schizophrenia disorders"
Miquel Bernardo, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.
Funding: €46,312.50
"Deep brain stimulation for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a prospective multicentre study"
Miquel Bioque, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and Clinic Foundation for Biomedical Research; Salvador Sarró, Maria Angustias Giménez Foundation for Research and Teaching (FIDMAG)
Funding: €297,296.25
"Clinical, cognitive, epigenetic and neuroimaging characteristics of children and adolescents born to patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder: creation of a predictive model of psychopathology and functioning at ten years"
Josefina Castro, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.
Funding: €197,803.75
"Non-invasive home-based brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: feasibility, efficacy and biomarkers of treatment response"
David Bartrés-Faz, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences of the UB(UBNeuro) and August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute; Gabriele Cattaneo, Guttmann Institute Neurorehabilitation Hospital and Guttmann Institute Foundation.
Funding: €298,850
"New therapeutic targets in depression: the role of situational perception"
David Gallardo, Faculty of Psychology and Institute of Neurosciences of the UB (UBNeuro); Marta Subirà, Parc Taulí Foundation; Miquel Domènech, Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Funding: €399,787.50
"Improving the treatment of childhood anorexia through exposure to the body with virtual reality"
José Gutiérrez, Faculty of Psychology
Funding: €192,187.50
Study of vulnerability to cocaine use disorder after alcohol consumption"
Bru Cormand, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB) and San Joan de Déu Research Institute (IRSJD); Rafael Maldonado, Pompeu Fabra University; Maria Francina Fonseca, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute Foundation (IMIM).
Funding: €399,997.50
"Study of the accelerated ageing hypothesis in schizophrenia: analysis of the epigenetic clock in advanced age: ENCLOSE-Age study (EpigeNetic CLOck in SchizophrEnia- inAged adults)"
Rafael Penadés, Faculty of Psychology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and Clinic Foundation for Biomedical Research; Bárbara Segura, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Funding: €137,447.31
"Impact of neurodevelopmental disorders on school performance: genes and environment"
Mireia Pagerols, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Sant Joan de Déu Private Foundation for Research and Teaching; Marta Ribasés, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital Foundation - Research Institute (VHIR)
Funding: €292,265.63
"Design and analysis of the efficacy of a brief intervention based on a mobile application for self-harm: self-report, momentary and biological measures as predictors of treatment"
Marina López, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Daniel Vega, Igualada Health Foundation; Jordi Solé Casals, Balmes University Foundation; Azucena García, Jaume I University.
Funding: €398,526.25
"Deciphering the clinical, neurobiological and genetic correlates of first mania episodes in bipolar disorder: NOTION project"
Eduard Vieta, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Sergi Mas, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; María Mur, Institute of Biomedical Research of Lleida (IRBLL) and Dr Pifarré Foundation; Silvia Amoretti, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital Foundation - Research Institute (VHIR).
Funding: €399,699.25
"Coexpression networks using DDR1 as a seed gene in blood and brain in bipolar disorder. Identification of new biomarkers"
Anabel Martínez, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Elisabet Vilella, Pere Virgili Health Research Institute Foundation; Regina Antoni, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute Foundation; Guadalupe Rivero, University of the Basque Country.
Funding: €399,606.25
Other projects related to the UB research environment
"Intervention treatment and prevention in suicide attempts: a randomised controlled trial"
M. Dolores Braquehais, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital Foundation - Research Institute (VHIR); Pol Bruguera, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and Clinic Foudnation for Biomedical Research
Funding: €204,600.01
"Early environmental, psychosocial and genetic determinants of neurobehavioural and emotional problems (PNCEs) in the first 4 years of life: the ENGENE study"
Mireia Gascon, Private Foundation Institute of Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal); Ester Camprodon, Sant Joan de Déu Private Foundation for Research and Teaching
Funding: € 299,979.53
"Naturalistic Study of Gene-Exposome Interaction in Bipolar Disorder (BEGIN)"
Andrea Murru, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Léa Maitre, Barcelona Global Health Institute (ISGlobal) Private Foundation.
Funding: €299,366.76
"Adaptation and implementation of a psychoeducational intervention for the prevention of postpartum depression and anxiety disorders in early mothers".
Alba Roca, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and Clinic Foundation for Biomedical Research; Estel Gelabert, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Funding: €233,780
"Glutamatergic neurotransmission and its correlates in brain structure and function during the neurodevelopmental trajectory leading to schizophrenia: from mice to humans"
Gisela Sugranyes, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) (IDIBAPS); Jordi Llop, Centre for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials-CIC (CIC biomaGUNE)
Funding: €297,978.50
"Early treatment for children with genetically based mental health problems through a parenting intervention (The GAP): a pragmatic randomised controlled study".
Laia Villalta, Sant Joan de Déu Private Foundation for Research and Teaching
Funding: €168,231.25
