01. FUNDACION DE INVESTIGACION EN RED EN ENFERMEDADES CARDIOVASCULARES – FIRCAVA (ES)

Principal Investigator: Prof Jaakko Tuomilehto

Brief Description:

A non-profit institution, whose main objective is the improvement of research, health innovation and training in the area of cardiovascular diseases.

FIRCAVA is the coordinating centre of the Spanish National Network of Cardiovascular Research (RECAVA) appointed by the Spanish Agency of Health Research, the Institute de Salud Carlos III and the Ministry of Science.
Since its foundation in 2001, RECAVA’s activities have focused on achieving four objectives:

• Facilitate contacts between basic, clinical and epidemiological researchers.
• Promote the shared use of advanced technological facilities.
• Apply research results to clinical practice.
• Train a new generation of translational cardiovascular researchers in Spain.

At present, RECAVA consists of 41 research groups and seven shared technological facilities. RECAVA’s research strategy is based on a scientific design matrix centred on the most important cardiovascular processes. The level of RECAVA’s research activity is reflected in the fact that more than 100 co-authored articles have been published in international journals.

Main tasks attributed:

• Lead coordinator of WP01 Global project coordination.
• Develop the final study protocol (Final study design and sample size calculation and adjustment for the trial, strategies and recruitment procedures, describe the contents of screening, baseline and follow-up visits, and trial procedures).
• Manage the global project and develop a program for institutional relations.
• Establish the whole clinical research plan and follow-up (Steering Committee, Ethics Committee, Data and Safety Monitoring Board), and communication and dissemination activities.
• Act as the sponsor of the trial.
• Responsible for central readings of IMT measures under the responsibility of Alberto San Roman at ICICORELAB (WP5) and metabolomics analysis in the laboratory of Dr Garcia Dorado at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona (WP4) (both of them are part of FIRCAVA foundation).