The UB, Hospital Clínic and IDIBAPS create the Clínic Barcelona Comprehensive Cancer Center, a new model of international excellence in oncology

At the same time, the Cancer Center of the Clinic Campus is positioned as a benchmark for attracting and retaining national and international talent, by creating an encouraging environment for scientific and medical progress. This model also encourages the active participation of patients and non-profit associations committed to fighting cancer.

Leadership and governance of the Clinic Barcelona Comprehensive Cancer Center

The new Cancer Center of the Clinic Campus was created under the impulse of the recently created Governing Council that integrates the three key institutions of the Campus: Hospital Clínic Barcelona, the University of Barcelona and IDIBAPS. This body is chaired by Josep Maria Campistol, CEO of Hospital Clínic, with Elías Campo, director of the Clinic Foundation for Biomedical Research – August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (FRCB-IDIBAPS), as vice-president. Other members include Joan Guàrdia, rector of the University of Barcelona, and Antoni Castells, chief clinical officer at Hospital Clínic. The Governing Council ensures a shared strategic vision and a cohesive management for the development of the Cancer Center of the Clinic Campus.

​​​​​​​Executive leadership is provided by Aleix Prat, chief clinic of the Institute of Cancer and Blood Diseases at Hospital Clínic and professor at the UB, who acts as the centre’s director. He will work together with Meritxell Mollà, head of the Hospital Clinic’s Radiation Oncology Service, professor at the UB and clinical director of the new centre, who is responsible for coordinating care activities and ensuring the highest quality of care; Álvaro Urbano-Ispizua, professor at the UB’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, who is the head of Teaching and is responsible for promoting the training of current and future students and professionals, and Elías Campo, head of Research at the centre and professor at the UB, who is responsible for leading scientific and translational initiatives.

The Executive Committee of the Clínic Barcelona Comprehensive Cancer Center, chaired by Antoni Castells, is made up of the three directors and other key executives of the Clínic Campus. Among them are Raquel Sánchez-Valle, medical director of the Clínic and professor at the UB; Saray Allen, head of Nursing; Faust Feu, head of Quality Management; and Michela Bertero, head of Strategy at IDIBAPS. This interdisciplinary team guarantees a transversal and collaborative management. This organizational model allows effective coordination between the different areas and positions the Cancer Center of the Clinic Campus as an international benchmark in the treatment and study of cancer.

Aleix Prat, director of the Clinic Barcelona Comprehensive Cancer Center

Aleix Prat, director of the Cancer Centre of the Clinic Campus and the Institute of Cancer and Blood Diseases, is a key figure in the transformation of the Campus into a benchmark in cancer. Between 2014 and 2022, he led the Medical Oncology Service, promoting the integration of clinical trials with healthcare practice and developing a global strategy against cancer. Currently, he combines the management of the Institute and 4C Barcelona with tasks as adjunct professor at the University of Barcelona, head of the UB Chair on Innovation in Precision Oncology and head of the Translational Genomics group at IDIBAPS. With an outstanding international career in breast cancer, he has led innovations in genomics and targeted therapies, which have contributed to the advancement of precision oncology.
 
The core of the cancer centre: the functional units

The centre of action of the Clinic Barcelona Comprehensive Cancer Center are the functional units, designed to address each type of cancer with a coordinated and personalized strategy. These units bring together professionals from different areas, such as medical, surgical and radiotherapy treatment, diagnostic imaging, pathology and other specialities, as well as highly specialized nursing teams. The aim is to guarantee comprehensive care that includes all aspects of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, promoting the integration of research and teaching in the care process.
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Furthermore, the Cancer Center of the Clinic Campus has transversal areas of great importance that reinforce its multidisciplinary and innovative vision. These include the Oncoimmunology Unit, dedicated to developing and applying new therapies based on the immune system to tackle different types of tumours; Hereditary Cancer, which integrates genetic diagnosis in prevention and treatment to offer personalized care to patients and families with a hereditary predisposition to cancer; and the Molecular Tumour Board, which facilitates personalized therapeutic decisions based on an exhaustive analysis of the tumour’s molecular biology, thereby promoting the use of precision medicine in clinical practice.

“This multidisciplinary and transversal approach guarantees precision medicine that combines innovation, clinical experience and a constant commitment to research and training, and positions the Cancer Center of the Clinic Campus as a national and international benchmark in the fight against cancer”, says Aleix Prat.