Professor Quique Bassat, appointed new Director General of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health
The Board of Trustees of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has appointed Professor Quique Bassat, from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Barcelona, as its new director general. Bassat is taking now the position held by Antoni Plasència, who has led the institution since October 2014.
The Board of Trustees of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has appointed Professor Quique Bassat, from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Barcelona, as its new director general. Bassat is taking now the position held by Antoni Plasència, who has led the institution since October 2014.
A paediatrician and an epidemiologist, Quique Bassat is an ICREA research professor, director of the Malaria and Neglected Parasitic Diseases programme at ISGlobal and researcher at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. Throughout his professional career, which includes long stays at the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) in Mozambique, he has combined clinical work with biomedical research and has focused his research on infectious diseases suffered by children in low-income countries, such as malaria and respiratory infections.
"I am honoured and excited about this opportunity with the Board of Trustees", said Bassat. "ISGlobal plays a crucial role in promoting global health and equity, and I look forward to continuing to work in my new role, alongside the incredible team of professionals that make up ISGlobal, to further advance our positive impact around the world.
As director general, from January, Bassat will take on the responsibility of leading ISGlobal in a new strategic cycle while maintaining the commitment to excellence in research, training and translation to promote health equity worldwide, especially among the most disadvantaged populations.
This year, Quique Bassat was one of the winners of the 10th UB Doctors’ Senate and Board of Trustees Awards for excellent scientific and humanistic dissemination activities, an award in recognition of his work in disseminating scientific knowledge to society as a whole.
ISGlobal was born out of an innovative alliance between the La Caixa Foundation and academic and governmental institutions, with the aim of addressing the challenges of health in a globalised world. It consolidates a node of excellence based on research and medical care, which has its origins in the hospital (Hospital Clínic and Parc de Salut Mar) and academic (University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University) spheres. It is accredited as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence and is part of the SEARCH system of the Government of Catalonia.