Scientific Report 2017

Abstract

The CNIC’s mission is to discover the causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD), translate basic research discoveries into clinical practice, promote health in society, and foster training and mentoring of up-and-coming scientists and physicians. Over its relatively short existence, the CNIC has built an unrivalled infrastructure and a powerful, crossdisciplinary research base that embraces multiple disciplines and includes population and patient studies. One of the keys to this achievement is the commitment of the Spanish government to building a flagship research institute to tackle the CVD epidemic. However, the public purse is only part of the story. The CNIC also boasts an agile management structure that promotes training and the exchange of ideas and expertise, as well as an unrivalled modern infrastructure of technical units and support services. Most importantly, the CNIC is funded through an innovative enterprise between the public sector and a private partner, the Pro-CNIC Foundation, which injects not only added financial security but also the wide-ranging business and management expertise of some of the most prominent Spanish businesses. The CNIC also benefits from the external support and advice of its Scientific Advisory Board, composed of leading international experts who provide guidance on strategy and recruitment and regularly evaluate the CNIC’s performance. [...]