Scientific Report 2018

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-andcoming scientists and physicians. Over its relatively short existence, the CNIC has built an unrivalled infrastructure and a powerful, cross-disciplinary research base that embraces many disciplines and includes population and patient studies. A key factor in this achievement is the commitment of the Spanish government to building a flagship research institute to tackle the CVD epidemic. But 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 a modern infrastructure of technical units and support services. Most importantly, the CNIC is supported through an innovative public–private initiative financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the Pro CNIC Foundation. In 2018, the Pro CNIC Foundation renewed its commitment to the CNIC for a further 10 years. The CNIC has been a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence program since the inaugural awards in 2012. The most recent award was mainly used to fund seven intramural projects in a competitive call aimed at fostering collaborative projects between basic and clinical research groups. The CNIC is also a member of the alliance of Severo Ochoa Centers and María de Maeztu Units (SOMMa). 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 performance of the Center and its group leaders. In 2018, José Javier Fuster and Carlos Pérez Medina joined the Center as Assistant Professor and Assistant Health Scientist, respectively.