On 20 May 2019 the Olga Torres Foundation (FOT) held the awards ceremony for the 14th annual edition of its Post-doctoral Grants for Colorectal Cancer Research Projects. The ceremony was held at the Corporación Sanitaria Parc Taulí de Sabadell auditorium and attracted nearly one hundred attendees, including medical researchers and professionals, representatives of public organisations as well as members of the FOT Circle of Friends.

This year the main focus of the event was a round table discussion on “The Future of Biomedical Research Based on Public-Private Partnerships”. The round table was moderated by Dr Lluís Blanch, Head of the Institut d’Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí and the featured speakers were Dr Jordi Barretina, Head of the Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Girona, Dr Enriqueta Felip, Oncologist and Researcher at Valle Hebrón University Hospital and Dr Manel Peiró, ESADE Professor of Business Administration and Management. The debate was followed by a colloquium with the participation of the attending public.

The two grants, each worth €60,000, were then awarded to the winners of the categories of Established Researcher and Emerging Researcher: Dr Laura Valle Velasco of Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, and Dr Ceres Fernández Rozadilla of the Galician Public Foundation of Genomic Medicine, respectively, who then both gave a brief presentation about their projects.

The Chairman of FOT Mr Josep Bombardó then delivered a speech in which he stressed the vital importance of public-private partnerships and how funding research is an investment to which we must all be committed since holding a long-term vision and an overall goal to bring together political and social consensus is key for the future.

The event was brought to a close by the Mayor of Sabadell, Mr. Maties Serracant; and refreshments were then offered in the foyer which allowed an exchange of thoughts among those attending.