Dr Bruno Medeiros, Global Head of Leukaemia Clinical Development and Strategy at AstraZeneca and an internationally recognized expert in blood cancers research and its translation to the clinic, visited the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute on 29 September. Dr Medeiros was welcomed by Dr Ari Melnick, Director of the Josep Carreras Institute, and Cristina Casaus, IJC Managing Director. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both organisations to identify strategic areas for collaboration and explore new synergies to help translate the Institute’s research on blood cancers into clinical applications in the short to medium term.

During his visit, Dr Medeiros also met with several IJC Group Leaders and researchers, including the Core Facilities Coordinator, Dr Francesc Solé, Dr Montse Sanchez-Cespedes, Dr Gaël Roue, Dr Verónica Rodilla and Dr Jeannine Diesch. The programme also featured a guided tour of the Institute’s scientific facilities, led by Albert Pérez, IJC Lab Manager.

Dr Ari Melnick, IJC Director, highlighted that this meeting with AstraZeneca “underscored how the Josep Carreras Institute, one of the world’s few centres devoted exclusively to blood cancers, can help accelerate the translation of cutting‑edge research into patient‑centred therapies. By embedding research teams in hospitals across Catalonia and integrating artificial‑intelligence‑driven systems biology, we offer a unique ecosystem where discoveries move swiftly from bench to bedside.” Dr Melnick also emphasised that joint projects with AstraZeneca represent a unique and exciting opportunity to harness the complementary strengths of both organisations to deliver new treatments for people living with blood cancers.

The public-private collaborations with biopharmaceutical industry partners, like AstraZeneca, are framed within the Institute’s Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) strategy, one of the key priorities defined by the Scientific Directorate. These partnerships with the biopharmaceutical industry will enable the IJC to foster innovation, facilitate knowledge transfer, and accelerate the translation of research discoveries into new therapies for patients with blood cancers.