Wednesday 7th September saw the public presentation of the Foundation BRN (Barcelona Respiratory Network) at a ceremony held in the Hall of the Palace Sans chaired by the Honourable Mr. Robert. Boi Ruiz García, Minister of Health of the Generalitat of Catalonia and has attended Mrs. Cristina Iniesta delegate of Health of the City of Barcelona.
Dr.. Alvar Agusti, BRN President and Director of the Clinical Institute of Thorax Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, presented the attendees remarked that BRN Foundation was created with the mission to promote and accelerate research and innovation in respiratory health in order increase the quality of life and well-being of patients and the general population.
BRN is a private non-profit organization created through a strategic alliance between researchers from hospitals and research centers, pharmaceutical industry and civil society interests in respiratory health and is the first foundation of its kind that exists in Europe. Born in 2012 with the aim of promoting Barcelona as a cluster of international reference in research and innovation in respiratory health.
The main challenge posed BRN is to promote lung health and fight lung disease, acting as a catalyst to achieve synergies, explore opportunities for collaboration and generate resources to promote collaborative research projects of excellence excellence and increase the transfer of scientific advances into clinical practice.
The date was chosen to coincide with the opening of the event ERS 2013 international conference held in Barcelona from 7 to 11 September and will feature world leaders in research on respiratory health. Note that Barcelona has a long tradition in the field of scientific respiratory health, a network of university centers of excellence and a strong business.