University's partnership with Spain moves ahead on research initiatives

A delegation of Spanish health care leaders met with University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus officials Feb. 22-23, laying the groundwork for research and incubator initiatives. Exploratory discussions also took place about educational and research collaborations in translational science and engineering.

The visit follows a May 2011 agreement that forged a partnership between the Anschutz Medical Campus and the Health Directorate of the Madrid region and the Polytechnic University of Madrid. The plan is to collaborate on an international network for improved health care delivery as well as biomedical research initiatives.

The Spanish delegation of seven officials included Dña. Belén Prado Sanjurjo, director of the Directorate's department of health care planning and infrastructure, and D. Antonio Burgueño Carbonell, director general of Madrid's 35 public hospitals. The group met with three university research teams led by Stephen Davies, PhD, associate professor of Neurosurgery, Michael Kahn, PhD, associate professor of Pediatrics, and James Hill, PhD, director of the Colorado Center for Health and Wellness. The goal was to develop plans to move forward three collaborative research and development initiatives outlined in the agreement.

The discussions broadened the scope of joint projects to include representatives from the University of Colorado Cancer Center, Kaiser Permanente, the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development, the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority and University of Colorado Health.

The delegation was hosted by the Office of International Affairs. The delegation was welcomed by Lilly Marks, vice president for health affairs and executive vice chancellor of the Anschutz Medical Campus; Richard Krugman, MD, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; Richard Traystman, PhD, vice chancellor for research; and Don Elliman, incoming chancellor of the University of Colorado Denver.

The group visited the Center for Assistive Technologies and met with Christopher Urbina, executive director and chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and with representatives of Children's Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado Hospital.

Photo:

Back Row, left to right:

1. D. Rogelio Pardo Calvelo (Gerente, Madrid Biocluster, Madrid Network)
2. Ing. Alberto Calero Narbón (Presidente, A & J Engineering)
3. James Hill, Ph.D., Executive Director, Colorado Center for Health and Wellness; Anschutz Professor of Health and Wellness; Professor, Pediatrics and Medicine
4. Michael Kahn, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Co-Director, Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI)
5. Rick Chaney, Ph.D., Director, International Colleges and Partnerships
6. Ilmo. Sr. D. Antonio Burgueño Carbonell (Director General de Hospitales, Viceconsejería de Asistencia Sanitaria, Consejería de Sanidad de la Comunidad de Madrid)

Front row, left to right:

1. Jeannette Davies, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
2. Ilma. Sra. Dña. Belén Prado Sanjurjo (Viceconsejera de Ordenación Sanitaria e Infraestructuras, Consejería de Sanidad de la Comunidad de Madrid)
3. Carolyn North, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Chancellor of International Affairs
4. Dr. Ing. Francisco del Pozo Guerrero (Director del Centro de Tecnología Biomédica del Campus de Montegancedo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid)
5. Dra. Ernestina Menasalvas Ruiz (Vicerrectora de Doctorado y Posgrado de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid)
6. Stephen Davies, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery