IRB Barcelona Executive Board president main's mission is to boost research in biomedicine and health sciences in Spain. IRB Barcelona Executive Board president, José J Navas, has been appointed new General Director of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. His main responsibilities will be to lead and coordinate the activities of the ISCIII in order to advance research in biomedicine and health sciences in Spain, and to enhance public research recognition at an international level. The ISCIII, created in 1986, is a national public research and scientific support organization responsible for promoting biomedical and health science research. Its mission is to develop and provide the highest quality scientific-technical services to the National Healthcare System and society in general.

Dr Navas (1948) has served as Director of the Research Centres Programme of the Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia, as well as Scientific Director of the Institut Català de la Salut, and Medical Director of the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol. As president of the Executive Board and member of the Board of Trustees of IRB Barcelona since its foundation, he has played a key role in shaping the Institute's strategic research directions.

Navas, who holds a doctorate in Medicine and degrees in Medicine and Surgery, has published more than 200 scientific papers in the fields of structural pathology, immunopathology, molecular biology of cancer and health management.