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- SPARK NS provides funding of up to $2 M to bring academic research discoveries closer to clinical practice.
- The project, headed by Dr. Xavier Salvatella, explores new strategies to tackle molecular alterations associated with autism spectrum disorders.
SPARK NS has announced that a project led by Dr. Xavier Salvatella at IRB Barcelona has been included in its 2026 cohort. In this edition, the programme has selected a total of 12 international projects in the fields of autism and Parkinson's, bringing the number of projects in the programme to 25.
SPARK NS is a programme that drives the development of scientific discoveries toward clinical application. Its model combines milestone-based funding with continuous expert guidance. Over two years, the selected teams receive up to $2 M in financial support, training in drug development, and strategic advice to advance the validation of their proposals and bring them closer to clinical practice.
The project, entitled "Protein Aggregation Inhibition as a Therapeutic Strategy for Autism," focuses on modulating the protein aggregation processes that may be involved in autism spectrum disorders based on work by the laboratories of Dr. Raúl Méndez and Dr. Xavier Salvatella. This work also builds on a discovery initially identified by the labs of Dr. Méndez and Dr. José Lucas, the latter based at the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center (CSIC) in Madrid.
Historically, many proteins involved in neurological disorders—particularly those known as intrinsically disordered proteins—have been difficult to study. This is due, in part, to the fact that they lack a stable three-dimensional structure, which makes it complicated to predict their behaviour and interactions at a molecular level. In this context, the team is studying how these proteins function and how specific structural transitions may contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as idiopathic autism.
“SPARK NS is honoured to be forming a close drug development partnership with Dr. Salvatella as we work together to advance his discoveries,” said Opher Kornfeld, PhD, Managing Director, Translational Research and Development of SPARK NS. “The project represents novel and creative ideas at the forefront of research with the promise to transform patient care. We are excited to leverage our robust drug development infrastructure, resources, and expertise at SPARK NS to efficiently develop compelling discoveries into impactful therapeutics that address critical unmet clinical needs in the autism space.”
“It's very rewarding to be part of a programme like SPARK NS. Its milestone-based model and hands-on support allow us to move our results forward in an environment clearly focused on practical application,” says Dr. Salvatella.
Participation in SPARK NS will enable the team to move this line of research forward and progress toward more advanced stages of development.
Official announcement: SPARK NS website
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
