Costa del Sol University Hospital brings biomedical research to high school students through the SSPA Biobank

The students of the 1st Baccalaureate of the Los Boliches Secondary Education Institute (Fuengirola) have had the opportunity to learn about how the Biobank of the Public Health System of Andalusia (SSPA) is organized and what role it plays in biomedical research, thanks to an informative talk given by the person in charge of the Provincial Biobank of Malaga, Tatiana Díaz.

The activity has been organized by the Research and Innovation Unit of the Costa del Sol University Hospital (HUCS), within the framework of the project ‘Implementation of the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) at the Costa del Sol University Hospital’, an initiative that seeks to bring science closer to citizens and fostering scientific vocations among the youngest.

During the session, students were able to discover what a biobank is, how biological samples are managed and what ethical, legal and social implications its use entails in research. In addition, the talk made it possible to establish bridges between biomedical research and different disciplines, adapting the content to the interests of both Science and Social Studies students.

The activity highlighted the commitment of the Biobank and the HUCS Research Unit to the principles of open science, citizen participation and transparency in research. It also made career opportunities in the field of health visible, not only from the perspective scientific, but also in fields such as bioethics, biomedical law, health management or scientific communication.

The Provincial Biobank of Malaga is part of the regional node of the SSPA Biobank and is integrated into the Institute of Biomedical Research of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND). Their work is essential so that research clinical and translational has high quality resources and is developed with ethical and technical guarantees.

This activity has been made possible thanks to the collaboration between the Research Unit of the Costa del Sol University Hospital and the Provincial Biobank of Malaga, entities that share lines of work within the framework of the Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA BIONAND platform).

This action is part of a broader strategy of the Costa del Sol University Hospital to move towards a culture of responsible research, committed to society and with special attention to raising awareness among new generations.