Director HM CIOCC Barcelona | Oncology. Director of the Breast Cancer Program at HM CIOCC Barcelona at HM Delfos. Dr. Joan Albanell is internationally recognized for his multiple studies and activity, among which those related to breast cancer stand out. He is a professor of Oncology at Pompeu Fabra University and coordinator of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Breast Cancer Research Group (GEICAM), among many other positions.

Professional Experience

Dr. Albanell is currently also head of the Medical Oncology service at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona. His extensive professional curriculum highlights his status as Professor of Oncology at Pompeu Fabra University, coordinator of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Breast Cancer Research Group (GEICAM), clinical coordinator of the Cancer Research Group of the Center for Online Biomedical Research Cancer (CIBERONC) of Breast Cancer and director of the Cancer Research Program of the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM).

Scientific & Teaching Activity

● He completed his doctoral thesis at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York on mechanisms of immortalization of cancer cells. Since then, the focus of his research career has been on the clinical study of new drugs against cancer and their mechanisms of action and resistance. He is the author of more than 120 peer-reviewed articles with more than 9,000 citations.

● He is one of the international pioneers in the development of innovative clinical trials with molecular cancer therapies, incorporating measures of biological efficacy. Another of the most relevant international investigations for which he has been responsible is the one related to the clinical impact of genomic platforms in decision-making about chemotherapy in early breast cancer. It is also worth noting his participation in studies of bone health in patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer treated with aromatase inhibitors, and in the study of biomarkers associated with the risk of bone metastases. He also coordinates international projects for the study of predictive markers of efficacy for new therapies in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

● For years, he has directed translational research on response markers and resistance mechanisms to new therapies against HER2-positive breast cancer. Knowledge of the immune system in the efficacy of treatments has recently been incorporated into this line.

Areas of Professional Interest

● The first assignment of Dr. Albanell in charge of Oncology at HM Delfos will be to form a team of highly prestigious professionals who offer an individualized and multidisciplinary response to all oncological processes. This is the model of therapeutic and investigative approach that HM Hospitales imprints on this specialized area and that will be interconnected with the rest of the oncology units that the Group has spread throughout the country.