With the last contracts signed in July, 10 new professionals have joined the research center Biomedica en network de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), in which the research center Médica Aplicada (CIMA) of the University of Navarra participates. CIBERNED is an initiative of the Ministry of Health to create cooperative research centers in network and develop it through the Health Research Fund (FIS) of the high school of Health Carlos III.

The newly incorporated professionals are 3 doctors, 4 graduates and 3 technicians from laboratory. All of them collaborate with the groups of the Neurosciences area of CIMA and perform their scientific work in laboratories dedicated to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

The 4 groups that participated in the public call for proposals have been accredited.

In 2006, international experts evaluated the applications submitted and selected 48 groups from all over Spain from research, accredited as "groups of excellence" in neurodegenerative diseases. In that assessment the CIMA of the University of Navarra obtained the accreditation for the 4 groups that participated in the call. They are teams of researchers led by Dr. Joaquín del Río, Dr. José Obeso, Dr. José Masdeu and Dr. José Luis Lanciego. Together, these groups have obtained funding of approximately 400,000 euros per year. These funds are mainly used to hire staff researcher and technical support, as well as to purchase equipment.

The membership of these groups in CIBERNED will increase existing collaborations and will open new possibilities for partnership between the Neurosciences area at CIMA and prestigious Spanish groups at research.