The director of the Fondo de research Sanitaria (FIS), Fernando García Alonso, has congratulated the University of Navarra for its work in research biomedical by notifying it of the approval of nine research projects to be carried out at the University Clinic and School of Medicine.

The FIS of high school Carlos III has C nine projects of the 16 presented to research , with a total amount of more than 64 million pesetas. The School of Medicine of the University of Navarra presented six projects, four of which have been awarded to C , whose principal investigators are Mª José Iraburu, Juan Lasarte, Luis Montuenga and Francisco Javier Díez. The work of the first two is focused on the study of molecular biology aspects of hepatitis. Luis Montuenga will research on lung carcinoma, and Francisco Javier Díez, on the regulation of vascular contractility.

The projects presented by the Clínica Universitaria and funded by the FIS have as principal investigators Dr. Julio Artieda, Dr. Rosario Luquin, Dr. Francisco Javier Pardo, Dr. Marta Ferrer and Dr. Javier Zulueta.

As for the topics of research, two are in neurology. Dr. Julio Artieda will research on abnormal movements and Dr. Luquin on Parkinson's disease. Dr. Pardo will do so on chronic rejection in renal transplantation; Marta Ferrer, from department of Allergology, on chronic urticaria; and Dr. Zulueta, on mechanisms of acute lung injury.

These approved projects join those carried out by the University of Navarra with funding from other public bodies or private companies, so that Navarra is at the top of the ranking of Spanish biomedical research per capita. In total the FIS has C 13 projects of those presented in Navarra.