New Modern Chair-URJC in Epidemiology

Nora Fernandez Fernandez 

The Rey Juan Carlos University and Moderna, a pioneering biotechnology company in messenger RNA therapies and vaccines, have formalized a collaboration agreement through which the 'Modern-URJC Chair in Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases' has been created. The agreement will have a duration of two years, from the date of signing, and may be extended up to four years by mutual agreement between both parties. 

The rector of the URJC, Javier Ramos, and José María Guillén, Moderna's Medical Director for Spain and Portugal, have been the people in charge of sealing the agreement, on the University campus located in Móstoles. 

For his part, Javier Ramos assures that "from the Rey Juan Carlos University, we are convinced that the signing of this agreement with Moderna will allow us to strengthen our scientific research and contribute significantly to overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic and to improve health and the well-being of the people”. 

Similarly, José María Guillén has declared that “the signing of this agreement reinforces Moderna's commitment to scientific research and training in the field of health. The Chair was born from the need to address COVID-19 and to answer scientific questions associated with immunopreventable or potentially immunopreventable infectious diseases. We are happy to be able to do it hand in hand with URJC, joining forces and contributing our experience and knowledge to improve the understanding and management of these diseases”. 

Main activities included in the agreement 

To ensure the correct implementation and monitoring of the activities, a Mixed Monitoring Committee will be established, made up of at least two representatives of each organization. On behalf of the URJC, Ángel Gil de Miguel, Project Director, and Ruth Gil Prieto, as Deputy Director, will form part of the committee. On behalf of Moderna, José María Guillén, Medical Director of Moderna in Spain; and Emilio Fumero, Moderna's Scientific Director for Europe, the Middle East and Canada (EMEC). 

According to Ángel Gil, promoter of this agreement and professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the URJC, "from our university we work a lot on what we call epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases, so from the beginning we have understood each other very well" . At first, he continues, "we will focus on working with the messenger RNA platform that Moderna already works with for the issue of vaccines and then be able to transfer it to other diseases such as cancer."  

For his part, the Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Transfer of the URJC, Fernando García Muiña, wanted to emphasize that "this is the first chair that Moderna signs with a Spanish university". In addition, he has reported on one of the lines of work, which will be "the study on the immunity of the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 in the immunocompromised population of a hospital in the Community of Madrid."  

The rector, Javier Ramos, has highlighted "the value that this agreement and, consequently, the Chair, will have for our students, especially for the degrees of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Engineering, in addition to the research framework that it offers for postgraduate students and for doctoral theses”. 

Two epidemiological studies on respiratory diseases and a medical education activity on the burden of disease and its prevention will be the first activities that both entities will implement within the framework of this Chair of Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases'.