"We have to give backing to public and private research in Spain as it is an indispensable basis to improve people's lives", assured Ana Mato, Minister for Health, during her visit to the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the University of Navarra.  

As she explained, "I am very pleased to have met the wonderful professionals who work at CIMA. It is a young center, but is well-renowned, and has made great developments. The Government of Spain will do as much as it can to promote research, particularly research as applied to patients which will find cures for diseases and improve the lives of the sick".

Minister Mato was shown the research lines in Hepatology and Proteomics, directed by Dr Matías Ávila and Dr Fernando Corrales. Later, Dr Luis Montuenga and Dr Felipe Prósper explained the progress being made in CIMA on solid and hematological tumors. Finally, Dr María José Calasanz, director of UNAV-CIMA LAB Diagnostics, showed the minister round the new unit for genetic diagnosis of the University of Navarra.

During the visit, she was accompanied by Alfonso Sánchez Tabernero, President of the University of Navarra; Jesús M. Hernández, director general of CIMA; José Andrés Gómez Cantero, director general of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra; Dr. Jesús San Miguel, director of Clinical and Traslational Medicine of the University of Navarra and other academic and political authorities.