Joint Research Unit for Environmental Risk Factors and Translational Medicine for Neurodegenerative Disorders (NEUROENV)

Research team:

• Grupos de Investigación UBU: ADMIRABLE: Advanced Data MIning Research And Business intelligence/Bioinformatics/Big data LEarning, ICCRAM-EST: ICCRAM-Environment, Sustainability and Toxicology, BEST-AI: Biología, Educación y Salud con Tecnologías Avanzadas Informáticas, UBUCOMP: Compostaje
• External Research Team:
  1. Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Burgos (HUBU)
  2. Gerencia de Atención Primaria de Burgos (GAP)
  3. SSD Medicina di laboratorio - Laboratorio di patologia clinica - Laboratorio di biochimica specialistica delle proteinopatie neurologiche, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta

Coordination: 

• Coordinator: María Esther Cubo Delgado 
• Research Group: ADMIRABLE
• Department: Ciencias de la Salud

Motivation and context:

The establishment of this Joint Research Unit (JRU) responds to the strategic need to formalize, consolidate, and strengthen the solid track record of multidisciplinary collaboration initiated through the Pilot project PEST-PD (funded by Gerencia Regional de Salud Castilla y León, GRS2682/A1/2023). This structure has been created with the aim of addressing one of the most pressing public health challenges identified by the World Health Organization (WHO): the rapidly increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson's disease (PD), which is now regarded as a new "pandemic" of non-communicable diseases.

Our JRU is founded on the scientific evidence linking exposure to environmental pollutants with the development of neurodegenerative diseases. The central pillar of this unit is to overcome the current gap in early detection by focusing our efforts on the preclinical and prodromal stages of neurodegenerative diseases.

Scope:

The unit's strategy is focused on three interconnected pillars:

• Clinical research and precision epidemiology: Leading field studies for clinical data and biological sample collection, identifying early clinical phenotypes, and obtaining biomarkers in vulnerable populations.
• Environmental toxicology and mechanisms of neurodegeneration: Using advanced in vitro models and in silico computational simulations to understand molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and the impact of agricultural environments.
•  Artificial Intelligence, bioinformatics, and computational medicine: Dedicated to multimodal data integration (clinical, environmental, genetic, and molecular) using Machine Learning and predictive risk modelling.

Facilities:

The research is conducted through the specialized laboratories and clinical settings of the Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Burgos (HUBU), University of Burgos and the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta.

Projects and dissemination:

• Key Projects: 

PEST-PD is a collaborative pilot research project undertaken by the partners of this JRU. It involves field studies conducted in the Province of Burgos (Spain) to investigate whether prolonged exposure to pesticides is associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

• Dissemination and Impact: 

The unit aims for technological transfer through patents and AI tools for the healthcare industry. Initiated through PEST-PD project, it maintains close collaboration with the Parkinson Burgos Association and agricultural unions (such as COAG, ASAJA, UPA and UCCL) and companies such as Terrastar to ensure knowledge reaches the rural environment. Furthermore, it aligns with international programs like Horizon Europe and regional strategies like RIS3 to attract global talent and foster international research consortia.

In addition, dissemination activities related to ongoing projects such as PEST-PD have been carried out through the local and regional Media. In fact, the project received the Innovadores 2026 Award, granted by El Mundo Castilla y León, as the best project in the Province of Burgos.