Partners
Catalan Institute of Oncology (Spain)
The Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) is a public non-profit comprehensive cancer organisation with a high international recognition (i.e., WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco control and WHO HPV Information Centre). On top of cancer care and prevention, specialised training, and research, ICO develops primary cancer prevention and implementation research through its Cancer Prevention and Control Programme and Cancer Epidemiology Research Programme. ICO is partnering with both the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut), which is the unique purchaser of public services for all 7.7 million Catalonian citizens, and the Public Health Agency of Catalonia (ASPCAT), which is responsible amongst other tasks for Public Health policies and programmes for the Region. In PIECES, the close collaboration between the three entities will allow access to all the public healthcare network in Catalonia, comprised by 71 hospitals, 371 primary care centres, and 96 intermediate care centres.
Cristina Martínez
Dr. Cristina Martínez is a Senior Researcher and Adjunct at the Tobacco Control Unit of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), as well as Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona (UB) and Adjunct Professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She has designed several tobacco control programs aimed at transferring scientific knowledge into practice in healthcare services. Her main research lines include the evaluation of programs and the transference of research into practice by applying health policy measures at local, national and international levels. The specific content of her research includes tobacco control in healthcare services, applied research, and the regulatory framework of tobacco control policies.
Clara Mercader
Clara Mercader is a Research Assistant and Project Manager at the Tobacco Control Unit (UCT) of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO). She holds a degree in Pharmacy from the University of Barcelona (UB, 2009), a Master in International Health and Cooperation from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB, 2014) and a Master in Health Education from the University of Lleida (UdL, 2014). She is also an associate professor at the University of Lleida.
Clara Fábregas
Clara Fábregas is a journalist and works currently as the communications officer for the Tobacco Control Unit (UCT) of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) in Barcelona. She has previously worked in several media outlets as a journalist and also in corporate communications departments. She is in charge of managing the internal and external communication of the ‘PIECES Project’.
Jassia Zafar
Jassia holds a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Barcelona (UB) and a Master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Nutrition, Chronic Diseases, and Healthy Ageing from the same university. She has gained practical experience in the clinical field at Hospital HM Delfos, in nutritional consultancy at CESNUT, and in conducting a clinical study at the Polyphenol Research Group, where she studied the effects of peanut consumption on various health parameters in adolescents.She is now starting her PhD, contributing to the PIECES project, which focuses on the implementation and evaluation of cancer prevention interventions across Catalonia.
David Fernández
David holds a BSc in Nursing from the University of Lleida (2019) and a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Barcelona (2023). He works currently in the Biostatistics Team of the Tobacco Control Unit (UCT) of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO). He has previously worked as a nurse in different health centres and as a health promoter in the Blood and Tissue Bank of Catalonia.
Isabel Barroso
Isabel holds a degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Barcelona (UB) and a Master in Research and Development in Preventive Medicine and Public Health from the University of Granada (UGR).
Victoria Porthé
Victoria holds a Ph.D. in Health and Life Sciences with expertise in Public Health (Pompeu Fabra University, 2009), a Master in Public Health and Health Management (Granada University, Andalusia School of Public Health, 2001), and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Buenos Aires, University, 2000). She worked as a research assistant at the Health Inequalities Research Group/Employment Conditions Network (GREDS-EMCONET, Pompeu Fabra University), while finishing her Ph.D. Since then, her professional experience in public health research has allowed her to engage in a diverse array of research topics in different public health institutions multidisciplinary research teams from different institutions and universities working in epidemiology and public health. Her research interests include social determinants on health, health inequalities, community health interventions, and vaccine hesitancy. She has recently joined the Tobacco Control Unit to work on the PIECES project.