Celso Arango MD, PhD Phone:+34 91 58 68 133 Fax:+34 91 58 68 104

María José Penzol MD, MSc Phone+34 91 426 50 05 Fax:+34 91 426 50 04

 

The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at the Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón (HGUGM) is an international reference centre in research and clinical practice in child and adolescent psychiatry and it is currently the largest in Spain in terms of the number of beds for hospitalization found in a General Hospital. It covers approximately an area of 3.786.572 habitants, of which 10-15% are adolescents. The Department is not only composed by 20 clinicians but also researchers trained and experienced on the use of the proposed instruments which include a wide range of disciplines such as biology, neurochemistry, neuroimaging, neuropsychology, data management, research assistants.

This Department has been conducting a prolific research activity in collaboration with national and international entities, as it is reflected in the external evaluation programs which are currently on-going in this Department supported by public competitive and private funds (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministry of Education, NARSAD, Stanley Foundation, private foundations, industry clinical trials). The incorporation of researchers and trainees engaged on research activity, the number of publications and collaborations with other organisms (European Network Psychosis, National Institute of Mental Health, USA; Committee Neurocognition the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS), National Institute of Mental Health (USA)) is also a proof for that.

The HGUGM has launched multiple investigations with other departments within the hospital (Cardiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Nutrition, Medical Imaging and Experimental Medicine). The research team also has an extensive experience in research training with a systematic training plan and regular quality checks that are included in the program as EFQM is implemented in the Department. The experience that this Department (HGUGM) and its ability to coordinate a research team has been highlighted by the election of its head of department as the Scientific Director of CIBERSAM since 2008. At present, this group participates, in addition to MATRICS, in 9 active research projects funded under the Seventh Framework Programme of the EU (EU-GEI, PERS, Aggressotype, Optimise, STOP, Eranet-Neuron, ROAMER, PSYSCAN and METSY) and participates in the IMI call.