Throughout the day, researchers and technical staff from the Institute carried out activities in different parts of Reus city centre to bring science closer to the public.
The Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (IISPV) has closed the event ‘Health Research Hits the Streets’ with a very positive outcome. The event took place all day in several locations around Reus city centre. A total of 528 people participated in the scheduled activities, all designed to make biomedical research more accessible to the general public.
The event was organised to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the IISPV. The organisers highlighted the warm reception of all the activities. In this regard, Joan Vendrell, director of the IISPV, stated: “The high level of participation shows that people are interested in learning what we do in the labs. That’s why we are considering continuing with public activities that allow us to share our work with everyone.”
In total, four free activities were offered: an escape room, with 112 participants; a walking tour through the city centre, with 114 attendees; a space where over 77 people received medical tests; and a series of science workshops with experiments to explain how the human body works. This last activity, the only one that didn’t require prior registration, attracted more than 225 visitors.
The four activities took place in different areas of the city. The old hospital on Sant Joan Street hosted the escape room and the science workshops, bringing back its scientific role for one day. The medical tests were carried out at the Centre de Lectura, a popular meeting place for locals. Finally, the walking tour passed through streets such as Hospital Street, Santa Anna Avenue and Ample Street, where participants learned about buildings historically linked to health.
Around forty researchers and technical staff from the IISPV made this event possible. “These outreach activities are enriching for everyone involved. On one hand, they give people the chance to learn about health research directly from those working in laboratories. On the other hand, they allow us to understand people’s concerns and respond to them,” explained the director of the IISPV. The Reus City Council and the Centre de Lectura supported the initiative and helped promote the biomedical research carried out in the region, which is constantly developing new projects and studies to improve people’s health.
The 20th anniversary of the IISPV
“Health Research Hits the Streets” is one of several public activities organized to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this Institute, which has been working in the southern Catalonia area for the past 20 years. Throughout 2025, a series of events have been planned to explain not only what the IISPV does, but also how important and relevant biomedical research is for people’s lives.
“Health Research Hits the Streets” is one of several public activities organized to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this Institute, which has been working in the southern Catalonia area for the past 20 years. Throughout 2025, a series of events have been planned to explain not only what the IISPV does, but also how important and relevant biomedical research is for people’s lives.
The anniversary celebration will end on 3 December with an institutional event at the Bartrina Theatre in Reus. During the event, the Institute’s new image will be presented, and there will be a talk by the well-known communicator and writer Elsa Punset, who specialises in leadership, creativity and team management. Registration for the event will soon be available on the IISPV website, and it will be chaired by the Minister of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia, Núria Montserrat.
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