We present BiSC results at the 4th Air Quality Congress
We present BiSC results at the 4th Air Quality Congress On October 16 and 17, 2025, the 4th Air Quality Congress of Sabadell took place. This meeting has become a reference space that brings together very diverse professional profiles linked to air quality: technicians from city councils, provincial councils and the Generalitat, research and outreach personnel, epidemiologists, representatives of citizen associations and health professionals, among others. During the congress, the Air Quality Plan, horizon 2027 of the Generalitat, was presented, as well as the challenges and proposals to address the new European Air Quality Directive (which establishes much stricter [...]
Shifting to the world of precision medicine. What is a Polygenic Risk Score and why is it important?
Shifting to the world of precision medicine. What is a Polygenic Risk Score and why is it important? In recent years, we have been hearing more and more about genetics and precision medicine. Not long ago, it seemed like a dream that one could simply take a test and learn about their predispositions to illnesses. But this is becoming a reality thanks to tests that combine socio-demographic factors (ex. [...]
The placenta as an early window to understanding brain development
The placenta as an early window to understanding brain development BiSC researcher Dr. Marta Cosin Tomas has been awarded a prestigious 2024 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. The foundation is an international non-profit organization focused on improving the understanding, prevention, and treatment of psychiatric and mental health disorders. The grant, worth $70,000 over two years (2025–2026), will support a pioneering project that studies [...]
Everyday Exposures: Understanding Non-Persistent Chemicals and Their Impact on Health
Everyday Exposures: Understanding Non-Persistent Chemicals and Their Impact on Health Non-persistent chemicals are a group of chemical exposures that metabolize quickly and therefore, are not stored long-term in the body. Non-persistent chemical groups include substances like phenols, phthalates, parabens, or organophosphates. These chemicals are commonly found in things like personal care products, food packaging, cleaning agents, pesticides, or fertilizers. In fact, you can probably look around your house [...]
What impact does passive smoking have during childhood?
What impact does passive smoking have during childhood? Last month, national media reported on a study led by BiSC researchers Marta Cosín and Mariona Bustamante, in collaboration with the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). The study, published in Environment International, stresses the need to reduce children's exposure to passive smoking, since exposure to tobacco smoke during childhood can cause changes in DNA methylation, a process that affects [...]
Preparations for the third edition of the BiSC Party have started!
Preparations for the third edition of the BiSC Party have started! Dear BiSC families, the third edition of the BiSC Party is approaching! As you may recall, this was a meeting organized in 2022, with the aim of bringing families closer to science and the project, and also to bring all those mothers, fathers and children who make it possible for BiSC to advance and continue to obtain results [...]
New publication on air quality in Barcelona!
New publication on air quality in Barcelona! A team of researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health has developed and compared three types of models—Land Use Regression (LUR), Dispersion (DM), and a Hybrid model (HM)—to estimate outdoor pollutant concentrations in the city of Barcelona. The study focused on measuring the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC) and some PM2.5 constituents (Fe, Cu, [...]
We have reached the second half of the 4-year visit!
We have reached the second half of the 4-year visit! This summer we reached the halfway mark of the 4-year follow-up visit, and we are very happy to report that the participation of the BiSC families is being very active. As we informed you at the beginning, this visit includes the collection of biological, anthropometric, neuropsychological data, as well as information about health and daily habits. To collect this [...]
Want to know what BiSC databases look like?
Want to know what BiSC databases look like? This October, the BiSC project (Barcelona Life Study Cohort) celebrates six years since its beginnig. This project has had the participation of more than 1000 volunteers, who have contributed from the beginning of the pregnancy until today. Over the years, we have collected a large amount of data on various aspects that provide a comprehensive view of child development. The data obtained [...]