..Writing.
40 Young Professionals.
Mario Fernandez Ruiz He is a medical doctor specializing in internal medicine and has specific training in infectious diseases, particularly in immunocompromised patients. He develops his care and research activity in the Infectious Diseases Unit of the University Hospital October 12 and in the i+12 Research Institute. His research work in areas such as infection in solid organ transplant recipients, the development of immunological monitoring strategies to predict this type of complications, or invasive fungal infection, was recognized in 2021 with the International Immunocompromised Young Investigator Award. Host Society (ICHS).
Dr. Fernández Ruiz highlights the figure of the clinical researcher as fundamental within the health system. For him, it is important to be able to observe first-hand certain situations in patients and, starting from the care work, generate questions and hypotheses that can later be developed and eventually confirmed in the laboratory.
More than ever, the need to guide translational research towards the resolution of health problems is evident
What is the day to day of an infectious disease researcher like in the midst of a pandemic?
Intense and stimulating at the same time. The need to find answers to the many questions raised by an entirely new infection such as Covid-19 has forced the efforts of many research groups to be redirected, in order to generate knowledge in record time. The experience accumulated by our group in the investigation of viral infections in immunosuppressed patients, particularly solid organ transplant recipients, is being very useful when analyzing the clinical behavior of SARS-CoV-2 in high-risk populations or to analyze their response to vaccines.
More than ever, the need to guide translational research towards the resolution of health problems is evident. For this, I consider the figure of the clinical researcher to be fundamental, who is capable of carrying out healthcare work, identifying relevant questions and trying to answer them from the laboratory.
Has Covid-19 helped a lot to “discover” this specialty? Was it the best way?
First of all, we must remember that unfortunately the specialty of infectious diseases does not yet have official recognition in Spain, a circumstance that makes our country a rare bird in Europe. Spanish research in this area has a long and well-founded history, with very powerful groups in areas as diverse as HIV, multi-resistance to antimicrobials or fungal infections. It is likely that the pandemic has contributed to making the relevance of this work more visible to society and, hopefully, also to political decision makers.
Dr. Mario Fernández: “My approach to care activity is inseparable from the researcher”
How does research help the daily task of the clinician in consultation?
My approach to healthcare activity is inseparable from research work. In the day-to-day of the clinician, many questions arise whose answer can contribute to improving the diagnosis of a certain patient or their treatment, or to adopt preventive measures that are adapted to their individual risk profile. Transforming these questions into scientifically plausible hypotheses and choosing the best approximation to confirm them reinforces critical thinking and methodological rigor, which in turn benefits the care of the next patient who presents in your care.
query with the same problem.
Are there good researchers in Spain? Is research being promoted with grants and programmes?
Without any type of doubts. As I have already mentioned, the level of clinical research in Spain is excellent, particularly in the field that I know best, which is that of infectious diseases. and a long-term progressive improvement is perceived in recent years in both public and private research support and promotion programmes.
Unfortunately, I believe that we are still far from the situation that exists in other reference countries in our environment, particularly in some aspects such as clinical trials led by the investigator, the generation of patents or collaboration between the Academy, public bodies research and private industry.
Unfortunately, the specialty of infectious diseases still does not have official recognition in Spain
What changes will contribute to the improvement of this “research pool”?
Incentives must be improved for a doctor to choose to undertake a research career in the National Health System. And for this, the first requirement is that the same experience of the “clinical researcher” be recognized and institutionalized, so that he can efficiently combine his care and research work.
I believe that specific training in research should be part of the curricular path of the degree in Medicine and Specialized Health Training, and that the research doctor be guaranteed a path to professional consolidation that is on an equal footing with respect to those who carry out a basically healthcare task. .
Will there be many changes in the way of approaching infectious disease research in the near and distant future?
In the first place, the recognition of the specialty and its access through Specialized Health Training would make it possible to successfully face a generational renewal, both in care services and in research groups, which, today, is not guaranteed.
It is foreseeable that collaboration between clinicians and basics will be reinforced through stable networks, such as the recently created CIBER (Biomedical Network Research Center) in Infectious Diseases. I believe that progress will be made in the individualization of the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases, and that the role of the patient’s immune system will be increasingly relevant in this equation. The study of factors of all kinds (genetic, environmental, immunological…) that regulate host-pathogen interaction is gaining more and more prominence in our field.
According to Dr. Mario Fernández, it is necessary to improve the incentives for a doctor to choose to undertake a research career in the National Health System
How do you see your professional situation in 10 years?
Ideally, I would like to combine clinical research, patient care and teaching in my day-to-day work.
Would you like to have an easier time combining research and patient relationships?
Undoubtedly. The consolidation in the National Health System of the figure of the medical researcher (or clinical researcher, if you will) is essential to achieve this goal. I am hopeful that the announced reform of the Science, Technology and Innovation Law of 2011 will go that way.
What can a researcher ask of the head of the service, the tutor, the hospital manager, his scientific society, the laboratories…?
That they value clinical research as a key element for our health systems, which results in the benefit of the patient, society and the professional himself.