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Ageing and Social Stress Research Group: Pharmacological and Behavioural Mechanisms of Protection - ENVEST

The main research topics in our group focus on evaluating different intervention strategies that can act as protective against changes induced by both social stress and ageing as well as the role of new technologies in mental and cognitive health. In animal models, our studies are based on the environmental enrichment paradigm of providing high social, physical and mental activity. In human subjects, our interest is focused on the evaluation of lifestyle factors that can help to reduce the effects of chronic stress and promote cognitive reserve, thereby counteracting or delaying the cognitive decline associated with ageing and Alzheimer's disease. We are also interested in assessing the impact of new technologies on mental health and on the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive decline associated with ageing and chronic and neurodegenerative diseases. The ultimate goal is to contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms that favour more active ageing and the prevention of cognitive decline.

Clinical Biomechanics Research Unit Research Group - UBIC

The UBIC research group is registered in the Register of Research Structures of the Universitat de València (REIUV) under the authority of the Office of the Vice-Principal for Research and Science Policy, regulated in the 1st Chapter of the ACGUV48/2013 Regulation. UBIC works in the assessment and treatment of a wide range of pathologies, both musculoskeletal and neurological. Furthermore, it also proposes actions in the preventive sphere, both in healthy people, to avoid the subsequent development of pathologies, to carry out secondary prevention and avoid possible comorbidities. The research group has experience in biomechanical analysis, from a clinical point of view, having carried out several studies on physical qualities in healthy and pathological populations. Some examples of studies carried out by the group include the evaluation of balance in different pathological populations and the development of balance intervention programmes. In addition, the UBIC has worked on several projects focused on the analysis of joint mobility and human gait using different tools ranging from photogrammetry to different clinical tests that assess the movement quality. Apart from biomechanics, the group also has experience in physiological assessment, in aspects such as the analysis of energy expenditure, the evaluation of muscle activation in patients with pain or heart rate variability with Autonomic Nervous System dysfunctions. Currently, following the physiological assessment, in populations with chronic pain, work is being carried out on the analysis of plasma biomarkers of pain.

All these methods of analysis are the basis for the definition of subsequent physical interventions to address the ailments of the above populations, as well as for the measurement of the effect of the different interventions developed.

 

Educational Transitions, Resistance, Gender Relationships, Exclusions and Health Research Group - TERRES

The research group TIERRAS (Educational Transitions, Resistance, Gender Relationships, Exclusions and Health) seeks to create and transfer knowledge, interdisciplinary, from a critical and inclusive epistemological position, which directs the gaze towards different cracks that in knowledge societies are revealed as relevant to understand and transform the social world. The lines of research in which we are seeking to jointly explore in greater depth are:

  • Study of pedagogical practice. Analysis of the processes of distribution and construction of legitimate knowledge in the pedagogical device. Pedagogical modes of delivery. Sociology of pedagogy.
  • Pedagogical identity in specific contexts: description and analysis of the social production of identity in the processes of educational and professional transition.
  • Bodies, genders and sexualities: representation and sexual practices. Social construction of health and illness.
  • Audiovisual co-education, gender, semiotics and cultural studies. Critical analysis of audiovisual culture and its co-educational dimension. Meaning and codification of gender in audiovisual discourses. Media interpellation: processes of identification and subjectivation.
  • Study of the processes of precariousness in social contexts discursively dominated by the knowledge economy.
  • Social politics analysis.

Regarding the training and research capacity of the group, the members participate in the third cycle training courses of:

  • Master’s Degree in Gender and Equality Policies.
  • Master’s Degree in Social and Educational Action.
  • Master’s Degree in Psychopedagogy.
  • Master’s Degree in Secondary Education Teacher Training.

We also participate in the Doctoral Programme in Education of the UV and in the Doctoral Programme of the Institute for the Study of Women.

Frailty and Cognitive Impairment Research Group - FROG

The prevalence of frailty syndrome and cognitive impairment represent an often overlapping clinical entity that has a major health, social and economic impact. Frailty and cognitive impairment have also been shown in several international studies to be a precursor to disability, dependency and premature mortality.

The group’s research activity focuses on two fundamental aspects of ageing

1) The pathophysiological alterations that induce and accompany frailty syndrome and cognitive impairment in older people or in younger people whose pathologies and comorbidities lead to earlier development of frailty syndrome and cognitive impairment (such as people with psychiatric illnesses or oncology patients).
2) Nursing multidisciplinary interventions that are able to delay the onset or slow the progression of frailty and cognitive decline.

The first aspect is approaches from a clinical perspective by looking for biomarkers in blood, saliva or other biological samples that characterise the frailty syndrome and cognitive impairment or are predictive of its appearance and changes either in the sense of progression or improvement after clinical interventions. The use of a panel of biomarkers that can be measured in routine clinical testing allows the detection of individuals at risk of developing frailty and cognitive decline or progressing to more severe stages of frailty and dependence, monitoring the effectiveness of treatments, non-pharmacological interventions and care that slow or delay frailty and cognitive decline or its progression. In the aspect of clinical interventions, the impact that these have on other fundamental variables in the integral assessment of the patient is also evaluated, such as their functional state, mode and quality of life from a holistic perspective of people.

Healthy Ageing in Women Research Group - CARMEN

Women present a specific profile in many areas of ageing, including frailty, chronic diseases (examples are clearly musculoskeletal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, certain forms of cancer, cognitive impairment or depression), social interaction, and quality of life. 

Our activity has focused on the female determinants of osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases, quality of life after menopause, cognitive impairment and, more recently, frailty. More recently, we have also been doing research on endometriosis, a disease that causes morbidity and affects quality of life, and whose impact on healthy ageing is just beginning to be understood. 

We have carried out basic and applied research work, and are therefore an example of a multidisciplinary group with interaction between basic and clinical researchers and with a profile of publications and funded projects that meet this criterion. 

Pathophysiology, Prevention and Treatment of Eye Diseases Research Group - FIPTEO

Study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that trigger retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Approaches for the prevention of the development of these pathologies, as well as therapeutic approaches to the development of advanced stages of the disease. To this end, we consider: 

  • To study the role of redox regulation in the development of retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy of age-related macular degeneration. 
  • Analysis of the protective role of natural antioxidants in the development of eye diseases related to oxidative stress. 
  • Identification of markers in tears to determine and follow the evolution of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. 
  • To study the physiopathology of uveal melanoma, search for new therapeutic approaches and biomarkers for its early detection.
Research Group on Advanced Research Methods Applied to Quality of Life Promotion - ARMAQoL

From Psychology, and with emphasis on methodology, the main themes or fields of application are:

  • ageing and quality of life;
  • comprehensive palliative care and humanisation of care;
  • innovation and educational quality (commitment, entrepreneurship, employability in graduates with functional diversity, occupational health in education professionals...)
  • and systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

The technological offer of the group is based on the development, analysis and technical report of predictive and/or explanatory models based on surveys and opinion studies on issues affecting quality of life. Design and study of the efficacy of interventions in quality of life. Cross-cultural validation, adaptation of measures and creation of surveys and new protocols in the field where there is a lack of the necessary tools. Unique characteristics of this group are its interest in training future researchers in the fields of our research, its commitment to transfer to society and internationalisation. With regard to training, in recent years, numerous PhD theses have been supervised, several of which have been awarded the Extraordinary Doctorate Award.

Most of the researchers in the group are competent in coordinating or directing interdisciplinary doctoral programmes (Promotion of Autonomy and Social and Health Care for Dependency) and the Master's Degree in Social and Health Care for Dependency. At the same time, we have experience in teaching in numerous fields focused on cooperation, health promotion and in general the improvement of the living conditions of citizens, such as the Master's Degree in Comprehensive Palliative Care for People with Advanced Diseases (UAB, Barcelona), the Master's Degree in Psychological Rehabilitation in Community Mental Health (UJI, Castellón), Master's Degree in Health Psychology, Master's Degree in Educational and Developmental Psychology in Multicultural Contexts (UV Master in Peru and the Dominican Republic in the context of cooperation), and the Expert Programme in Health Interventions (EVES). Several members of the team have received awards for their quality career (Valencian government and UV Social Council Award, 2015), Award for the transfer to the quality of life of citizens (award from the Valencian Federation of Neighbourhood Associations), national awards for our contributions in the field of vulnerable groups (Prevent Foundation Award, 2012; Asindown Foundation Award in 2017) and also recognition for innovation in care at local level (2nd prize for innovative ideas INCLIVA 2019).

Transfer to society is a strong idea in our research initiatives. In addition to the more orthodox conduits of publication in scientific journals and forums, it is disseminated in audiovisual formats (training videos for elderly care: “Tú que cuidas, cuídate (Unión de Mutuas)” and “Buenos Recuerdos sobre Deterioro Cognitivo Leve”) and apps (under the direction of the director of GESS-in Prof. Navarro-Pérez and in collaboration with IRTIC, the Liad@s app and later the DAP360º programme), but also establishing synergies with the administration, with professional associations and colleges and with neighbourhood movements, participating in working groups and various initiatives.
The international projection is deeply rooted, since the different lines maintain ongoing collaborations over time with prestigious centres with renowned academics such as: Kenneth A. Bollen (UNC Chapel Hill), Alistair Cheyne (Loughborough University UK and later at ESSCA School of Management, Bordeaux, France), Barry Schneider (University of Ottawa and later Boston College) or Julian Montoro (UNCC at Charlotte), Shane Sinclair (U. of Calgary), Gustavo de Simone (Pallium Latinoamérica, Buenos Aires), Michael Silberman (Middle East Cancer Consortium, Israel), Tomás Caycho (Universidad Privada del Norte, Lima, Perú), Undergraduate and graduate school at ESAN University, Lima, Perú.

Although in the same way we could provide knowledge on the promotion of quality of life in the framework of palliative care, education, humanisation of care... We choose as an example of the clear emphasis in the methodology, of what our group can contribute in the research on the promotion of quality of life, the subject of ageing. This topic is at the intersection of biological, social and psychological processes, and since it is a biopsychosocial model, theories or models about it emerge from all these areas.

The ageing process, in addition to the physical-medical aspect, in psychosocial terms speaks of the relationship between individuals, their development in society and the interpretation of the events that happen to them according to the cultural framework. Starting from classical sociological theories, it has led to more psychological models that have described the strategies and ways people use to manage the difficulties associated with ageing in order to achieve well-being (Rowe & Kahn, 1997; Kahana & Kahana, 1996; Baltes & Baltes, 1990; Brunstein, 1993; Diener, Suh, Lucas & Smith, 1999; Rapkin & Fisher, 1992), among others, as well as “harmonic” models or models based on Eastern perspectives.

Our work as a group is, to a large extent, to use the most advanced methodology so that the data from our groups of interest respond rigorously to the questions we pose from the knowledge of all these theoretical approaches and models.

Research Group on Aggression and Family - AGREFA

The Research Unit was set up in 1990 to develop a Research Programme on the axis of the relational matrix constituted by the members of the family (fundamentally the mother/father and child dyad). In this nucleus with a micro-social level, two fronts of research activity stand out:

Parental behaviours, analysable on the one hand in terms of their sensitivity, consistency or coherence with child behaviour and, on the other hand, in relation to their degree of competence with respect to their suitability for optimal child development. Second, child behaviours according to the child's age and developmental goals and development of psychological (mal)adjustment.
- In early childhood, these are reflected in the quality of attachment, as it reflects the mental representation of the interaction history with the primary caregiver. The study of predictors of attachment is paramount.
- From a micro-social perspective, the microcosm of real-time interaction takes place in a context with various types of factors: marital conflict, sibling conflict, emotional and affective problems, socio-economic problems, addictions, etc. These variables also represent risk factors for the development of antisocial behaviour by children and child abuse by parents.

One aspect of family conflict is the processes of break-up, separation and divorce, and the implications of marital conflict on child well-being. When parents maintain a very aversive relationship in front of children or use them in their conflict dynamics, the psychological impact on children is very harmful. These processes and conflicts can be emotionally abusive experiences for children. The study of the impact of these family breakdown processes is also an area of the Unit's research activity. The Unit has developed observational instruments for dyadic (mother-infant) and family (older children) interaction as part of the research activity. Finally, the development of research-derived treatment and prevention programmes has required programme evaluation activities.

Notes on its origins. It was created by Prof. M. Ángeles Cerezo in 1990 and registered as UV-0309. Researchers at different stages of training and Professors have belonged to it. It has received distinguished visiting professors: Prof. Robert G. Wahler, University of Tennessee, in 1991, and Prof. Joel R. Milner, Northern University, DeKalb, Illinois, 1994. He maintains a direct relationship with Prof. Tom Dishion from the Oregon Social Learning Center, currently at Arizona State University. There are connections with University College Dublin (UCD) in Ireland and Prof. Eilis Hennesey, Director of its School of Psychology, where Prof. Cerezo was an Honorary Visiting Professor for 5 years. These links have allowed members of the team, during their training, to carry out stays in these research centres. In 2012-13 Prof. Patricia Alvarenga, University of Bahia in Brazil, carried out her POST-DOC, funded by her country, to learn our coding and interactive analysis techniques in her studies of child socialisation. The Unit has received students: from the USA on Whittle Scholarship or Fulbright scholarships ranging from 3 months to one year; from Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP) in Sao Paula, Luiza Machado dos Santos, funded by her country, to train in early interaction coding. She is currently passing this on to her group led by Dr. Olga Piazentin Rolim, Department of Psychology - postgraduate programme Developmental Psychology.

Research Group on Assessment and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence: Psychosocio-Educational and Emotional Variables Involved in Prosocial Behaviour - EVAIN

The research activity focuses on analysing the contexts involved in prosocial behaviour: family, school and peer groups, fundamentally around family and the different types of family, variables related to family cohesion and conflict, child-to-parent violence, the hierarchy of values, prosocial development and agressive behaviour in children and adolescents and their integration in an intercultural context.

In particular, we focus our research on the protective factors that favour and strengthen prosocial behaviour in adolescence and childhood: factors of protection and vulnerability to aggression, taking into account personal, family, emotional, school and peer relationship variables. Types of family: given their importance in the psychosocial development of children, the variables are analysed considering the different types of family and aggressiveness/prosociality of children (discrimination between single-parent, two-parent, LGBT-parent families, family structure, biological or adoptive family). Adolescence and childhood: analysis of parenting practices and styles, friendship relationships, intimate partner violence, bullying and victimisation, school failure and risk behaviours in adolescents and pre-adolescents, such as alcohol abuse, together with the analysis of emotional competences mainly in adolescence, but also in childhood. Other variables to be analysed: anxiety, depression, stress, coping mechanisms and the relationship with peers, prosocial peers-aggressive peers.

Research Group on Binge Drinking (alone or in polyconsumption with cannabis): memory and stress response - BIDISCO

There is a clear concern about the use of alcohol and/or cannabis among young people and adolescents, as they give less importance to the health risks involved in the consumption of these substances. Thus, cannabis use, together with alcohol use, forms part of the habits and lifestyles of a significant proportion of young Spanish adolescents. The pattern of intensive alcohol consumption (also known as "binge drinking"), alone or together with cannabis, initiated at an early age, generates a range of undesirable effects on cognition and stress response in this at-risk population such as adolescents and on a brain that is still developing. A better understanding of the neurotoxic effects associated with heavy alcohol consumption in an at-risk population such as young people and adolescents can promote greater social awareness, involving society as a whole as an active participant. This greater social awareness will make it possible to delay the age of onset and reduce the consumption of alcohol and/or cannabis, and will help to establish better intervention strategies (pharmacological, social or educational) necessary for the prevention and treatment of the deterioration observed, contributing to the achievement of more specific and effective action programmes.

Research Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacology - FarCardVas

Identification of molecular mechanisms, new pharmacological targets and active molecules in cardiovascular pathologies such as hypertension, human heart failure and obesity.

Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death in our environment and research into the mechanisms that generate them, as well as the possibilities of pharmacological action to modulate these mechanisms, are priority lines of research at national and European level. Our group focuses on three pathologies, obesity, hypertension and heart failure, and carries out translational research dedicated to the identification of new pharmacological targets and active molecules in these pathologies, working in both animal and human models. In addition, from a healthcare approach, its activity also focuses on research into the rational use of drugs in the field of community pharmacy, pharmacovigilance, public health, etc. The group's research focuses on identifying the changes that occur in obesity, hypertension and heart failure at the level of molecular mechanisms related to adrenergic regulation (via alpha1 or beta receptors) of the heart, vessels or adipose tissue, and their interrelation with the nitric oxide (NO) pathway. In this direction, the role of neurotrophin-3, which regulates neuronal growth during embryonic development, is also being analysed. The aim is to find new pharmacological targets to normalise altered cardiovascular function through its regulation. Knowledge of new targets will also allow the testing of molecules active on them as possible therapeutic tools. Thus, and within a translational research framework, the lines described below are being developed:

  • Characterisation of the pathways mediated by alpha1 and beta adrenoceptors as possible pharmacological targets in obesity and cardiovascular pathology.
  • Gene and protein expression of neurotrophin-3 and its receptor TrkC.
  • Characterisation of the neurotrophin-3 pathway as a new pharmacological target in animal models of obesity and cardiovascular pathology.
  • Characterisation of the NO pathway and the role of constitutive NO synthases as possible pharmacological targets.
  • Relationship between the NO pathway and adrenergic or TrkC receptor-mediated transduction pathways.
  • Characterisation of the angiogenic process in human/murine vessels and its regulation by adrenoceptors, NT-3 and NO.
  • Consequences of hypoxia/ischemia on these pathways.
  • Identification of the changes observed in animal models and in obese, hypertensive, heart failure and heart transplant patients.
  • Identification of human biomarkers in these pathologies.
  • Search for molecules active on these pathways.

To develop these lines, collaborations have been established, consolidated in projects at national and international level, with groups of researchers from other universities, private companies or the CSIC, and with clinical groups from the Hospital La Fe, the Hospital de La Ribera-Alzira and the INCLIVA Health Research Institute.

Research Group on Community Social Services - SESOCO

The research group on the social cohesion and local dynamics is part of the social cohesion field of the Inter-university Institute for Local Development in the Universitat de València. The research on the community-based social work is still a recent new field at the Spanish university.

The SOCIAL-COM group aims to contribute to the knowledge and a research visibility of local dynamics that occur in Communities due to inequality, discrimination and social conflict, all of which hinder social cohesion. Generally, in all areas of local communities, but more deeply in social welfare services, human development is seen as a tool that reduces social inequalities and promotes social justice. The SOCIAL-COM Group of the Universitat de València is designed to increase knowledge of the social problems of the immediate environment, directing its action towards the local level to contribute to the development of social structures and the well-being of citizens, whose participation is a strategic element.

Ultimately, objectives of the SOCIAL-COM research group are aimed to participate in creation and development of new concepts, tools and evaluations in the area of municipal services, so that excellent and sustainable territories can be promoted effectively from perspectives of social spending and social welfare.

Research Group on Development and Advising in Traffic Safety - DATS

DATS is a Research Group attached to the University Research Institute on Traffic and Road Safety (INTRAS). The research group was created in 1995 and is formed by professors and researchers of renowned prestige.

The aim of the DATS Group is focused on Consulting, Research, Development, Innovation, Training and Dissemination Projects in the fields of Transport, Traffic, Mobility and Road Safety.

It develops its projects both for administrations and institutions as well as for companies, whether public or private, national or international, in order to respond to the needs of its clients, as well as in general to solve the social problems represented by traffic accidents, poverty and environmental degradation across the world, with special attention to developing countries.

Therefore, one of the main activities is the accompaniment in the diagnosis of problems and detection of opportunities, as well as the definition of solutions and strategies to guide decision-making.

The work of the DATS Group has contributed to increase knowledge in the field. In this sense, the group has made an effort to disseminate findings through books, articles in scientific journals and/or scientific and outreaching conferences. Likewise, the group has actively participated in and with mass media with the aim of communicating and raising public awareness.

Consequently, the following services are included in its Service Charter:

  • Preparation/Drafting of Strategic Plans for Transport, Logistics, Sustainable Mobility, Local and Urban Planning, Road and Workplace Safety (in-itinere and in-mission accidents).
  • Definition, development and implementation of interventions, measures and counter-measures in the fields of Transport, Mobility and Road Safety.
  • Legislative, Regulatory and Normative development.
  • Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
  • Assessment and recruitment, especially of drivers, both positive and negative, including the development of instruments to achieve these goals.
  • Design and teaching of training and education programmes, as well as the necessary teaching tools and resources (including those based on technologies such as Virtual Reality, especially simulators, and Augmented Reality). It is aimed at scholars, professionals, technicians and users/citizens in general.
  • Creation of communication and advertising campaigns, including Corporate Social Marketing campaigns.
  • Evaluation of Plans, Programmes and interventions, including those related to legislative, regulatory and normative development (Legislative Assessment).
Research Group on Digital Disconnection at Work - DESC.LABOR

Multidisciplinary analysis of the impact of digital disconnection within the framework of labour relations. The technological transformations that the current labour market is undergoing are causing significant changes in the sphere of workers and in business management. Without a doubt, this is a challenge for the agents involved in the workplace (workers, employers, Governments, trade unions and business associations) to strengthen the protective spirit of labour regulations and guarantee basic labour rights such as rest, health and safety at work, privacy, work-life balance, secrecy of communications and data protection. In this sense, the research group analyses the worker’s right to digital disconnection, as well as its possible impact on people management and business competitiveness. All this always pointing out that it is a labour right whose effectiveness ultimately comes both from a mechanism to enhance the freedom and self-determination of the worker’s plan, as well as a guarantee of effective, free and equal business competition within the framework of a social market economy. In this context, the research group clarifies a basic and fundamental labour right today, but with many edges that need to be polished. To this end, in line with its multidisciplinary nature, it deals with the legal assets protected in labour law: to a greater or lesser extent and directly or indirectly, health (art. 15 EC); freedom (art. 1.1 EC) - including freedom of enterprise and productivity (art. 38 EC) -; dignity and free development of personality (art. 10 EC); equality (arts. 1.1; and 9.2 EC); confidentiality and privacy (art. 18.1, 3 and 4 EC); honour (art. 18.1 and 4 EC); and family (39.1 EC). Succinctly, the group intends to deal with the exercise of the right, its legal-practical implications in labour relations (with special emphasis on telework), its current state in the world (with international studies of the law in other countries), its relationship with the prevention of occupational risks (computer fatigue and hyperconnectivity), as well as with gender perspective, diversity, confidentiality and privacy, work-life balance, video-surveillance and corporate control (the need for all kinds of digital software means that the control of workers is growing considerably) and the technological side of it, among other aspects: the BYOD ("bring your own device") study, internal protocols on the use of digital devices and work time management software available to private and public companies.

Research Group on Emotional Education in Childhood and Adolescence - EMINA

The trajectory of the research group "Educating in emotions in childhood and adolescence" goes back more than 10 years. During these years, different professionals from other national and international universities have joined the group, contributing research in the area of emotional development in children and young people.

Currently, the group is formed by researchers from the Universitat de València, Universidad Jaume I, Universidad Católica de Valencia, Universidad Europea de Valencia, Leiden University, University of Bologna, the University of Berlín, as well as the Instituto Tecnológico del Juguete (AIJU), and other professionals in the field of psychology.

The members of the research team have extensive teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and in the direction of collaborative grants, research work and doctoral theses, certified in the CVs.

In 2010, the group started a new stage in the development of emotional education with the project 'Identificación de los perfiles de competencia emocional en la infancia para la mejora de la convivencia entre iguales' (Identification of emotional competence profiles in childhood for the improvement of coexistence between equals) (PSI2010-18742).

The research that is currently being carried out focuses on the results obtained in this project carried out in childhood, where the power of emotional competencies in the integral development of the child has been observed. Taking these results into account, we have considered how the development of emotional intelligence is affected during adolescence.

In 2013 the new project 'Potenciar el bienestar psicológico y la convivencia escolar en adolescentes a través de la educación en emociones: estudio longitudinal' (Promoting psychological well-being and school coexistence in adolescents through education in emotions: a longitudinal study) (PSI2013-43943-R), begins, in which an intervention programme in Emotions in public and subsidised schools in the Valencian Community has been designed and applied. The study has allowed the detection of the benefits of this programme in adolescents at a personal, school and family level. Thus, it will be possible to identify the variables on which it is beneficial to intervene in this age group. The aim is for the programme to be described rigorously, but at the same time to be simple both in its application and in the evaluation of the psychological benefits it provides.

Research Group on Epidemiology and Environmental Health - GIESA

The research group conducts its research activity in different lines of work: 

  • Childhood and environment line

Cohort study in collaboration with other research centres (INMA project) to share methodologies and knowledge on the effects of the environment on children's health, to describe the level of exposure and pollution during gestation and early childhood, to assess the role of the most common environmental pollutants and dietary protective factors on foetal growth and neuro-endocrine-immune development in order to develop environmental health indicators. 

  • Air pollution and health line 

Study of the relationship between air pollution and health effects, developing multi-centre studies. Studies are also carried out to evaluate the impact of pollution on the health of the population.

  • Weather and climate line

Evaluation of the relationship between climatic factors and meteorological variables, especially ambient temperature and health, as well as public health measures that can minimise the impact of foreseeable future climate changes.

  • Line of evaluation of the health impact of various environmental risks 

Through the measurement of the degree of exposure to risks, the development of biological markers and the relationship between these factors and the incidence of various pathologies. This impact is evaluated from different perspectives, ranging from environmental pollution (through biomarkers of exposure) to climate change (heat and cold waves), as well as the impact of certain technologies affecting the environment (mobile telephony, power lines, etc.).

Research Group on Exercise intervention for health - EXINH

The main objective of the EXINH research group is the design, application and execution of interventions based on physical exercise, as well as the study of the effects that this can have on people's health, whether at a preventive, therapeutic or simple physical conditioning level. The fields of action in which our research activity is currently being developed are varied, from the clinical field in collaboration with various public hospitals of the Valencian health system, the study of work-related problems in health personnel (orderlies, nursing staff, physiotherapists), non-health personnel (musicians, administrative staff, lorry drivers) and the effect of interventions with physical exercise on these problems, as well as in the field of sport. In view of the above, various lines of research have been underway for some time, and at present, numerous projects are being developed, with various scientific publications in prestigious journals, as well as participation in national and international congresses on subjects related to exercise and its effects on people's health.

Research Group on Free Radicals and Oxidative Stress. Oxidative Pathology Unit - RL-EO-UPOX

The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress represent a mechanism of action that underlies the aetiopathogenesis of various pathophysiological processes, including different types of metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The Oxidative Pathology Unit (UPOX) has the experimental objective of describing the redox changes that establish the balance between the levels of activity and expression of antioxidant systems and the formation of ROS in human pathology. Special attention is devoted to oxidative modifications of organic macromolecules such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. The oxidation of genetic material (DNA) is analysed by choice techniques in order to establish the role of 8-oxo-7,8-2'-dihydro-guanosine (8-oxo-dG) and repair systems (hOGG1, MUTYH, MTH1 RAD51) as mediators of degenerative and neoplastic diseases. Experimental strategies for the identification and validation of new markers in clinical pathology are among the milestones proposed. 

The impact of oxidative stress on the development of metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and obesity, as well as other cardiovascular risk factors, is currently being studied in different cohorts of affected subjects. The role of the mutagenic base 8-oxo-7,8-2'-dihydro-guanosine (8-oxo-dG) in human carcinogenesis is investigated by analysing this metabolite in different biological media. The identification and assessment of 8-oxo-dG in serum and urine allows us to know the degree of DNA oxidation and its mutagenic potential in the evolution of human tumours, such as colorectal, gastric and prostate carcinoma, together with other blood neoplasms. This line is in line with the possible validation of this oxidative modification product as a tumour marker. 

In parallel, different ROS-regulated signalling pathways and oxidative changes induced in different cell lines in culture and circulating mononuclear cells from patients with diseases that are the focus of our biomedical research are identified and described. 

During the last few years we have described different types of alterations in redox metabolism in different pathophysiological processes of cardiovascular evolution. Initially, we identified reduced levels of antioxidant enzymes and high concentrations of lipid oxidation products (MDA) in nucleated cells of hypertensive patients, and for the first time high levels of the mutagenic base 8-oxo-dG in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA that are reduced back to the values of the healthy population after normalisation of blood pressure either by pharmacological or dietary treatment.

 In this regard, our contribution to the multicentre project of the PREDIMED Network stands out, where we first demonstrated the increase in oxidative stress and damage to genetic material in a large population at high cardiovascular risk and then the remission of this oxidative phenomenon through dietary intervention based on a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts. As a result of these collaborations, novel results have been published in relation to dietary intervention rich in antioxidants and the modulation of different oxidative parameters. 

In the field of experimental and human carcinogenesis, different mechanisms of action have been identified that are regulated by certain free radical species that act as inducers of the expression of transcriptional factors involved in the differentiation and apoptosis of tumour cells. The antitumour effect of various agents is mediated by and is dependent on the reduction of antioxidants such as reduced glutathione (GSH) and increased DNA oxidation, as a step prior to the activation of signalling pathways.

Research Group on Fundamental Studies in Chromatography - FUSCHROM

Based on the prior research experience of María Celia García Álvarez-Coque, the activity of the FUSCHROM group began under her lead in 1992, in the Micellar liquid chromatography field, applied to drug analysis in biological fluids and to the improvement of the characteristics of chromatographic peaks in basic compounds. As a result of these researches, the group specialised in fundamental studies and chemometric developments, aimed at extracting the potential information contained in chromatographic signals and improving separations, extending its application field to other chromatographic modes. In particular, new optimisation strategies, peak models, purity tests, deconvolution methods and quantitative structure-retention relationships have been developed. In addition, numerous analytical methods for the analysis of pharmaceutical, clinical and food samples have been published. The group is currently involved in the use of secondary equilibria in liquid chromatography, development of clean analytical methods, rapid chromatography, chromatographic column characterisation, column coupling and two-dimensional separations.

The members of the group have jointly published more than 400 scientific articles, approximately half of them in journals belonging to the first quartile of the ISI Web of Knowledge, with more than 110 articles in Journal of Chromatography A. In addition, they have published 40 review articles, 25 book chapters, and three books (Micellar liquid chromatography, Chemometrics and Ionic Liquids in Analytical Chemistry: New Insights and Recent Developments, published by Marcel Dekker, Síntesis and Elsevier, respectively). The group director is part of the editorial board of the Journal of Chromatography A, Analytica Chimica Acta and Separation and Purification Reviews.

For its researches, the group has received continuous funding from several Ministries for more than 30 years. Under the direction of group members, 30 students from different countries have received their PhDs. Of these students, 8 have been awarded doctoral prizes, 3 have received Marie Curie grants from the European Community, 3 have been awarded Ramón y Cajal contracts, and 12 have been professors at various universities.

It is noteworthy the collaborations with Alain Berthod (Université de Lyon, France), Desiré Massart (Vrije Universeit Brussel, Belgium), Michael Abraham (University College London, UK), Daniel Armstrong (University of Texas, Arlington, USA), Peter Schoenmakers (van't Hoff Institute of Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Elisabeth Bosch and Martí Rosés (University of Barcelona), and Benjamín Monrabal and Alberto Ortín (manufacturing company of scientific instrumentation for polyolefin characterisation, Polymer Char, Valencia).

Research Group on Gambling and Technological Addictions - JAT

Multidisciplinary research on gambling - Development of gambling and technological addiction prevention programmes. Development of evidence-based gambling addiction treatment procedures. Development of gambling regulation and gambling policy proposals.

Research Group on Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology - EPIGEM

Multidisciplinary biomedical research group established in 1998 within the EPIGEM (Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology) Research Unit, recognised at the Universitat de València. This group was recognised by the Valencian Government in 2000 and again by the Valencian Government as a group of excellence in 2004. Since then, it has participated in research on genetic and environmental risk factors in the aetiology of complex diseases, mainly cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors including obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, etc. Since 2003 it has been part of the PREDIMED study and is currently part of the PREDIMED PLUS study. Since 2006 it has been part of the CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition. The group has more than 350 publications in scientific journals. It has participated in more than 30 public and private research projects and is a pioneering group in Nutritional Genomics.

Research Group on Human Movement Analysis - HuMAG

This research group is interested in the analysis of human movement related to motor control and physical activity from a health perspective. Therefore, its interest is focused both on the dynamic, kinematic and electromyographic analysis during the performance of activities such as static balance and gait and the analysis of the amount of physical activity (voluntary movement) performed by people and the relationship of this with their health. On the other hand, the group also conducts research in other areas related to physical exercise, applying advanced data analysis techniques (e.g. neural networks, text mining, data mining). During the last 5 years the research group has published around 40 articles indexed in JCR, of which we highlight the following 5 for their importance in the opinion of the members of the group:

  • González, L.-M., García-Massó, X., Pardo-Ibañez, A., Peset, F., & Devís-Devís, J. (2018). An author keyword analysis for mapping Sport Sciences. PLOS ONE, 13(8), e0201435. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201435
  • García-Massó, X., Ye-Lin, Y., Garcia-Casado, J., Querol, F., & Gonzalez, L.-M. (2019). Assessment of haemophilic arthropathy through balance analysis: A promising tool. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 22(4), 418-425. https://doi.org/10.1080/10255842.2018.1561877
  • González, L.-M., Devís-Devís, J., Pellicer-Chenoll, M., Pans, M., Pardo-Ibañez, A., García-Massó, X., Peset, F., Garzón-Farinós, F., & Pérez-Samaniego, V. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on Sport in Twitter: A Quantitative and Qualitative Content Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4554. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094554
  • Maitre, J., Noé, F., González, L.-M., García-Massó, X., & Paillard, T. (2021). The tightening parameters of the vibratory devices modify their disturbing postural effects. Journal of Biomechanics, 126, 110624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110624
  • Pellicer-Chenoll, M., Pans, M., Seifert, R., López-Cañada, E., García-Massó, X., Devís-Devís, J., & González, L.-M. (2021). Gender differences in bicycle sharing system usage in the city of Valencia. Sustainable Cities and Society, 65, 102556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102556
Research Group on Ideapsychiatry, Research Excellence Group - GIEX-TMAP

We are the "Excellence PROMETHEUS PHASE II Group" of the GVA, G24 member of the Networked Biomedical Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM-ISCIII). Since 2013 we are active partners in Europe within the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (Acción 3) Cognitive Decline Group of the European Innovation Partnership for Active and Healthy Ageing (EIPAHA) Programme; we actively participate in defining a clinically useful position on Mild Cognitive Decline. We direct and coordinate the Assessment Unit for Personal Autonomy, Dependency and Mental Disorders (TMAP) located at the Faculty of Medicine UCIM-INCLIVA, with a service offer including biomechanical and neurocognitive assessments as part of the prevention of fragility signs in populations at risk. The TMAP Unit is the pioneer in carrying out and implementing assessments for patients with mental disorders and / or cognitive and functional deterioration in a comprehensive and personalised manner. These assessments are necessary to determine how people cope with everyday activities in case of disease or deterioration, and to provide them with useful information in order to apply measures allowing for an healthy and independent life.

From the group's formation in 2001 to its consolidation in 2007, work was carried out to contribute to the knowledge of cognitive and functional deficits of serious mental illnesses, with a special focus on schizophrenic and bipolar patients and their first-degree relatives. Currently, our knowledge is also focused on direct and inverse Multimorbidity in patients with complex diseases such as CNS disorders, cancer or metabolic diseases. The group can also be found in research areas such as: studies on disease burden (Global Burden of Disease studies), systematic review and networked meta-analysis, neurogenetics and cell therapy (stem cells,) and, finally, Nutritional Psychiatry.

Research Group on Laboratory of Behavioural, Affective and Cognitive Neuroscience - BACNeuLab

Human behaviour is fascinating. “If you want to understand a person, do not listen to their words, observe their behaviour”, said Einstein. But observable behaviour is complex and, understood within the framework of neuroscience, involves the integration of knowledge from different fields (Psychology, Economics, Biology, Genetics...). Within this framework, the research group “Laboratory of Behavioural, Affective and Cognitive Neuroscience” (BACNeuLab) carries out interdisciplinary research that addresses the biological bases of behaviour, highlighting the importance of cognitive and affective processes, in interaction, as well as their relationship with manifest behaviour, both adaptive and maladaptive. Thus, our foundations are the study of human emotion and cognition within the framework of psychobiology, and our studies address diverse topics ranging from the cognitive biases that affect our life decisions in different populations, to the influence of stress on health in general, to the effects of music on cognitive performance, as well as its potential therapeutic application, among others. All of them, with the aim of describing, understanding and, finally, explaining human behaviour from the integrative and rigorous point of view that neuroscience allows us. In this way, the work carried out is characterised by the collaboration with researchers from other fields and from different areas of knowledge and various Universities (national and international). The methods used are from psychophysiology (variables such as cardiac variability, electrodermal response, electromyography, respiratory) and cognitive psychology (attention tasks, cognitive biases, information processing) and affective (emotions). In addition, the statistical methods used vary from frequency statistics to Bayesian statistics, including computational models.

Research Group on Limnology - Limnologia

This group has a recognised prestige for the numerous quality works it has carried out in inland aquatic ecosystems and for the new researchers that have been trained. The following are some of the basic and applied research topics carried out by this group.

Basic research in:

  1. Specific richness and dynamics of populations and communities of aquatic organisms: bacteria, phytoplankton, periphyton, zooplankton, acoto- and zoo-benthos and fish, and their controlling factors.
  2. Dynamics and functioning of aquatic ecosystems: biogeochemical cycles, productivity, microbial processes.
  3. Study of aquatic food webs, their structure, key species and vulnerability to global change.
  4. Community coupling: mechanisms and rules.
  5. Biogeochemistry of carbon in aquatic ecosystems, GHGs and climate change.
  6. Molecular ecology.
  7. Paleolimnology and global change.
  8. Polar zone limnology.
  9. Pancrustacean genomics.
  10. Ecotoxicology.
  11. Remote-sensing.

Applied research in:

  1. Aquatic pollution and eutrophication processes.
  2. Physico-chemical and microbiological water quality.
  3. Characterisation of aquatic ecosystems.
  4. Monitoring and assessment of the environmental and conservation status of aquactic ecosystems.
  5. Management and restoration of aquatic ecosystems.
  6. Assessment of the response of aquatic ecosystems to global changes, including chemical pollution.
  7. Ecosystem management applied to climate change mitigation.
  8. Water purification and naturalisation in artificial wetlands.
  9. Bioremediation.
  10. Alien invasive species in inland waters.
  11. Remote-sensing as a tool for the study of environmental quality and ecological status of inland waters.
Research Group on Male infertility and embryo viability - MINERVA

Infertility, or the inability to conceive a child, is a medical condition recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that causes serious health problems for the women affected, as well as significant epidemiological and sociological repercussions for society. It is estimated that this pathology affects 15% of couples worldwide, and its incidence is on the rise.

The aim of our activity is to promote and initiate new lines of research that allow us to advance in the knowledge of reproductive medicine, improving assisted reproduction treatments, increasing their success rates and establishing new techniques for the preservation of male fertility.

Research Group on Modeling Complex Systems: Personality, Brain and Social Systems - MOSISCOM

For years we have been working and publishing on the biological basis of personality, especially the brain and genetic mechanisms that underlie human behaviour. In this process we have proposed a theory on the General Personality Factor, and we have created an instrument to assess it. We have also proposed and investigated psychological intervention techniques (based on classical conditioning and suggestion) to modify personality and emotional states. At the same time, we have created complex mathematical models to study the dynamics of personality in the face of external stimuli, especially drugs. In this sense, we have mathematically modelled brain reactions to different drugs as a function of individual differences, while at the same time we have created a dynamic model that explains drug addictions.

Research Group on Molecular Biology of Parasites and Vectors - BMPV

The research activity developed by this group and directed by Dr. Bargues has the international recognition of being a "World Health Organization (WHO/WHO) Collaborating Centre on Fascioliasis and its Mollusc Vectors" (Ref. SPA-37) dependent on WHO (Headquarters, Geneva) and also "FAO-United Nations Reference Centre in Parasitology", dependent on FAO (Headquarters, Rome), as well as being part, as responsible researcher, of the Collaborative Research Network on Tropical Diseases (RICET) of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, at national level. The group of this research unit has more than 26 years of experience in research projects on vector-borne parasitic diseases, such as Fasciolosis, Malaria, Leihsmaniosis, American Trypanosomosis or Chagas Disease, among others. Extensive experience in participation in European Commission projects, as well as in other projects with international, national and regional funding. The research activity of this line has focused and continues to focus on parasitic diseases, especially zoonotic and vector-borne diseases of public health interest.

This Molecular Biology Research Unit currently focuses its work on:

  • Mollusc vectors of Fasciolosis, Schistosomosis and Angiostrongylosis.
  • Triatomine vectors of Chagas disease.
  • Anopheles mosquitoes vectors of Malaria.
  • Culicidae mosquito vectors of Dirofilariasis and other viruses (Chikungunya, Denge, Zika, etc.).
  • Phlebotominae mosquitoes vectors of Leishmaniasis.

More information at:
http://doctoradoenparasitologia.com/master/informacion-general.html
http://www.ricet.es/grupos-investigacion
http://www.uv.es/farmacia (see links: WHO Collaborating Centre and FAO Reference Centre)

Research Group on Obsessions and Compulsions Research and Treatment - I'TOC

The group has been active since 1999 in following fields: 

  1. Heterogeneity of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), we have worked on defining the number and structure of the content dimensions that characterise obsessive intrusive thoughts and clinical obsessions, analysing the cognitive and metacognitive features that differentiate these dimensions, as well as their implications for the diagnosis and treatment of the OCD. 
  2. Cognitive models of the OCD. We are working on analysing the validity of different cognitive explanatory proposals for obsessive-compulsive disorder. 
  3. Transdiagnosis.- We are working on finding out which variables or factors operate transdiagnostically in the various dimensions and/or subtypes of OCD and in other disorders of the emotional spectrum. Specifically, we focus on the comparative study of unpleasant mental intrusions (IMD) with obsessive, dysmorphic, hypochondriacal, eating, and relational contents, and their respective functional consequences (i.e., appraisals, emotional impact, interference, and neutralisation/control strategies).
  4.  Transculturality.- We are working on the cross-cultural validity of the explanatory cognitive model of the OCD, and we are currently examining the above-mentioned IMDs in different cultural and religious contexts (in connection with other research groups in Canada, Italy, Argentina, Iran, Israel, and Turkey). 
  5. O-C Spectrum.- We are working on examining the comparative validity (in psychopathological terms) of the various current approaches to O-C spectrum disorders, specifically, those derived from the DSM-5, those proposed by the WHO (ICD-11), and those proposed by cognitive psychological research (e.g., approaches to the dysphoria vs. euphoria and harm avoidance/compulsivity vs. impulsivity/NJREs continuum).   Specifically, we focus on the study of the OCD, body dysmorphic disorder, hypochondriasis and anorexia nervosa (psychopathology, diagnosis and treatment).
  6. Treatment.- We have worked on testing a cognitive treatment programme (TCE), derived from cognitive theories of the OCD and specifically designed for this disorder. We have compared its efficacy with that of Exposure with Response Prevention; we have analysed the efficiency in the application of the treatment and compared the application in individual and group format; as well as according to the type of obsessions and compulsions. In recent years we are developing, exploring and testing virtual reality procedures that can support conventional treatments.
  7. Family relationships.- We are examining whether dysfunctional beliefs, held by parents about unpleasant mental intrusions of obsessive, hypochondriacal, and dysmorphic content, have any impact/influence on those of their children. 
  8. Stigma: We have sought to combat the stigma associated with mental illness in general, and O-C spectrum disorders in particular, by disseminating current knowledge and the possibilities for effective treatment and recovery from these disorders. 

We have worked on all these lines thanks, among other things, to the funding obtained in national (BSO2002-02330; SEJ2006/03893-PSIC; PSI2009-10957; PSI2010-18340; PSI2013-44733-R) and regional (GVAE2007-011; AE/07/022; SMI 6-2008; SMI 3/2008; PROMETEO 2013/066) competitive calls. We have published more than 50 articles in high-impact scientific journals, and made more than 100 presentations at national and international conferences with a selection committee.

Thirteen PhDs related to the objectives of the group and directed by the group leader have been defended, 5 of which obtained the extraordinary award in their respective calls.

Research Group on Organic Materials for Detecting and Controlled Release - MODeLiC

The development of new complex chemical systems for industrial application, such as chemical sensors or new materials for controlled release, requires a multidisciplinary approach; including knowledge of fields such as analytical, organic and inorganic chemistry, electronics and engineering. The Research Group on Organic Materials for Detecting and Controlled Release, MODeLiC, of the Universitat de València, mainly works on two research lines:

1. Synthesis, characterisation and assessment of chemical sensors for the detection of all kinds of small species with environmental and biomedical applications. In this field, the group has been working in recent years on the design and assessment of sensors, mainly colorimetric and fluorometric, for the detection of chemical warfare agents (nerve gases). Over the last few years, work on sensors for this type of agents has aroused great interest in the international community as the existing methods are expensive and require specialised personnel, which makes their use complicated in situations of attack with this type of agents on civilians. The group’s second area of interest is the detection of pollutant gases. The area of application in this case is both industrial and in public environments. Within this section, the group is working on sensor preparation for nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulphide and other pollutant gases. It is noteworthy that some of these gases (nitric oxide, hydrogen sulphide) are species found in cells and are responsible for certain biological responses. For this reason, work is also being done on the assessment of the sensory response of prepared compounds in cells. More recently, work has been carried out on the preparation of colorimetric sensors for the detection of chemical submission drugs (particularly, GHB) in beverages. The prepared sensors are able to recognise the presence of the drug in all types of drinks. These sensors can be used “in situ” by anyone as they are easy to use, safe and selective.

2. Design and characterisation of materials for the controlled release of drugs, highlighting applications in the treatment of osteoporosis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s syndrome and the detection and treatment of solid tumours (hypoxic environments). One of the current challenges raised in drug development is to find new methods or delivery systems that represent more effective and safer alternatives than the pharmaceutical forms already available. Therefore, in many cases, it is advisable to look for alternative dosage forms that allow better access of the drug to its place of action. In order to improve the control of drug release, our group employs a new approach consisting of the preparation of “smart materials” that are regulated by external stimuli. The design of nano- or micromaterials functionalised with molecular gates is a very fertile and promising area of work that is taking traditional coordination chemistry and supramolecular chemistry to the boundaries of nanoscience, molecular biology and biochemistry. These systems are inspired by bio-channels and bio-gates and generally by biological processes that originate transformations triggered by specific chemical species. The study of this release model can be applied to a large number of pathologies, but our group is studying inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This disease includes two related pathologies, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Furthermore, the preparation of theranostic materials is a research field that is arousing more interest every day. These materials allow simultaneous detection of a pathology and its treatment. In this field, organic-inorganic hybrid materials have proven to be a very useful alternative for obtaining this type of compounds.

Research Group on Parasites and Health - ParaSalut

The fundamentally basic research activity of the ParaSalut group covers different aspects of the relationship between health and parasites, in both humans and animals carrying parasitic diseases or their models. The group presents lines of work on parasitic diseases caused by Protozoa, as well as Helminths and Arthropods. All the lines are already in progress and have numerous publications, as shown on the group members’ resumes.

Protozoa: One of the group’s research lines focuses on the influence of intestinal parasites (mainly protozoa) on human nutrition, given that said parasites interfere directly or indirectly with the nutrient absorption processes, maldigestion and / or malabsorption. Therefore, this line consists of two main objectives: 1) study on the relationship between intestinal parasites and food intolerances to carbohydrates, and 2) studies on the relationship between intestinal parasites and mother-child nutrition, as well as the analysis of the nutritional status of mothers and children and the effect of parasitosis on child development.

Helminths: Different aspects of helminthic diseases are addressed with a focus on epidemiology, ecology and parasite-host relationships.

Epidemiology / ecology: There are two lines addressing aspects on epidemiology and ecology of diseases caused by helminths. One of them analyses the study on biological cycles, transmission and population dynamic of helminths in murine models that have shown to be good bio-indicators of the parasite-host relationship. These studies are complemented by the line working on the creation of Geographical Information Systems with the use of satellite images and thematic maps for epidemiology modelling and the transmission of human and animal parasites, and the influence of climate change on them. Likewise, studies on food-transmitted parasitic diseases are addressed in another line in which the study of anisakiasis in fish for human consumption represents its basic pillar.

Parasite-host relationships: the establishment of a parasitic disease results from the parasite succeeding over the host. The analysis for the established relationships between both are fundamental to know the factors said establishment depends on, thus enabling the implementation of adequate preventive measures. Likewise, the specificity of this relationship is a tool for the improvement of current diagnostic methods.  In these parasite-host relationships, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have lately proved to be a valuable instrument for these purposes.

The ParaSalud group develops a line on the study of EVs in different helminths of human and veterinary interest. Said EVs are isolated and characterised by their composition (proteins, miRNAs) and their use as target molecules for diagnosis, treatment and / or vaccination is experimentally evaluated. This previously undertaken research line is reinforced by other lines from the group working on the study of parasite-host relationships by techniques generally referred to as “omics”, including genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics.

The line on human Taeniasis / Cisticerosis is part of both aspects: epidemiological studies of materials from different countries, and ultrastructural as well as secretomics studies of the infective form of human cisticerosis, the egg.

Arthropods: Equally important are ectoparasite arthropods, considering that in addition to being vectors of parasitic diseases, they have their own pathogenic potential. The Medical Entomology line carries out the diagnosis and epidemiologic analysis of mosquitos populations, lice, bedbugs and myisis cases.

Research Group on Personality, Cognitive-Emotional Aspects and Health - Pers@luD

The Research Group Personality, cognitive-emotional aspects and health has been working for three decades on the relevance and therapeutic usefulness of different psychosocial variables (personality dimensions, beliefs and attitudes, expectations of control, coping styles and strategies, social support, etc.), in general, in the psychological well-being of the person and, in particular, in special situations such as adaptation to chronic illness (prevalence of distress, quality of life, post-traumatic growth, etc.). From this perspective, and with a special emphasis on cancer, different moments or areas are considered in which it is necessary to address the disease and which include, in addition to diagnosis and treatment, other phases such as disease prevention and survival. The group's extensive experience in research and commitment to the field of psycho-oncology has crystallised in recent years in a structured training project for those psychology professionals interested in working in the care of cancer patients and their families through the implementation of the "Master's Degree in Psycho-oncology", UVEG's own degree. 

Recently, we have incorporated a new line of research on emotional self-efficacy, from which we aim to deepen our understanding of adequate emotional management, as a key element of what constitutes optimal or healthy functioning of the person. Transversal to the aforementioned lines of research, the team also dedicates its efforts to the adaptation of evaluation instruments to our context as another way of contributing to the rigorous development of both research and healthcare tasks.

Research Group on Physiotherapy in Movement. Research Group on Multi-specialty - PTinMOTION

Today, a more sustainable health system is being pursued in which the individual takes an active role in his or her health care, while adopting healthier lifestyles that prevent secondary pathologies and co-morbidities.

In this sense, this group considers, as a research activity, to determine ways of promoting health from Physiotherapy, taking into account the perspective of continuous change to which society is subjected on a daily basis. Specifically, this research group is characterised by its multi-speciality in the field of Physiotherapy, with the advantage that this entails in bringing together various new specialities in this area of health.

This group' s research activity aims, from the perspective of various physiotherapy specialities, to address different areas of assessment and intervention in healthy people (health promotion), in health problems of various kinds (chronic pain, haemophilia, neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal pathology, women's health) in different population groups, as well as in aspects related to professional ethics and health in physiotherapy.

Research Group on Physiotherapy in the Ageing Process, Social and Health Care Strategies - PT_AGE

The importance of the elderly in our society is becoming increasingly evident, both from a demographic, social, economic and health point of view. According to the United Nations, the greatest increase in life expectancy will occur in the coming decades, probably around the year 2050 (MIPAA Report, 2002). In that year, the number of people aged 80 and over is expected to increase fivefold (Vaupel and Jeune, 1995). The World Health Organisation states that there are currently around 600 million people over 60 years of age in the world (World Health Organisation Report, 2009). On the other hand, as far as Spain is concerned, according to 2009 data, there is a population of 7.5 million people over 65 years of age, which represents 16.5% of the population (Imserso Report, 2010). Needless to say, ageing is one of the great advances of this century, but not without consequences, as the structural and functional transformation of the population is generating important political repercussions, requiring modifications and adaptations as society changes.

Within this framework, the research of this group is twofold:

- Demographic evolution makes research necessary to determine the effectiveness and use of new techniques for prevention, training, rehabilitation, active ageing and/or treatment to improve health and limit socio-health expenditure.
- In addition, the cost-benefit effectiveness in the management of resources for the elderly is an aspect to be taken into account in any current health system that values quality in its management.

Research Group on Preventive, Community and Evidence Based Dentistry - OPiCOBE

The research activity of the group is based on the determination of the main epidemiological indicators of oral health in the community (dental caries, periodontal disease, malocclusions, incisor-molar hypomineralisation, etc.) by means of Oral Health Surveys. In addition, the effect of the main risk factors related to this pathology such as cariogenic diet, hygiene habits, associated microbiology, social and economic environment, etc. are studied.

On the other hand, the group investigates Quality of Life in relation to Oral Health, mainly in the older adult population, using validated questionnaires, which sometimes have to be adapted cross-culturally and then psychometrically validated before use.

In addition, the group is involved in the analysis and evaluation of the provision and financing of dental services, oral health programmes, including the evolution of the dental profession at the community level.

Research Group on Psychobiology of Drug Dependence - INVESDROGA

Our research is focused on the neurobiological mechanisms of addictive disorders, specifically the environmental factors that influence cocaine-associated psychiatric comorbidities (including stress) and their impact on the different stages of development (prenatal, infancy, adolescence and adulthood), as well as gender differences. Cocaine remains the second most commonly used illicit drug in Europe, and levels of cocaine use are particularly high in Spain. The age at which initial consumption takes place is of special significance, as well as the environmental/epigenetic factors that modulate an overt clinical phenotype of cocaine addiction. Chronic consumption of cocaine can lead not only to addiction but also to several associated disorders, including psychiatric complications (depression, psychosis, attentional deficits/hyperactivity and anxiety disorders.

Cocaine remains the second most widely used illicit drug in Europe and levels of cocaine use are particularly high in Spain.

The age at which initial use takes place is of particular importance, as are the environmental/epigenetic factors that modulate the clinical phenotype of cocaine addiction. Chronic cocaine use can lead not only to addiction, but also to several associated disorders, including psychiatric complications (depression, psychosis, attention deficit/hyperactivity and anxiety disorders).

As part of our work, we develop animal models for translational research in humans. In addition, we assess the influence of cannabis, alcohol, heroin and MDMA use on the occurrence of comorbid disorders in cocaine addiction. Our specific objectives are:

a. To identify the neurobiological substrates underlying the increase in drug seeking triggered by social stress (brief and repeated social defeat), as numerous studies indicate that different types of physical and social stress are risk factors in the onset, escalation and relapse of psychostimulant use.

b. To identify the contribution of individual traits underlying the propensity for drug addiction, such as a high novelty-seeking phenotype

c. To study the long-term effects of drug use in adolescence, as this is a critical period in the maturation and final development of the CNS.

d. To study the neurobiological mechanisms of relapse in order to understand addictive disorders as a chronic and persistent disease.
 

We are currently working in collaboration with other groups of the Addictive Disorders Network (RTA), specifically with Dr. Consuelo Guerri, Dr. Jorge Manzanares, Dr. Olga Valverde, Dr. María L. Laorden, Dr. Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca and Dr. Paz Viveros. We have the following behavioural procedures in our laboratory: conditioned place preference (CPP), self-administration (SA), open field, elevated maze, water maze, active and passive avoidance boxes, ethopharmacological evaluation system (social interaction), prepulse inhibition (PPI), recognition test, computerised measurement of motor activity. The following neurochemical techniques are also frequently used in our research: high-precision liquid chromatography system to detect catecholamines in brain tissue; western blot to determine monoamine transporters; corticosterone and ELISA determination.

 

Research Group on Psychological Development, Health and Society - PSDEHESO

The study of human development and its optimisation is a challenge not only for personal health but also for public health worldwide. The most current approach in health psychology is not focused on illness but on health behaviours, assessment and early detection, intervention in everyday life contexts, approaches centred on the family and the context, lifestyles, etc., and their effects on the overall health status of the person.

In this sense our group frames its objectives in the WHO (1948) definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or disability. Challenges include, for example, early intervention in developmental disorders, developmental optimisation throughout the life cycle, as well as assessment and intervention in other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (such as cognitive impairment, frailty syndrome, etc.), changing lifestyles, improving quality of life, fostering positive and meaningful social and family interaction in development and health, etc.

Our research activity has focused on the influence of social, family and cultural factors on positive and pathological human development, as well as their evaluation and intervention. We have carried out numerous basic and applied research projects, being therefore an example of a multidisciplinary group with interaction between basic and clinical researchers and with a profile of publications and funded projects that respond to this criterion.

Research Group on Psychology and Technology Laboratory - Labpsitec

Labpsitec Valencia's research focuses mainly on the field of psychopathology, evaluation and treatment of psychological disorders, as well as on the promotion of well-being and quality of life in different populations. In the last 25 years, this group has focused on the possibilities that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can offer to Clinical and Health Psychology, and it is currently an international leader in the development and validation of ICT-based applications in this field. In this context, Labpsitec Valencia is a pioneer in the development of virtual reality (VR) applications for the treatment of emotional disorders and body image issues present in eating disorders.

Regarding the use of the Internet, Labpsitec Valencia has been working in the field of Telepsychology for 20 years, being a pioneer in integrating VR solutions in applications aimed at the treatment of various problems. The group's work within the European project "Online Predictive Tools for Intervention in Mental Illness" (OPTIMI), in which online systems for the prevention of depression are being developed, should be highlighted. This application is currently being tested within another European project (E-COMPARED). Similarly, new interventions for the promotion of resilience and the treatment of adaptive problems are being developed in another H2020-funded project (I-CARE).

Work has also been carried out on an application aimed at offering the elderly a technological solution to improve their emotional state (MAYODOMO). This solution is currently part of the European project EHCOBUTLER and forms part of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EPI- AHA). Another aspect to highlight are the developments that have been made in the field of obesity and healthy lifestyles, such as the ETIOBE platform, for the treatment of childhood obesity, or the ‘Vivir mejor’ programme, for people with hypertension and overweight problems.

The group is currently participating in the CIBER action in the area of Biomedicine and Health Sciences (www.ciberobn.es), leading one of the Ciber-OBN research groups. Labpsitec Valencia has participated in more than 50 research projects financed by regional, national and European funds. We have been the PI of the PROMOSAM Network of Excellence (PSI2014-56303-REDT) funded by the MINECO (Ministry of Economy), which has just concluded, and we are carrying out several projects funded by both the Valencian Community, the national R&D&I plan and the European Commission, as well as other projects funded by private entities. The results of all this research have been presented at national and international conferences, and have given rise to more than 200 articles published in journals with an impact index. Books and book chapters have also been published.

In general, and in summary, Labpsitec Valencia's main interest has always been in the field of Mental Health, trying to go deeply into the description and understanding of mental disorders, and in the development of effective treatments.

Research Group on Psychosocial Research Unit on Organisational Behaviour - UNIPSICO

The Psychosocial Research Unit of Organisational Behaviour (UNIPSICO) is a basic and applied scientific group, created to research and provide solutions to problems related to work performance and human resources management in work organisations, especially the processes and variables involved in the appearance and development of psychosocial risks at work, paying special attention to work-related stress, psychological harassment and burnout syndrome, in order to design intervention strategies aimed at improving the quality of working life of professionals and workers in general. 

Intervention in these processes will help to reduce accidents and absenteeism, as well as the personnel costs derived from these incidents. At an applied level, this line of research is linked to the Law on Occupational Risk Prevention (B.O.E. 10-11-1995). On the other hand, the aim is to investigate the organisation as a socially constructed reality, and to analyse some of the most relevant psychosocial processes that contribute to the formation of the culture and climate of the organisation. To this end, the cognitions, emotions and attitudes of the organisation's groups are investigated, comparing the phenomena and processes at different organisational levels. The results obtained are intended to improve management and decision-making in the organisation. 

UNIPSICO is one of the main national and international references in research on psychosocial risks at work and quality of working life, and its members belong to some of the most relevant international scientific associations of psychology (APA, IAAP, EAWOP, EA-OHP, SOHP, etc.). The director of the group has been PI of research projects funded within the National Plan for R+D+i, by the Generalitat Valenciana and the UVEG. 

In terms of scientific and research productivity, the group has more than 200 publications, including articles in scientific journals, books and book chapters. A significant part of these are in journals indexed in JCR. It also has more than 300 papers presented at international and national conferences. One of the objectives of the group's scientific activity has been aimed at opening international channels of academic exchange between researchers, establishing references in this area, and contributing to the creation of critical mass in the field of research on psychosocial risks at work. 

As part of the "Knowledge Transfer and Innovation" activity, the creation of the CESQT questionnaire, an instrument translated and validated in other languages (Czech, Finnish, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Tamil), and the coordination of an international network of researchers working on its validation, should be highlighted. 

Among the awards and honourable mentions received by the group leader are the following:

  1. He has been declared Guest of Honour, in the city of Puerto San Julián (Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina) (July, 2005) in consideration of his professional career.
  2. He has received the Dr. Oscar Eduardo Alende awards in 2006 (second prize), and in 2008 (first prize), granted by the "Fundación Oscar Eduardo Alende" of the Colegio de Médicos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, District II, for his co-authorship in research on quality of working life.
  3. He has been recognised as an active member of the Red de Investigadores sobre Factores Psicosociales en el Trabajo A.C. (Mexico) for his outstanding contribution to Occupational Health Psychology at the international level. (Mexico) for his outstanding contribution to Occupational Health Psychology at the international level.
  4. Award for lifetime achievement and contributions to research in Latin America on psychosocial factors, stress and mental health at work, granted by the Red de Investigadores sobre Factores Psicosociales en el Trabajo A.C. (Network of Researchers on Psychosocial Factors at Work). (October, 2010).
  5. He has been institutionally recognised by the Government of Jalisco (Mexico) for his cooperation in assessing the psychosocial risks of prison staff (November 2008).
  6. Recognition from the Universidad Fidélitas (San José, Costa Rica) for contributions to Psychology (May, 2010).
  7. He has received the distinction of the Chilean Society of Work and Organisational Psychology (SCHIPTO) in recognition of his outstanding career and important contributions to training and research in the field of work and organisational psychology (October, 2016).
  8. Recognition (tribute) from the Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Centro de Ciências da Saúde (João Pessoa, Brazil) for his significant contribution to international scientific production and for the development of an instrument for the assessment of burnout syndrome (May, 2019).

As Director of UNIPSICO, he has received the "Distinction 2014 for research work in occupational risk prevention" awarded by the Valencian Institute for Safety and Health at Work (INVASSAT) of the Generalitat Valenciana on the occasion of the celebration of the "International Day of Health and Safety at Work". This distinction is a recognition of the research work being carried out by this research group, led by Dr. Gil-Monte, with the aim of preventing psychosocial risks at work, promoting the quality of working life of workers and increasing the competitiveness and productivity of companies and organisations in the Valencian Community. The distinctions in occupational risk prevention have been created by the Generalitat Valenciana to promote health and safety at work, and as a stimulus and recognition of those companies, institutions, or individuals who stand out for their distinguished performance in occupational risk prevention, or for their involvement in the promotion and encouragement of health and safety at work in the Valencian Community, to serve as an example of good preventive work in the Valencian society as a whole.

Research Group on Reproductive Medicine - MIR

Infertility or the inability to conceive a child is a medical condition recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that causes severe health problems to affected women as well as serious epidemiological and sociological repercussions to society. The calculations show that it's a pathology affecting 15% of all worldwide couples and its incidence rate keeps increasing; it affects 10% of couples wishing to have their first baby and 10 to 25% of those wanting to have a second one. Articles 25 and 26 of the European Parliament's report on Europe's demographic future (2007/2156 (INI)) highlight the necessity to consider infertility a sensitive and important matter.

The goal of our activity is to promote and start new research lines allowing to make progress in the field of reproductive medicine by improving assisted reproductive treatments, decreasing its adverse effects and establishing new techniques for diagnosis and fertility preservation.

 

Research Group on Solar Radiation - GRSV

The Solar Radiation Group of Valencia (GRSV) is a reference group in the two lines in which it works, atmospheric aerosols and solar UV radiation, and is considered a Group of Excellence of the Valencian Community through the Prometheus 2010 and Prometheus 2014 Projects, granted by the Generalitat Valenciana. The Solar Radiation Group has participated in numerous field campaigns, from Sodankyla (Finland) to Marrakesh (Morocco), including those carried out by the ESA (European Space Agency) in the Barrax area (Albacete), during 1998, 1999 and 2000 (DAISEX I and II, Digital Airbone Imaging Spectrometer EXperiment), 2003 and 2004 (SPARC, SPectra bARrax Campaign) and 2005 (SEN2FLEX, SENtinel-2 and Fluorescence Experiment).

It has coordinated the thematic networks DAMOCLES "Determination of Aerosols by Column Measurements (Lidar), Extinction and Soil" I and II during the years 2004 to 2010, in which more than thirty Spanish Institutions have participated. In recent years the GRSV has participated in the SAVEX (Sunphotometer Airborne Validation Experiment) campaigns which took place in June 2012 in Tenerife and the western region of the Sahara. This campaign consisted of the measurement of aerosol properties during a Saharan intrusion (mineral dust, of great climatic importance). The interest lay in the simultaneous measurement of properties using CIMEL CE318 (whose data were developed by AERONET) and PREDE POM (whose data were developed by ESR-SKYNET) instruments for comparison and validation with vertical profile measurements obtained with instruments installed on board an aircraft.

Different European groups were involved in this campaign, mainly from the UK MetOffice, the University of Reading (UK) and the Consiglio Nazionalle delle Ricerche (Italy). This campaign was carried out in the framework of the DA-SAVEX project, awarded in the pre-competitive programme of the University of La Laguna, and also supported to a large extent by the UK MetOffice, which provided the necessary aerial means and the instrumentation on board the aircraft. It has also participated in the Sunphotometer Airborne Validation Experiment in Dust - SAVEX/D campaign in April 2017 (http://pre-tect.space.noa.gr) and CHemistry and AeRosols Mediterranean EXperiment (ChArMEx; http://charmex.lsce.ipsl.fr), which is a collaborative research programme that introduces international activities to investigate Regional Interactions of Mediterranean Chemistry and Climate. The Solar Radiation group currently participates in the international aerosol measurement network AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET, https://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/).

The AERONET programme is a federation of ground-based aerosol networks established by NASA and PHOTONS (PHOtométrie pour le Traitement Opérationnel de Normalisation Satellitaire; Univ. De Lille 1, CNES and CNRS-INSU) and extended through other networks such as RIMA (Red Ibérica de Medida de Aerosoles), AeroSpan, AEROCAN and CARSNET with national agencies, institutes and universities as partners.

The programme provides a public domain database of optical, microphysical and radiative properties of aerosols for aerosol research and characterisation, satellite validation and synergy with other databases. The Solar Radiation group has two stations (Burjassot and Aras de los Olmos) that are part of this AERONET network and actively collaborate with other Spanish stations of the RIMA Network in its operation. In addition, the GRSV also coordinates the European Skynet Radiometers network (ESR, http://www.euroskyrad.net/) together with the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). In this network, whose scientific objective is also the characterisation of atmospheric aerosols and their interaction with clouds and solar radiation, as well as the validation of satellite products, several European Universities/Meteorological Services from Italy, Germany, UK, Chile, as well as the NREL in the USA participate.

In addition, the GRSV is an Associated Partner in the ACTRIS2 (Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network) (www.actris.eu), a European research infrastructure (RI) funded under the H2020 programme in the context of Climate Change. The network has been accepted in the ESFRI (The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure) roadmap in 2016. This means that the ACTRIS network is set up as a pan-European research infrastructure that will be consolidated and operational over the next ten years. The ACTRIS project involves 28 European organisations and aims to establish a network of stable scientific infrastructures equipped with advanced instrumentation for the measurement of atmospheric aerosols, gases and clouds. 
They also participate in the ACTRIS-SPAIN thematic network (CGL2017-90884-REDT) which is developing research on the direct and indirect effects of aerosols and clouds, as well as on the processes associated with atmospheric pollutants that are involved in the deterioration of air quality causing adverse effects on health and ecosystems.

ACTRIS-SPAIN will also contribute to the development of sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and thus fits perfectly into the overall objectives of ACTRIS. In this network, work is being carried out during this final quarter of 2020 to transform the Memorandum of Understanding that exists between the participants in this network and AEMET, which participates in it as an external entity, into a Joint Research Unit (JRU), operational at European level, through an agreement between the entities adapted to Law 40/2015 on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector. ACTRIS-SPAIN members currently participate as beneficiaries, third parties, or associated participants, in the H2020 project of preparatory phase for the implementation of European research infrastructures ACTRIS-PPP (Grant Agreement no. 739530).

Our group also participates in European projects within the framework of the H2020 programme. Specifically, in the EMPIR-Environment call (European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research co-funded by the H2020 programme) of EURAMET (European Metrology Networks). The project is entitled Metrology of Aerosol Optical Properties (MAPP) and aims to study the traceability of aerosol measurements in the atmospheric column, and the estimation of the uncertainty of the products offered by the different international measurement networks has been accepted and will be developed in the years 2020 - 2023 by a consortium that includes different leading Spanish and European laboratories, such as the Lille Laboratory of Atmospheric Optics (LOA, France), National Research Centre (CNRS, France), Italian National Research Council (CNR, Italy), Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET, Spain), University of Reading (URE, UK), University of Valladolid (UVa, Spain). The project is coordinated by the Schweizerisches Forschungsinstitut für Hochgebirgsklima und Medizin (SFI Davos, Switzerland) and in Valencia the PI in charge is Victor Estellés, member of the team requesting the project.

The main lines of research of the GRSV are:

  • Atmospheric aerosols and clouds.
  • Characterisation of atmospheric aerosols from extinction measurements of solar irradiance and sky radiance.
  • Dependence of atmospheric aerosols on the origin of air masses.
  • Inversion methods to determine aerosol size distributions.
  • Dynamic analysis of aerosol hygroscopic growth.
  • Relationship of Angstrom coefficients with aerosol characteristics.
  • Remote sensing applications. Atmospheric correction.
  • Determination of the atmospheric profile of aerosols using lidar techniques.
  • Measurement of cloud radiative properties.
  • Study of the radiative forcing of atmospheric aerosols.
  • Study of aerosol-cloud interactions and their radiative effects.
  • Solar Ultraviolet radiation.
  • Effects of UVB radiation on humans.
  • UVI (UltraViolet Index) prediction.
  • Solar simulators for use in clinical dermatology.
  • Spectral and integrated measurement of solar UV radiation.
  • Modelling of the direct and diffuse components of solar UV radiation.
  • Modelling of solar UV radiation on inclined planes.
  • Measurements of solar UVB radiation and prediction of erythemal solar UV radiation under clear and cloudless skies.
Research Group on Support for Research in Language Variation Analysis - SILVAGroup

The concept of “language variation” is key for the study of the evolution of languages and of social, professional and educational communicative systems. Social, cultural, health, economic, technological and educational transformations are developed, conveyed and reflected through their linguistic and communicative manifestations. The aim of the group is to study the progress that current society is undergoing through the analysis of the essential linguistic variables that are involved and interact in human communication. These variables depend on the profiles of speakers (e.g. idiolectal, dialectal variation, according to gender, age, social status, level of education, etc.) and on the uses they make of language according to the interpersonal identities they adopt (i.e. register variation), the codes they use to communicate (i.e. variation of mode), the different textual platforms they use (i.e. variation of discursive genre) and the different persuasive strategies with which they convey their intention and image (i.e. stylistic variation). The analysis of these variables requires approaching the study of communication at different scales, from its macro and hyper discursive aspect (e.g. interrelation between the variables that interact in business or academic communication, or the complexity of multimodal communication of social media and digital platforms) and also of its micro discursive components (e.g. variation of phonetic, morphological, lexical and syntactic units). As highlighted by experts in language variation (Bayley, 2013; Chambers and Schilling, 2018), in order to address comprehensive and innovative studies in this field, it is necessary to keep up to date the methodology needed to define and classify the categories, criteria and parameters essential to understand and analyse these variables and their interrelation.

Some of these have been extensively studied (e.g. dialectal variation) and others are currently being studied (e.g. variation of discursive genre), but there are still many ambiguous and controversial aspects of other relevant variables, such as those involved in communicative register variation. This type of interpersonal and contextual variation covers the whole spectrum of human interaction, from that which takes place in the most sophisticated and conventional contexts to that which takes place in the most intimate and familiar settings. There are different degrees of dependence and interrelation between various registers in the same communicative act, which has posed a difficult challenge for experts, particularly when it comes to accessing real data and compiling large and representative corpora. Moreover, throughout history, its study has been approached from many different perspectives, including heterogeneous, ambiguous and confusing variables that have generated controversy within this field of research. This theoretical heterogeneity and methodological complexity have hindered the development of in-depth and wide-ranging studies on this language variety, which could effectively transfer their results to society and the labour market, offering practical methods and tools for understanding, learning and mastering it. There are other variables in a similar situation (e.g. idiolectal variation, stylistic variation, genolects, chronolects, etc.). 

With the aim of contributing to the advancement of this field, the main objectives of the SILVAGroup are the following:

  1. To delve into the fundamental categories, criteria and parameters for the study and analysis of language variation, and the factors involved in its current behaviour in the English language and other majority languages, such as Spanish and German.
  2. To investigate language variation from a comprehensive pragmatic approach, highlighting its interpersonal and multimodal dimensions in its fluctuation throughout everyday communication from public to private settings.
  3. To work from emerging technologies, corpus linguistics and other multidisciplinary fields of human communication, contrasting advances and results between languages.
  4. To design methodologies for the study of language variation, useful in the search and detection of distinctive features that shed light on definition and typology of its parameters of analysis, and also practical for learning and mastering them, especially at a social and professional level.
  5. To participate in platforms and projects for the dissemination of research, especially in international conferences and impact publications, in order to encourage further study of RV and to publicise the results of the group’s activity.
  6. To constitute a national and international support platform for research in this field and for its dissemination.

The group’s research activity will be structured from the IULMA, based at the Universitat de València, to which most of the members of the group belong, and is made up of a multidisciplinary team of both young and experienced researchers from the UV, UPV and UA.

All the members of the group share the essential research lines for the study of RV: language variation, corpus linguistics and contrastive linguistics. The group also has experts in other relevant research lines. This multidisciplinary nature provides this team with the advantage of approaching language variation from different but complementary areas of knowledge and research lines, allowing an innovative depth and perspective and results that can really bring a significant advance in the field.

Research Group on Synthesis of Molecules for Biotechnological Applications - SYMOBIA

The group’s research activity focuses on the design, preparation and characterisation of any type of organic molecules, both natural and synthetic substances, and their use for various biotechnological applications. These include, fundamentally, obtaining antibodies and developing immunoassays for the determination of analytes of interest in agri-food and environmental samples, and the development and scaling of the synthesis of pheromones for its application in ecological integrated control of agricultural pests.

Research Group on Systematics, Evolution and Biogeography of Fungi, Seaweeds and Plants - SEBHAP

Research activity focuses on acquiring new knowledge about fungi, seaweeds and plants, which is applied:

  1. In studies on the biodiversity of: fungi, lichens, seaweeds, bryophytes and vascular plants, in the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean Sea and other areas.
  2. For the solution of problems related to their Identification, Systematics, Phylogeny, Biogeography and Conservation status.

The research activity is carried out with a multidisciplinary approach from different perspectives developing four lines of research: "Mycology and Lichenology", "Marine Botany", "Bryology" and "Plant ecology".

Research Group on VIO-STRATEGY (Advanced Research Strategies in Family and Gender-Based Violence) - VIO-STRAT

Violence in intimate relationships, and in particular in parent-child and intimate partner relationships, is a huge social problem in our societies, with high costs at the individual, family and societal levels. Violence in intimate relationships affects large numbers of people throughout their life cycle, constitutes the majority of violence acts committed in our societies and remains a fundamental public health and human rights issue. Although significant progress has been made in recent decades in the recognition and understanding of this social problem, there are still many questions, challenges and controversies that arise for a better understanding and prevention of such a complex and multifaceted problem.

Research on the various types of violence in intimate relationships has traditionally been kept separate with little interconnection between the different lines of work. However, there is a growing recognition that different types of intimate partner violence share common ground, and that there may be an overlap in the processes, patterns, causes, risk factors and interventions in different types of intimate partner violence, and that an integrating and multifaceted approach to the study of this social problem is increasingly necessary. This research group proposes precisely an integrative approach to the violence investigation in intimate relationships. Through the combined efforts of a group of researchers from the Universitat de València with a solid and recognised career, and a group of national and international collaborators, an integrating strategy articulated around four lines of research is proposed.

Research Group on Valencian Anatomy - GIAVAL

The group's multidisciplinary research ranges from quantitative and radiological anatomy, together with medical imaging techniques applied to the identification of the anatomical bases of the pathology, to geometric morphometry. In terms of the anatomical bases of pathology, we specialise in the study of vertebral anatomical variants and their association with clinical symptoms (pain, neuropathies, dizziness, etc.) in both modern sapiens and extinct human species (Homo Neanderthalensis). Geometric morphometry has been used to investigate hominin craniofacial biology (morphological integration), with a special interest in the cranial base as an interface between the brain and the facial skeleton. A "systems model" of human evolutionary anatomy has been developed, which conceptually employs an organism-based perspective on craniofacial and postcranial variation in hominins. 

The group has also focused in recent years on the form, function and integration of the respiratory apparatus, which is an anatomical system connecting the skull and postcranium, of the human organism, as well as on the relationship between thoracic form in osteogenesis imperfecta and respiratory function, and on variations in form and their association with pain at both the cervical and lumbar levels. 

The group is also investigating the development of the trunk at the evolutionary level in both extinct hominins and modern sapiens. Members of the group are also specialising in the study of geometric shape and anatomical variants in fossil records of Homo Neanderthalensis, Homo Naledi and Australopithecus Sediba.

Research Group on Youth, Social Change and Work - JOCASOT

Researchers involved in this research group have been working for several years on the study of youth in its different sides, in the central aspects of its development and of transition to adult life.

Education, participation and work are the three fundamental dimensions on which the analysis is focused, bearing in mind all the processes related to the transition to adult life and their life trajectory's design. Labour insertion in a world of work in deep transformation, the decision to become independent and the participation in public life are the central aspects of this group's research.

The intense stage of social change that Western societies have been experiencing for several decades now requires a thorough study of its consequences on a group that will be involved in future development stages. Work transformation, globalisation, new technologies, the crisis of national representative systems and, in recent years, the economic crisis are profoundly transforming Western societies and changing the processes of socialization.

Young people represent a group of great interest in the study of society in a double sense: on the one hand, because of their current condition and because of all the processes related to socialization and preparation for adult life, such as education, training for responsible participation in political life or transition to adult life in a phase of profound change and pluralization of family structures; on the other hand, because they are the foundation of the future society. The transition from Fordist society to post-Fordist society is entailing a deep crisis in the social structures of Western societies and a progressive decline in Institutions, as Dubet teaches us. This is linked to an intensive process of individualisation, in which the individuals themselves will have to build a new social reality, new social structures capable of organising collective life in a way more suited to the new challenges. This is the main challenge that new generations have to face, and the study of these processes must therefore be focused on the study of young people, their condition and the main processes of transformation in which they are immersed.

Globalisation, on the one hand, and the process of European unification on the other hand, also impose a comparative reflection that tries to separate the specificities of concrete contexts, of common patterns, that can help to read phenomena of global transformation, such as those caused by the digital revolution or by the intensification of international mobility. None of these processes can be properly read without resorting to the use of the gender perspective to provide the analytical gaze with the appropriate richness and depth. New phenomena such as precarious work and its consequences, new life paths, new family structures, territorial mobility and new forms of communication and participation are the phenomena at the centre of the group's research activity. For an adequate development of the research activity, the group has decided to formalize the richness of its studies in 3 lines of research.

The first one is focused on the study of work and its transformation in the digital and global society. The second one is directed towards the analysis of young people's different reactions to the crisis, and not only do we refer to the recent economic recession, but also to the structural crisis that is transforming our society at a very fast pace. Finally, the third line of research aims to analyse all the processes related to the socialization of young people, from the level of primary and informal socialization to education, understood as an institutionalized process of young people's insertion into society.

Research Group on analysis and demographic research on the Valencian population - DEMOVAL

The area of work of this group is demographic studies aimed at the Valencian population. This group investigates classic demographic phenomena such as birth rates, fertility, marriage and the formation and dissolution of unions, ageing, morbidity, reproduction and migrations with special interest in their evolution from the existence of the first modern demographic sources to the present day and including projections of future developments. These studies focus on the population located in the Valencian territory, looking to locate it in the territorial breakdowns that go from the census section, the smaller entities, the municipalities and the counties.

In addition, this group carries out research on life trajectories or life courses. The life course perspective is applied to study life processes such as, for example, emancipation, entry into adulthood, training and work episodes, maternity-paternity or retirement. The analysis of life course trajectories takes into account temporal dimensions such as age, generation and time, gender and social class, origin and language. The object of study is also specific populations whose socio-demographic characteristics and social importance in the structure and change of Valencian society require specific analyses. Specifically, populations in situations of social vulnerability from a multidimensional perspective.

The group combines the production of data on population through the design of demographic surveys, the cataloguing of existing secondary data on the Valencian population (registers and population stocks from survey data), the cultivation of statistical modelling techniques, the calculation of indicators, the collection of discourses on life events and trajectories.

Both for the information it collects and for the analysis it carries out, DEMOVAL provides the business fabric, the administration at all levels and the third sector with valuable knowledge of the demographic, cultural and social characteristics, forecasts, diagnoses, situation in the territory, etc., related to the Valencian population. With all this, DEMOVAL potentially represents a substantial improvement in market studies, public policies, and social actions and interventions.

Research group on the Psychology of Stress and Cognitive and Affective Processes - NEURESTRES

The group's research activity focuses on the cognitive and affective aspects associated with stress processes in healthy people and those suffering from a long-term pathology, from a multidisciplinary perspective. To this end, it records neuropsychological, electrophysiological and endocrine variables, using non-invasive procedures, in various laboratory, field and clinical studies. The end goal of the research is to contribute to clarifying the mechanisms involved in stress processes and how these may impact on health, as well as to pay attention to the modular factors that may play a role.

In thematic terms, the interaction between stress and decision-making in healthy individuals may have implications for maladaptive behaviours that may influence the health of healthy individuals. In people with long-term conditions, stress can act as a predisposing factor, precipitating factor or impact on recovery, cognitive processing, functionality and quality of life in people diagnosed with epilepsy. The results of these studies represent a relevant advance in the generation of basic scientific knowledge on the correlates of stress and cognitive and emotional processes, as well as a possibility of transfer to the clinical care setting, favouring the detection of the key aspects involved in quality of life and which may be useful for the design of cognitive-behavioural interventions.

Institutionally, the Research Group maintains collaborations with other groups at national and international level. The different lines of study are financed by different research grants from the Universitat de València itself, the Valencian Government (PROMETEO Excellence Group) and the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Excellence Projects).

Social and Health Information and Research Unit Research Group - UISYS

Our research activity will consist of the development of the following lines of research:

  • Research related to information systems and documentation. It includes the design, development and evaluation of scientific information systems, such as databases, interoperable digital libraries and websites that enable access to information and knowledge, as well as the development of value-added products that support informed decision making.
  • Analysis of the sharing of raw research data in the various areas of knowledge. It includes research related to raw data and its sharing in science.
  • Scientific activity indicators. It includes research related to the evaluation of scientific activity and the provision of adequate information to improve public research policies.
  • Social and health sciences. It includes research on health and wellbeing issues, such as sport or addictive behaviours, form a social, biological or psychological perspective.
Vascular Immunopharmacology Research Group - INMUNOFARM

Our group belongs to two institutions: the Universitat de València and the INCLIVA Health Research Institute, a research institute based at the Hospital Clínic Universitari of Valencia. This situation allows us to collaborate directly with clinicians in a wide range of disciplines to develop appropriate translational research. 

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, remain the leading cause of death in most European countries and atherosclerosis is the main contributor to them. In recent years, it has become clear that systemic inflammation is the main driver in the development of premature atherosclreosis and its complications. In this regard, it appears that low-grade systemic inflammation is often associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity and metabolic syndrome. 

Since 1992 our group has been working in the area of immunity and inflammation and, more precisely, in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in endothelial dysfunction. As a result, we have found new potential biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and/or new therapeutic interventions to prevent endothelial dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), menopause or diabetes. In addition, we have proceeded to develop new active compounds with potential therapeutic applications in cardiovascular and metabolic disorders thanks to the union some years ago with the group of "Synthesis and Isolation of Bioactive Molecules" of the Department of Pharmacology with which we applied for and obtained joint projects in Competitive Calls. These collaborations will allow us to provide new insights into the understanding of the pathologies under study, therapeutic success and the generation of new patentable drugs. 

Today, inflammation and immunology are key areas in the understanding of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer and neurological disorders among other pathologies. We would also like to highlight that our group has received continuous funding since 1998 in Competitive Calls at national and regional level. It has also participated in several COST actions of the European Union and many of its members are part of different groups of CIBERDEM (CIBER on Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases). The principal researcher, Dr. Sanz, has more than 100 original articles in indexed journals, 3 reviews and 9 book chapters. Of the indexed journals, 70% of the articles have been published in Q1 journals in the category and of these 43% are in D1. The most important are those published in Circulation, Circ. Res., Blood, PNAS, Nat. Commun., J. Immunol., Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol., Thorax, Cardiovascular Res., Br. J. Pharmacol., etc. It has an h-index of 34. 

All senior members of the research team have spent more than 2 years at prestigious research centres abroad. They have a notable number of publications in indexed journals with a medium-high impact index within their category. They have also supervised numerous doctoral theses in doctoral programmes with Quality Mention, many of them European. The group promotes short stays in research centres abroad during the pre-doctoral training of its doctoral students. A patent has recently been applied for with the new active ingredients synthesised and tested by our research group. Our group therefore carries out research that is clearly translational but with a clear projection towards the transfer of the results of its research.