The “CLARA” project explores personalized treatment for moderate-to-severe asthma to predict and prevent exacerbations and tailor treatment decisions to each patient.
The AstraZeneca Foundation held the 9th edition of the Young Researchers Awards, recognizing the talent of four research groups from different autonomous communities that are collaborating on a networked research project aimed at improving patients’ quality of life.
Salamanca, November 27, 2025 – A project in which Dr. Miguel Estravís Sastre, of the Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), the University of Salamanca, and the Salamanca University Healthcare Complex, has received the Young Researchers Award in the “Respiratory and Immunology” category, presented by the AstraZeneca Foundation. Now in its ninth year and under the slogan “A Calling That Changes Lives,” this initiative recognizes and promotes the development and advancement of young scientific talent in Spain.
The “CLARA (Clinic, Asthma, Response, and Air)” project, which has been awarded a grant of 225,000 euros, is a multicenter study that aims to explore personalized treatment for moderate-to-severe asthma. “Our goal is to identify markers that will allow us to predict which patients will benefit most from therapies such as immunotherapy or biologic drugs, to better understand the factors that trigger exacerbations—for example, exposure to pollen or certain infections—and to advance the classification of patients with asthma. To this end, we will apply cutting-edge techniques, combining omics approaches with artificial intelligence methods applied to imaging and clinical variables. Through all of this, we aim to predict and prevent exacerbations and tailor treatment decisions to each individual,” says the research team for this project.
Also collaborating on this project are Dr. Darío Antolín Amérigo, from the Severe Asthma Center of Excellence at Ramón y Cajal University Hospital (Madrid), and Dr. Paula Galván Blasco, from the Severe Asthma Center of Excellence at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital. In addition, it has received support from the Association for the Support of People Affected by Asthma in the Basque Country and the Sevilla Respira Association.
The AstraZeneca Foundation’s Young Researchers Awards aim to promote research among groups from different autonomous communities through a networked research project, which facilitates the achievement of results and generates greater scientific knowledge by fostering synergies among the various research groups.
In the words of the team , “This recognition will allow us to carry out multidisciplinary collaborative work between clinical and basic research teams from different autonomous communities, with the goal of moving toward a more precise, efficient, and patient-centered approach to asthma management in clinical practice. Furthermore, it will drive research with a clear translational focus that aims to improve care and quality of life for people with asthma. It also represents a decisive boost to our research careers, facilitating new lines of work, collaborations, training for young researchers, and access to competitive funding.”
The AstraZeneca Foundation: Advancing Science and Research Talent
The AstraZeneca Foundation continues its strong commitment to supporting innovation and scientific talent in Spain. This year, the Foundation has maintained its investment of one million euros, which has been distributed among the four winning projects, reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to advancing research that has a positive impact on public health.
For his part, Rick R. Suárez, president of the AstraZeneca Foundation and president of AstraZeneca Spain, stated that “the fundamental purpose of the AstraZeneca Foundation is to foster Spanish scientific talent and promote excellence in research. We want to be a driving force for social transformation, which is why our commitment is clear: to support talent and make a difference. Because only in this way will we ensure that the advances we celebrate today translate into a better quality of life for everyone.”
In the words of Marta Moreno, vice president of the AstraZeneca Foundation and head of Corporate Affairs and Market Access at AstraZeneca, “We recognize that behind scientific talent and research lie years of dedication, perseverance, and a shared purpose: to improve people’s lives. That is why we are thrilled to continue supporting, for yet another year, the Young Researchers Awards to make a difference by creating a real impact on health.”
About the AstraZeneca Foundation
The AstraZeneca Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to support both healthcare professionals and researchers in their various fields, as well as to collaborate with public and private institutions and patient associations. All of this is done with the goal of bringing scientific knowledge to society and improving the quality of life for both patients and those around them. The Foundation’s main activities focus on promoting science and research in Spain through public-private partnerships to foster scientific talent and help improve people’s quality of life and well-being.
For more information, visit: http://www.fundacionastrazeneca.es
For more information:
Marta Palomero, Communications, AstraZeneca Foundation
marta.palomero@astrazeneca.com
Omnicom PR Group
Sonia San Segundo / Verónica San Frutos
fundacionaz.spain@omnicomprgroup.com
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