The Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sols-Morreale, IIBM (CSIC-UAM), held the IIBM Retreat_2025 on November 6 and 7, an annual meeting that brought together the entire scientific community of the Institute at La Cristalera (Miraflores de la Sierra). Over two intense days, the event combined high-level science, active participation of young researchers, and spaces for exchange between groups and research lines.
The Director of the Institute, Pilar López Larrubia, opened the meeting by emphasizing the goal of the Retreat: “to share, reflect, and create new connections that drive our research forward.” Thursday’s program included three thematic scientific sessions and three blocks of Flash Talks, in which 17 young scientists presented their results in areas ranging from neurobiology and immunometabolism to pancreatic development, tumor biology, and hypoxia signaling.
As a new feature of this edition, a poster session was held, very well received by attendees, allowing young researchers to present and discuss their projects in a collaborative and dynamic environment.
The scientific program included talks by IIBM researchers and highly relevant invited lectures. Friday began with the plenary lecture by Professor David Sancho (CNIC). In the afternoon, Professor Susana Guerrero Salazar (University of Málaga) delivered an engaging and inspiring lecture entitled “The importance of language: inclusion, identity and communication.” Her talk generated lively debate and numerous questions, providing an interdisciplinary perspective highly appreciated by participants.
Researchers in training played an especially prominent role in this edition, both for the quality of their scientific presentations and for their involvement in organizing the event and the recreational activities that helped energize the atmosphere. In addition to participating actively in the sessions, they designed a creative and participatory recreational component that included a Kahoot “Who’s Who” with anonymous anecdotes and several team games such as Scientific Taboo, Ion Channel Relays, and the “Not Everything Is Science” contest. These activities added a relaxed tone, encouraged interaction, and strengthened bonds among the different groups of the Institute.
There were also awards recognizing the quality of the scientific contributions presented: the Best Flash Talk Award was given to Sonia Urra Balduz, from the Oxygen Homeostasis in the Cardiovascular System group, while the Best Poster Award went to María Fernández, from the Immunobiology of Platelets group. Both awards were presented by the Director of the IIBM.
The meeting concluded with a group photo (taken inside the room where the presentations were held due to weather conditions) that reflects the spirit of the Retreat: a cohesive, diverse Institute committed to scientific excellence. In this image, our cover photo, not all participants appear, as it was taken at the end of the second and final day and many attendees had already begun their return. We trust that the Retreat 2026 will be just as enriching —or even more— than the one we have just celebrated. The IIBM thanks all participants for their involvement in this event, especially those who contributed to its organization, the speakers, and those who presented posters.