IRB Barcelona dances for biomedical research (Video)

Scientists from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) based in Barcelona, Spain are starring in a five-minute music video, dancing and making the moves to raise funds for Alzheimer’s, cancer and diabetes research. 

Various companies have agreed to sponsor every view of the video, which is part of IRB's fundraising campaign in austerity-struck Spain

In the video, included below, the well-coordinated biomedicine scientists show their very best moves, dancing around their laboratories in the Science Park in Barcelona as well as around various well-known Barcelona landmarks.



Anna Merlos, the Strategic Projects and Philanthropy officer at the Institute told the Local that they wanted to show the world the human face of scientists. To let people know they don’t just live in their laboratories and that they are “young people with the same hopes, fears and dreams as everyone else."

Saying that many people in the field are concerned about the low level of public interest in Science in Spain, Merlos added that they hope this video and its accompanying fundraising campaign will help to “engage society” in the research projects at IRB.

Budget cuts and reduced science funding by the government in Spain have drawn much criticism and protests in the country's capital. However, Merlos stressed that the scientists had not actually resorted to dancing for cash and that this is not a substitute for public funding. She said that the video is an alternative measure for raising funds that will work in combination with other sources of fundraising.

 The founder and director of IRB, Joan Guinovart, made a statement where he said that it is a pioneering initiative in Europe for a center that is devoted to basic research. He said, "Using a fun, friendly, and community-spirited approach, we highlight the fundamental role that science plays in society’s well-being."

Besides watching the video to generate views and donations, interested parties can make a donation on IRB’s website to support their research into Alzheimer’s, cancer and diabetes, which can benefit not only Spaniards, but people worldwide.