Vall d’Hebron launches KIDS, a youth advisory group to promote the participation of children and adolescents in research

Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus has launched KIDS Vall d’Hebron, an advisory group made up of children and adolescents who will actively participate in research projects across the campus. The initiative is part of the project ‘KIDS Vall d’Hebron: Young people driving citizen science and science communication’, which aims to foster youth participation in biomedical research and bring the scientific process closer to younger generations.

The programme is based on the international Young Persons’ Advisory Group (YPAG) model, which promotes the involvement of children and adolescents in health research. These groups help incorporate young people’s perspectives at different stages of the scientific process, from setting priorities to study design and dissemination of results.

At Vall d’Hebron, the KIDS group will include young people aged 12 to 18, mainly patients from the Children’s Hospital, as well as adolescents without chronic conditions. The aim is to bring together diverse profiles that can contribute different experiences and perspectives on research and healthcare.

Last week, the first training session with the young participants took place, marking the beginning of the group’s activities. During the session, participants learned more about how biomedical research works and the role they will play as advisors in different campus projects.

Prior to this first session with the young participants, the programme had organised two training sessions for Vall d’Hebron professionals, aimed at raising awareness and building capacity among researchers in patient and public involvement methodologies.

The development of KIDS Vall d’Hebron has been supported by the team of KIDS Madrid at Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, one of the first groups of this kind in Spain. In particular, the group’s coordinator, Ana Mínguez, has supported the creation of the YPAG at Vall d’Hebron, sharing her experience and best practices. Members of the Madrid group also took part in the first session, encouraging the exchange of experiences among young participants.

“KIDS Vall d’Hebron was created to bring young people’s voices into the research carried out at our campus,” explains Lucas Moreno, Head of the Paediatric Oncology and Haematology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and leader of the Childhood Cancer and Haematological Diseases Group at Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). “We want children and adolescents to take part in the scientific process in a meaningful way and contribute their perspective to improve health research.”

The initiative is part of Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus’ strategy to promote Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and strengthen citizen participation in science. In this context, the project focuses on placing patients and families at the centre of the research process, promoting their active involvement throughout all its phases.

“We want patients and their families to be at the centre of research, not only as participants, but as active agents who co-create and advise throughout all stages of the process,” says Sara Mas, Head of Social Impact and Responsible Research and Innovation at VHIR. “This shift is key to moving towards research that is more relevant, closer to society and with greater social impact.”

Throughout the programme, KIDS members will take part in training sessions, research activities and co-creation spaces with campus researchers. Among other activities, they will collaborate in study design, analyse how scientific results are communicated and help identify research priorities from a youth perspective.

In addition, the group will carry out social research activities to understand how society perceives the role of patients and the public in scientific research. The results will help develop recommendations and science communication materials specifically aimed at young audiences.

The project also aims to strengthen and expand collaborations with other youth participation initiatives in research. In this regard, links have already been established with Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, and further connections with national and international networks are expected in the near future.

KIDS Vall d’Hebron is funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and co-funded by the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR).