Álex Roca and Unzué will convey their message of strength in the face of adversity in Vila-real

Álex Roca, a reference in sports with disabilities, with cerebral palsy and a Guinness record, and Juan Carlos Unzué, ex-footballer and ex-coach diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) will be two of the protagonists of the “Vila-real for science and innovation” congress : research as a cure for millions” organized on October 27 by the Vila-real City Council with the collaboration of Conquistando Escalones.

Roca, under the title “You set the limit,” explains some of the most important milestones of his life and insists that “if you work hard, you can do whatever you want” in reference to the little trust that doctors had in him. or teachers regarding the activities that they may develop in their lives due to their disability. “Coping with a degenerative disease after diagnosis” is the name of the intervention with which Unzué will address how his life has changed since he learned that he suffered from ALS. Recently, the jury of the 70th edition of the Ondas Awards recognized Unzué. L’últim equip del Juancar as Best Documentary, an audiovisual work about the daily life of the protagonist since he made public the diagnosis of his illness. Registrations and donations for row 0 can be made through this link.

Other professionals of recognized national and international prestige from different health branches will also give presentations, such as José Alcamí (Carlos III Health Institute) will give a presentation titled “Breaking barriers in science: from AIDS to rare diseases”, Juan José Vílchez (IIS La Fe de València) will discuss “The importance of clinical research in neuromuscular diseases”, Rubén Artero (Universitat de València) will participate with his talk “Translational research: from the laboratory to clinical practice”, Javier Poyatos (IIS La Fe de València and Alicia Novella (Universitat de València) will participate with “Gene therapy and cellular models: milestones and challenges”, María Jesús Vicent from Vila-Real (Prince Felipe Research Center) will offer the presentation “Design of polymeric nanodrugs for the treatment of rare diseases”, Marian Corral (AELMHU Association) will present “Access to Orphan and Ultra-Orphan Medicines in Spain” and Inés de la Riba (Sarepta Therapeutics) will talk about “Advances in gene therapy for Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy”. Thus, with a message of support for medical research as a vital tool for the present and future, the congress will bring to Vila-real researchers from various centers, pioneers in different areas and will seek, among other things, to break a barrier to bring science closer. and researchers to citizens.

The doors will open at 9:00 a.m. and after accreditation and the official inauguration by the Consell delegate in Castellón, Susana Fabregat; the territorial director of Health in Castellón, José Ramón Negre; the mayor of Vila-real, José Benlloch and the president of Conquistando Escalones, Abrahán Guirao, at 10:00 the interventions will begin, which will last about 20 minutes per speaker and after which a question period will open.

The congress is also sponsored by Orenga finestres i vidres, Elite cements, Fundación José Soriano, Canseco Cerámicas, Villarreal CF, Promopublic, Herten and Cuatroochenta. The money raised will go to the medical research promoted by Conquistando Escalones to find a treatment and cure for Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy 1F/D2.

Accreditation for healthcare personnel

Despite the scientific aspect of the event, which will take place in the Vila-real Municipal Auditorium, it is open to the participation of any interested person since “we have asked the speakers to make the message as understandable as possible for any profile”, says the president of Conquistando Escalones, Abrahán Guirao. In addition, the congress is in the process of being accredited by the Continuing Training Commission so that healthcare personnel can earn training credits by attending this congress and educational centers have also been contacted to invite students from healthcare branches. “It is also aimed at patient associations similar to ours, in which for obvious reasons they want to know more about the present and future of therapies,” adds Guirao. The event will be of a solidarity nature, so those interested in attending must make a donation that will go to medical research into Limb-girdle  Muscular Dystrophy 1F/D2. Registrations can be made through this link.

The president of the entity affirms that “there was no better place to bring a congress of this magnitude than Vila-real, being one of the driving forces of Conquistando Escalones, with a City Council and society that have always supported us and that is at the forefront as an innovative city.” Since its founding in 2015 and after the formation of the medical alliance coordinated by Conquistando Escalones, the entity has promoted different meetings between researchers so that they update and share their work. An experience that has earned Conquistando Escalones the desire to take a leap and present a congress to society that vindicates the importance of research, that explains how it works and how it currently stands in fields such as clinical, genetics or immunopathology. .