Anna Veiga, the creator of the first in vitro pregnancy

Anna Veiga, director of the Banco de Líneas Celulares del CMRB and pioneer of the first in vitro fertilization in Spain

The biologist Anna Veiga is the kind of pioneer who leaves a deep impression. Women now have a greater chance of having a baby thanks to her work with gynecologist Pere Barri at the Dexeus Institute in 1984.

The team succeeded in enabling a woman to give birth to the first baby conceived by in vitro fertilization in Spain. The newborn was named Victoria Anna in honor of Anna Veiga, her “scientific” mother.

Since then, Veiga has continued to seek to improve people's lives. Until 2004 she directed the in vitro fertilization laboratory of the Reproductive Medicine Department at the Dexeus University Institute and is now in charge of research and development in the department. Her current challenge is to pursue stem cell research in Barcelona in order to develop therapies for currently incurable diseases.

Veiga is also currently the director of the Cell Line Bank at the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona (CMRB). The biologist is conducting research on frozen embryos in order to develop therapies for Alzheimer's, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease. The aim of these methodologies is to avoid the use of animal products and to enable future clinical use of the derived cells.

In her long and successful career Anna Veiga has received several awards for her work, including, in 2004, the Sant Jordi Cross of the Generalitat de Catalunya and, in 2013, the Medal of Honor of the Parliament of Catalonia. In May 2015 she was named Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Barcelona.

"Anna Veiga is engaged in research with frozen embryos to advance therapies for Alzheimer, diabetes and Parkinson's disease".

Leader in regenerative medicine

The CMRB is located in Barcelona and led by Angel Raya. Its mission is to carry out research on stem cells in order to investigate the regeneration of tissues and organs and to apply the knowledge to clinical practice. Stem cells are also used for disease modeling in the search for effective drugs.

For the last 4 years, the CMRB has been running the pioneering Regenerative Medicine Clinical Transfer program together with the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL). The program promotes the development of pioneering research on pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine, aiming to capitalize on the position of the CMRB as a leading center for stem cell research in Catalonia and to facilitate the application of research in regenerative medicine to clinical practice.