Dolphin

Presentation

DAFNiS (an acronym for pain, physical activity, nutrition, and health) is a young, newly established research group, approved in September 2021 by the Governing Bodies of the Sant Joan de Déu Teaching Campus and recognized by the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) of the Generalitat de Catalunya as a consolidated research group.

The DAFNiS research group is composed of a multidisciplinary team spanning several integrated and related fields of knowledge. Starting from physical exercise, nutrition, pain, and the gender perspective as the core pillars of its research, the DAFNiS group aims to develop its lines of investigation in the health and clinical field from an integrative dimension that is physiological, psychological, educational, and social.

Researchers

The DAFNiS group is composed of 12 members who are almost entirely affiliated with the Sant Joan de Déu Teaching Campus–University of Barcelona.

Coordination

CDSJD Research Team

Research lines

Physical exercise, nutrition, health, and quality of life in illness and/or old age.

Pain, mental health, and quality of life in illness and/or old age.

Gender perspective, health policies, and quality of life.

Projects

Evaluation of the acute and chronic effects of physical exercise on the physiological response profile.

Evaluation of a nutritional intervention plan on the physiological and psychological response profile.

Pain assessment in the physiological and psychological response profile and in quality of life.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the gender impact (with an intersectional approach).

Objectives

General Objective

To improve functional capacity, alleviate physical and psychological symptoms, reduce pain, anxiety, and depression, and consequently optimize the quality of life of sick and/or elderly adults through physical exercise, nutrition, and various rehabilitation strategies.

Strategic Objectives (SO)

  • OE1. Create and consolidate a high-quality, long-term research project.
  • OE2. Develop a research plan for the development of knowledge transfer.
  • OE3. Establish a gender mainstreaming policy.
  • OE4. Design a research training plan for junior and senior researchers.
  • OE5. Develop policies for cooperation and collaboration with research groups, universities, companies, public bodies, civic organizations, and national and international institutions.
  • OE6. Disseminate and publicize the research conducted and its results.

Scientific Objectives (SO)

  • OC1. Promote emerging ideas and activities that could have a significant impact on research.
  • OC2. Explore new innovative concepts in basic sciences that contribute to improving the quality of life of older and/or sick people.
  • OC3. Develop applied technology that contributes to equity, social well-being, and economic development.
  • OC4. Strengthen the talent of the center's researchers, both senior and junior.
  • OC5. Foster cooperation among researchers from multiple disciplines in basic research and technology.

Knowledge Transfer Objectives (OTC)

  • OTC1. Foster knowledge transfer and innovation based on the research activities of the DAFNiS group, strengthening connections among all stakeholders of the quadruple helix (academy-businesses-public administrations-citizens).
  • OTC2. Foster an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit to generate patents for the research group and create start-ups.
  • OTC3. Disseminate the research of the DAFNiS group.

Gender Perspective Objectives (GPO)

  • OPG1. Promote the integration of the gender perspective into research and technology as a hallmark of the DAFNiS group.
  • OPG2. Foster the equal participation of women and men in research teams.
  • OPG3. Address gender needs in research.

Internationalization Objectives (IO)

  • OI1. Develop policies for cooperation and collaboration in research with universities and international institutions in the knowledge area of the DAFNiS group.
  • OI2. Promote the internationalization of the group's activities through meetings, congresses, and collaborations with other international researchers and collaborators, which will allow us to tackle new challenges in advanced research.

Dissemination Objectives (DO)

  • OD1. Develop a dissemination plan for the research results obtained by the members of the DAFNiS group.
  • OD2. Carry out outreach activities to contribute to a science approach with and for society.

Projects

EJerSA-COVID-19 (Exercise for Health in COVID-19)

Effect of various types of supervised exercise programs on cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, pain, fatigue, mental health, and inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in older adults who survived Covid-19.

Research Center Name

St. John of God Teaching Campus – Private Foundation

Principal Investigator

Dr. Manuel Vicente Garnacho Castaño

Research Team Members

Dr. Lorena Molina

Dr. Gemma Robleda

Dr. Marta Benet

Dr. Noemí Serra Payá

Dr. Montserrat Girabent Farrés

Dr. Sergio Sánchez Nuño

Dr. Xavier Viñals

Dr. Eulogio Pleguezuelos Cobo

Dr. Teresa Carbonel

Information

The EJerSA-COVID-19 project is an individual project divided into 3 subprojects in which the Sant Joan de Déu Teaching Campus, as a center affiliated with the University of Barcelona and the institution responsible for the project, the Hospital of Mataró, and the Department of Physiology and Immunology of the University of Barcelona cooperate.

  1. DAFNiS group subproject. "Effects of a physical exercise program (aerobic, strength, or combined/concurrent) on muscular fitness, pain, and mental health in older COVID-19 survivors." The principal investigator of this subproject is Dr. Manuel V. Garnacho.
  2. Mataró Hospital Subproject: "Evaluation of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Older COVID-19 Survivors." The principal investigator of this subproject is Dr. Dr. Eulogio Pleguezuelos.
  3. Subproject of the Department of Physiology and Immunology. University of Barcelona. "Evaluation of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in older adults who survived COVID-19." The principal investigator of this subproject is Dr. Teresa Carbonell.

General objectives (GO):

  • To study the effects of different exercise programs on the physical and mental health, physical fitness, and on biomarkers of the immune system and oxidative stress in older adults who have survived COVID-19.

Specific objectives (SO):

  • OE1. Evaluate the effectiveness of various exercise programs on muscular fitness in older adults who have survived COVID-19.
  • OE2. Evaluate the effectiveness of various exercise programs on cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults who have survived COVID-19.
  • OE3. Analyze the effectiveness of various exercise programs on pain in older adults who have survived COVID-19.
  • OE4. Analyze the effectiveness of various exercise programs on the mental health of older adults who have survived COVID-19.
  • OE5. Analyze the effectiveness of various exercise programs on immune system biomarkers.
  • OE6. Analyze the effectiveness of various exercise programs on biomarkers of oxidative stress.

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS INDEXED (JCR).

  1. Pleguezuelos E, Sánchez-Nuño S, Del Carmen A, Serra-Payá N, Moreno E, Molina-Raya L, Robleda G, Benet M, Santos-Ruiz S, Garrido AB, Jerez-Molina C, Miravitlles M, Serra-Prat M, Viñals X, Farrés MG, Carbonell T, Garnacho-Castaño MV. Effect of different types of supervised exercise programs on cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, pain, fatigue, mental health and inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in older patients with post-COVID-19 sequelae "EJerSA-COVID-19": a randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatr. 2023;23(1):865. doi: 10.1186/s12877-023-04544-3. Quartile: Q2. Impact factor: 3.4. Rank: 12/47.
  2. Pleguezuelos E, Del Carmen A, Serra M, Moreno E, Serra-Payá N, Garnacho-Castaño MV. Telerehabilitation improves cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and body composition in older people with post-COVID-19 syndrome. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.13530. Quartile: Q1. Impact factor: 9.1. Rank: 4/73
  3. Pleguezuelos E, Del Carmen A, Serra M, Moreno E, Miravitlles M, Garnacho-Castaño MV. Hospital and intensive care unit stay associated with body mass index affect cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with COVID-19. Chron Respir Dis. 2024;21:14799731241259749. doi:10.1177/14799731241259749. Quartile: Q2. Impact factor: 2.3. Rank: 51/108
  4. Pleguezuelos E, Del Carmen A, Sánchez-Nuño S, Serra-Payá N, Moreno E, Molina-Raya L, Jerez-Molina C, Girabent Farrés M, Castizo-Olier J, Biurrun-Garrido A, Viñals X, Serra-Prat M, Garnacho-Castaño MV. Extracellular-to-total body water ratio is associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and comorbidity in older adults with post–COVID-19 syndrome. Frontiers in Nutrition. In press. 2025

Publications in congresses, conferences, etc.

  1. Sergio Sánchez-Nuño, Celia García-Murto, Ruth Campo, Teresa Carbonell, Eulogio Pleguezuelos, Manuel V. Garnacho-Castaño. Relationship between peak oxygen uptake and protein oxidation in adults with covid-19. 26th International Conference on Redox Medicine, Paris, France, 2024.
  2. Verónica González-Fernández, Norma Alva, Teresa Carbonell, Sergio Sánchez-Nuño, Eulogio Pleguezuelos, Manuel V. Garnacho-Castaño. Decreased oxidative stress in female patients with COVID-19 after beetroot juice intake. XIV GEIRLI Meeting. New trends in redox biology: A multidisciplinary approach. Oviedo-2024