The professor from the Department of Psychology at UIC Barcelona and head of the Neuropsychology Unit at the Terrassa Health Consortium has taken office as a professor in a ceremony at the University Hospital of Terrassa.
Dr. Maite Garolera has been appointed professor in the area of Psychology at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC Barcelona). The inauguration took place at the Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa (CST), a centre linked to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at UIC Barcelona.
An integrative career
During the event, the Vice-Rector for Faculty and Academic Organisation, Dr. Marta Mas, welcomed attendees. Dr. Manel Balcells, former Minister of Health and director of the iBÉ hub, presented the new professor's credentials and highlighted her human dimension, enthusiasm, and ability to link research with clinical practice.
Dr. Garolera delivered the keynote lecture "From person to person", where she reviewed her career. She emphasised that "research and assistance must go hand in hand", a principle that has guided her career with scientific rigor and patient-centred care.
Applied research and technology
Her research lines aim to "understand cognitive alterations, study their mechanisms, and transform knowledge into useful interventions for people". Dr. Garolera is involved in the Virtual Mets project, funded by the La Marató Foundation, which uses immersive virtual reality to enhance cognition in adults with metabolic syndrome.
Holding a PhD in Psychology and specialising in Neuropsychology, she completed a postdoctoral stay at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. Since 2019, she has been a professor at UIC Barcelona, where she teaches in the Psychology Degree and the Master's in General Health Psychology.
University-hospital collaboration
Her connection with the CST and UIC Barcelona "highlights the value of collaboration between the University and health centres", sources at the event noted. Dr. Mas emphasised that her appointment "opens a new stage of collaboration" between both institutions, aiming to consolidate academic projects and research with social impact.
For the residents of Sant Cugat del Vallès and Vallès Occidental, this appointment strengthens the health and research ecosystem of the region, with a university hospital that trains future psychologists and develops innovative therapies.
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