Dr. Marc Biarnés is the Director of the OMIQ Research Department, OMIQ Research. He holds a diploma in Optics and Optometry (University School of Optics and Optometry in Terrassa, 1996), a master’s degree in Public Health (Pompeu Fabra University, UPF, 2009), a master’s degree in Stratified Medicine (Ulster University, Northern Ireland, 2020) and a PhD in Biomedicine (UPF, 2014).

He has 15 years of experience in the design, conduct, analysis and communication of observational and interventional studies, including phase I to IV clinical trials. He has participated in more than 30 clinical trials related to degenerative, vascular and hereditary ocular pathologies. He has also been a researcher in competitive studies with European (Horizon 2020, Biophotonics Plus) and national (“la Caixa” foundation), in the clinical and translational field.

He is the author of numerous articles and book chapters, coordinator of the book “Retina y nervio óptico para optometrists y otros profesionales sanitarios”, and speaker of more than 100 national and international courses. However, he is a reviewer of grant applications from the Health Research Fund of the Carlos III Institute of Health, as well as of different journals in the sector. He has received various awards throughout his professional career and in 2021 he was nominated for the National Research Awards awarded by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation, with the support of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

OMIQ Research aims to contribute to the development of knowledge and therapies that allow the elimination of visual loss in patients around the world. To achieve this, we participate in clinical trials with pharmaceuticals with pioneering treatments for eye diseases and promote our own research, alone or in collaboration with other centers. We believe that multidisciplinary, quality and reproducible research is fundamental to achieving these goals. We are members of the EVICR group (European Vision Institute Clinical Research Network), a network of European researchers who carry out research in ophthalmology with the most rigorous standards and we have the ISO 9001:2015 certification, which accredits the quality in the management of trials clinics in which we participate.

Our team is made up of five ophthalmologists, four optometrists, a nurse and two assistants with a long career in Ophthalmology research. We have experience in studies and trials dealing with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), geographic atrophy (so-called advanced dry AMD), diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, macular edema secondary to venous thrombosis, glaucoma, cataracts and dry eye, among others, and we have expertise in both medical and surgical treatments.

We see the future with optimism, and believe that artificial intelligence and gene therapy, which we are already applying in some of our studies, will play an important role in ending blindness. Let’s make it possible.