Dr. Joan Sánchez de Toledo presented the project at the network meeting, focused on photonics in neurology and critical care.

The Barcelona Medical Photonics Network gathers eight prominent health institutions in Barcelona and their research institutes and ICFO, who coordinates the initiative. The meeting focused on the relationship between photonics and several medical areas and focused on non-invasive brain monitoring in neurocritical care, clinical neurology, and neurosciences.

Turgut Durduran, ICREA Professor at ICFO, presented the event. Postdoctoral researchers Melih Can and Anurag Behera helped present the participants. During the day, speakers covered several topics such as sports traumatic brain injuries, critical care, stroke or brain ageing.

Dr. Joan Sánchez de Toledo, Head of the Pediatric Cardiology Department at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, introduced TinyBrains. As he recalled, during the past 10 years, the use of NIRs in patients has been protocolled and since there, a lot of effort has been made to understand how brain damage occurs and how the brain electrical activity and other parameters indicate dysfunctions. He also explained how, from all this experience, the joint European project arose, also remarking on the importance of the clinical team, which acts as doctors and also researchers.

All participants highlighted the importance of having diagnosis tools specific and sensitive enough to allow choosing the correct treatment and management of the patients. Prof. Durduran wrapped the event by inviting the attendees to build cross collaborations, exchange new ideas or introduce new problems to be solved. The day ended with a networking lunch in the midday sun.