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Training and Research

Investing in medical training and research is essential to advancing pediatric oncology and improving outcomes for children with cancer. By supporting capacity building opportunities for young oncologists, including specialized training and research programs, Aladina helps ensure that the next generation of specialists is equipped with the knowledge and skills to deliver the best possible care to children and their families.

But our commitment to research doesn’t stop there. Through EpicKids, we study how the Mediterranean diet can improve responses to cancer treatments, demonstrate that physical exercise is a genuine therapeutic tool for adolescents with cancer, and develop pioneering solutions to address complications such as mucositis and the early detection of serious health complications. Because every breakthrough, no matter how small it may seem, has the potential to change a child’s life.

Scholarships for Young Oncologists

Aladina Scholarship Program

At Aladina, we love to foster the talent of young professionals who want to specialize in Pediatric Oncohematology. For years, we have funded scholarships in hospitals so they can train while working in children’s units and gain experience in treating childhood cancer.

Thanks to the strength of the Bandana Challenge —the campaign that thousands of schools across Spain participate in each year—we continue to add resources so more doctors can continue their specialization and offer the best care to children and teenagers with cancer.

Today, more than 10 doctors from different reference hospitals are part of this program, expanding the reach of our support in the fight against childhood cancer.

 

EPICKIDS, the impact of nutrition on childhood cancer

Nutrition, our big commitment

EPICkids (Southern European Prospective Investigation into Childhood Cancer and Nutrition) is a pioneering international study examining how nutritional status and dietary habits including the Mediterranean diet affect treatment outcomes and quality of life in children with cancer, specifically those diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and brain tumors. Funded by Aladina and conducted across Spain, Italy, and Greece, the study is led in partnership with the International Initiative for Pediatrics and Nutrition at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the WHO. Its goal is to generate the first evidence-based nutritional guidelines specifically designed for children with cancer in Southern Europe.

Physical Exercise

Sportsheal

Aladina’s sports program goes beyond direct sessions with patients research is a fundamental pillar of its work. Over more than 12 years, Aladina’s specialists in Physical Activity and Health have been involved in numerous research projects studying the benefits of physical activity for children and adolescents with cancer.

One of the most recent is ‘Physical Exercise During Cancer Treatment in Adolescents,’ led by the 12 de Octubre and Niño Jesús hospitals in Madrid. The goal is to study the effects of physical exercise on the well-being and quality of life of teenagers with cancer.

Patients follow an exercise program throughout their treatment, after which the benefits on physical and functional capacity, fatigue, body composition, and quality of life are evaluated. Aladina also funds an additional professional in this study fully dedicated to the research area.

Other research areas

Innovation that matters

  • FERO Scholarship

Fundación Aladina and Fundación FERO join forces with the FERO-Aladina Scholarship, endowed with €80,000, to advance research in pediatric oncology. This scholarship, fully funded by Aladina, is currently researching the evolution of certain treatments for soft tissue tumors.

  • EVAT Program

The EVAT program, whose implementation has been 100% funded by Aladina at La Paz Hospital in Madrid, allows early detection of complications in children with cancer and enables earlier medical interventions.  This system, designed by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the USA and operating in more than 45 centers in Latin America, has become a key tool in pediatric oncology care.

  • Mucositis

Since 2019, Aladina has had a specialized team working both inside and outside hospitals to offer children with cancer a specific treatment for mucositis, one of the most common complications from chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As pioneers in Spain, we apply low-level laser therapy to reduce symptoms and prevent its onset in four hospitals in the Madrid region: Niño Jesús, Gregorio Marañón, La Paz, and 12 de Octubre. A treatment that significantly improves the daily lives of our Aladina warriors during their treatments.

Scholarships for Young Oncologists

Aladina Scholarship Program

At Aladina, we love to foster the talent of young professionals who want to specialize in Pediatric Oncohematology. For years, we have funded scholarships in hospitals so they can train while working in children’s units and gain experience in treating childhood cancer.

Thanks to the strength of the Bandana Challenge —the campaign that thousands of schools across Spain participate in each year—we continue to add resources so more doctors can continue their specialization and offer the best care to children and teenagers with cancer.

Today, more than 10 doctors from different reference hospitals are part of this program, expanding the reach of our support in the fight against childhood cancer.

 

EPICKIDS, the impact of nutrition on childhood cancer

Nutrition, our big commitment

EPICkids (Southern European Prospective Investigation into Childhood Cancer and Nutrition) is a pioneering international study examining how nutritional status and dietary habits including the Mediterranean diet affect treatment outcomes and quality of life in children with cancer, specifically those diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and brain tumors. Funded by Aladina and conducted across Spain, Italy, and Greece, the study is led in partnership with the International Initiative for Pediatrics and Nutrition at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the WHO. Its goal is to generate the first evidence-based nutritional guidelines specifically designed for children with cancer in Southern Europe.

Physical Exercise

Sportsheal

Aladina’s sports program goes beyond direct sessions with patients research is a fundamental pillar of its work. Over more than 12 years, Aladina’s specialists in Physical Activity and Health have been involved in numerous research projects studying the benefits of physical activity for children and adolescents with cancer.

One of the most recent is ‘Physical Exercise During Cancer Treatment in Adolescents,’ led by the 12 de Octubre and Niño Jesús hospitals in Madrid. The goal is to study the effects of physical exercise on the well-being and quality of life of teenagers with cancer.

Patients follow an exercise program throughout their treatment, after which the benefits on physical and functional capacity, fatigue, body composition, and quality of life are evaluated. Aladina also funds an additional professional in this study fully dedicated to the research area.

Other research areas

Innovation that matters

  • FERO Scholarship

Fundación Aladina and Fundación FERO join forces with the FERO-Aladina Scholarship, endowed with €80,000, to advance research in pediatric oncology. This scholarship, fully funded by Aladina, is currently researching the evolution of certain treatments for soft tissue tumors.

  • EVAT Program

The EVAT program, whose implementation has been 100% funded by Aladina at La Paz Hospital in Madrid, allows early detection of complications in children with cancer and enables earlier medical interventions.  This system, designed by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the USA and operating in more than 45 centers in Latin America, has become a key tool in pediatric oncology care.

  • Mucositis

Since 2019, Aladina has had a specialized team working both inside and outside hospitals to offer children with cancer a specific treatment for mucositis, one of the most common complications from chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As pioneers in Spain, we apply low-level laser therapy to reduce symptoms and prevent its onset in four hospitals in the Madrid region: Niño Jesús, Gregorio Marañón, La Paz, and 12 de Octubre. A treatment that significantly improves the daily lives of our Aladina warriors during their treatments.