The University Institute for Health Research (IURS) is a research centre of the University of Andorra, integrated within the Health Area. Its creation represents a strategic commitment to promoting public research, scientific development, and innovation in health, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the improvement of the quality of life and well-being of the Andorran population.
Objectives
The general objective of the IURS is to promote active health and well-being throughout the human life cycle through research, developing therapeutic and investigative projects in areas related to ageing, chronic conditions, and other fields of interest to the Andorran health system.
The specific objectives of the Institute are to:
- Consolidate an international centre of reference in research on health, ageing, prevention, genomics, epidemiology, physical activity, and sport.
- Develop applied research projects that contribute to improving the health of the Andorran population.
- Train qualified professionals in the field of health research.
- Transfer scientific knowledge to society, promoting prevention, early detection, and treatment of diseases.
Research Areas
The IURS focuses its research activity mainly on the following areas:
- Healthy ageing: Study of the biological mechanisms of ageing and the factors that influence longevity, with the aim of developing strategies to enhance quality of life in older adults.
- Health promotion and prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases: Identification of risk factors and design of preventive strategies, as well as the development and validation of early diagnosis methods and innovative therapeutic interventions for cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, metabolic and other diseases.
- Epidemiology and public health: Analysis of health data and population studies to understand disease patterns and inform evidence-based health policies.
- Other emerging health areas: Interdisciplinary research to address current and future health needs of the Andorran population.
Background to health research
Health research at the University of Andorra began in 2008 with the creation of the Research Group in Health Sciences and Health Services (GRCS). The GRCS aimed to generate and transfer scientifically valid and socially relevant knowledge in the fields of health and healthcare services, and to contribute to decision-making in these areas in Andorra. It was a multidisciplinary group comprising professionals from medicine, pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy, psychology, chemistry and biology, coordinated by Dr Mercè Avellanet and Dr Elvira Gea.
The GRCS remained active until 2026. Its notable projects included studies on rare diseases and medicines, medication safety, digital health and the re-engineering of healthcare processes, regenerative medicine applied to osteoarthritis, and health promotion within the university community. To consult the GRCS publications, access the following link.
Regulations
- Regulatory Framework for Scientific Research at IURS (in Catalan)
- Regulations on IURS Research Projects (in Catalan)
Strategic Plan
Calls for applications
PR-2026-01 LifeANDExpectancy: Comparison of the Socioeconomic, Environmental, and Digital Determinants of Life Expectancy in Andorra with European Countries
Historically, Andorra has maintained one of the highest life expectancies in the world, ranking at the top in Europe alongside Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Despite this leadership, there is a gap in scientific knowledge regarding the specific sociodemographic configuration that sustains this exceptional longevity compared to surrounding countries.
LifeANDExpectancy is a descriptive and comparative study that analyzes the average and trend (2020–2024) of 30 key variables in the fields of demography, socioeconomic inequality, environmental sustainability, and digitalization. The sample includes the European Union countries (EU27), EFTA (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), and the Principality of Andorra, within a post-pandemic context.
Using multivariate analysis techniques, this project aims to characterize the Andorran sociodemographic profile and identify whether the country constitutes a “statistical singularity” or shares patterns with other European welfare clusters. The results will validate Andorra’s potential as a natural territory for healthy aging and provide scientific evidence for the design of data-driven public policies aimed at the continuous improvement of the quality of life of Andorran society.
Principal Investigator of the research project:
Adrià Archilla-Ortega – aarchilla@uda.ad
Research team members:
Aleix Dorca-Josa – adorca@uda.ad
Magda Marquet – mmarquet@uda.ad
PR-2026-02 ALIPAT: Dietary Intake and Prevalence of Chronic Diseases in Andorra
The relationship between dietary intake and the prevalence of certain chronic diseases is extensively documented in the literature. Globally, there has been an increase in chronic diseases, particularly in developed countries, representing one of the major current health challenges. National Health Surveys and National Nutrition Surveys are widely used methodologies to assess a population’s dietary intake and health status. In Andorra, national nutrition and health surveys have been conducted periodically.
In the latest National Health Survey of the Andorran population, it was observed that 55% of women and 36.7% of men have three or more chronic disorders, and 26.4% of women and 39.6% of men are overweight. Adherence to dietary recommendations varies depending on the food group. In general, there is moderate to low compliance, especially regarding pulses, fish, nuts, fruit and vegetables, food groups whose low consumption is linked to a higher prevalence of certain chronic diseases. Therefore, this project proposes to evaluate the relationship between dietary intake and the prevalence of certain chronic diseases based on data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Surveys conducted over the years in the Andorran population.
Principal Investigator of the research project:
Alba Reguant-Closa – areguant@uda.ad
Research team members:
Adrià Archilla-Ortega – aarchilla@uda.ad
PR-2026-03 Promotion of Legume Consumption in the Andorran Population through Nutritional Education Workshops
In recent years, especially in developed and developing countries, there as been an increase in the consumption of foods rich in sugars, saturated fats. Meanwhile, the overall intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and pulse remain below recommended levels. Specifically, pulse consumption has declined in recent years, and in Andorra, the latest 2024 Andorran Nutrition Survey noted that approximately only one-third of the population meets the recommendations for pulse intake. Pulse consumption has been linked to the prevention and improvement of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, as well as to improvements in the gut microbiota. Furthermore, pulses are an economically affordable food and deeply rooted in the gastronomic culture of many countries, including Andorra and the Mediterranean region. On an environmental level, they require fewer natural resources, emit fewer greenhouse gases, promote biodiversity, and have the capacity to fix nitrogen in the soil.
Due to low pulse consumption among the Andorran population and its potential benefits for human and planetary health, this project proposes developing a nutritional education strategy to promote its consumption. The nutritional education strategy is based on the concept of food literacy through a “farm-to-table” cooking workshop. To evaluate the strategy, a survey will be designed to assess the frequency of pulse consumption, forms of consumption and cooking, as well as motivators and barriers to intake. The survey will be administered 1–2 weeks before the workshop and 2–3 months after to evaluate changes in pulse intake and the overall effectiveness of the intervention. Furthermore, this survey will be validated through expert validity, internal consistency, and reliability testing. Although this strategy has been tailored specifically to the Andorran population and focused on pulses, it can be easily scaled up to other populations and healthy food groups, thereby helping to improve the health status of the population and, consequently, planetary health.
Principal Investigator of the research project:
Alba Reguant-Closa – areguant@uda.ad
Research team members:
Adrià Archilla-Ortega – aarchilla@uda.ad
Publications:
Reguant Closa, A. (2026). L’abc dels llegums: Com cuinar-los i combinar-los per a extraure’ls tot el potencial per a la salut. The Conversation. https://doi.org/10.64628/ADG.yptg3xvpv
Reguant Closa, A. (2026). L’abc dels llegums: Com cuinar-los i combinar-los per a extraure’ls tot el potencial per a la salut. The Conversation. https://doi.org/10.64628/ADG.yptg3xvpv