Julian de la Torre Cisneros: “We are creating a COMBACTE spirit”
Principal Investigator, Reina Sofia University Hospital - Córdoba, Spain
We have passed the times when you would still work alone. The opportunity now is to collaborate with other investigators in the area of infectious diseases, and create a strong network. Such a network is COMBACTE - the perfect setting to share that objective with other people.
"If you collaborate with other people, your level is much higher."
Dr. Julian de la Torre Cisneros is a part of the Infectious Diseases Clinic of Reina Sofia University Hospital in Córdoba, Spain. He has joined the COMBACTE project through the Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI). It was there that he got in contact with other investigators participating the the COMBACTE trials.
“We decided to participate in this outstanding project because we can highly benefit from the European network to develop the clinical trials that we need. Mainly in the area of carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria, which is a significant problem here in Spain”
He is one of COMBACTE’s principal investigators who together with his team is participating in COMBACTE-NET’s ANTICIPATE and ASPIRE-SSI studies, and COMBACTE-CARE’s EURECA, REJUVENATE and REVISIT studies.
Dr. de la Torre is a top recruiter in the COMBACTE clinical trials, and won the Golden Poo Award for having the highest recruitment rate in the ANTICIPATE study. According to him, the success of the high recruitment is based on four important elements, revealed below.
- "The first response is the team. Not only in recruiting a lot of patients, but also to do high-quality work. It is thanks to a motivated team."
- "Second, the relationships with the different units in the hospital; that is the way we work in a clinical setting. A good relationship is much needed to include patients in our clinical trials. Especially with the microbiology lab, the units that take care of high-risk patients, surgeons, intensive care unit, hematology unit, etc."
- "Thirdly, the people who believe in this project, and who are proud to collaborate in COMBACTE."
- "And ultimately a principal investigator who is really involved in the daily work. Who is not outside the reality of the hospital, but is taking care of the patients, is involved in the studies, can solve problems and can support the people to perform that work."
Seeing the Results
“There are no words to describe the feeling you get when you start seeing the results coming from a trial which you’ve been part of” says Dr. de la Torre.
“It happened now in ANTICIPATE, and it happened before in my life as a clinical researcher. It’s a marvelous thing being able to interpret these results, and be part of the conclusions of the study. It’s something that supports me day by day. And it makes sense to be a clinical investigator when you see that what you are doing can be useful to the patients. To see that you are doing can solve problems, can improve results, can improve the outcome of your patients – patients that you see day by day. This supports me not only as a clinical investigator but also as doctor.”
"We are creating a COMBACTE spirit of collaboration"
"Having started working in the COMBACTE network, I feel we are also creating a COMBACTE spirit of collaboration. People working alone before can now feel more confident to find solutions for the real problems that our patients are facing, and improve the outcome of the population we are taking care of."
