Javier Castells Sierra, Clinical Trials Coordinator at the Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS Aragón), recently took part in an EATRIS-CONNECT Knowledge Exchange, visiting the Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO), National Cancer Institute in Aviano, Italy. Javier travelled to Aviano in June 2026 to explore the implementation of best practices in clinical trial workflows and patient management through digital integration.
WHAT WERE YOU INTERESTED IN LEARNING FROM AN EXCHANGE AT CRO AVIANO?
Thanks to the EATRIS-CONNECT Knowledge Exchange Programme, I spent an inspiring week at the National Cancer Institute (CRO) in Aviano, Italy. The primary purpose of this exchange was to observe, learn, and transfer best practices in digitalised clinical trial workflows, centralised management models, and patient-centred processes from CRO Aviano to HCU Lozano Blesa.
What was the focus of your Exchange?
My visit focused on how digital transformation can streamline clinical trials and improve patient management in oncohematology. Collaborating with Aviano’s medical and IT experts, I explored their centralised systems for managing study data and tracking biological samples. I also visited their advanced laboratories to see how cutting-edge genetic testing is directly integrated into patient care and clinical protocols.
The best practices I identified – ranging from standardised data collection to advanced digital workflows – will be shared with my team in Zaragoza. This exchange greatly strengthens our digital readiness for upcoming innovative therapy trials, such as CAR-T, ensuring our patients benefit from more efficient, high-quality cancer research.
What did you take away from this experience?
The most valuable aspect of this exchange was observing first-hand how a robust, centralised digital ecosystem can optimise the entire clinical trial lifecycle, from regulatory approval to advanced data exploitation.
Learning about standardised workflows and clinico-genomic integration provides me with actionable insights to enhance the digital readiness of our upcoming innovative therapy trials in Zaragoza. I strongly recommend this programme to any professional seeking to align their institution’s research practices with European excellence and foster meaningful international collaborations.
What is the EATRIS-CONNECT Knowledge Exchange Programme and how can I participate?
The EATRIS-CONNECT Knowledge Exchange Programme provides up to €1K to researchers who wish to organise an exchange at an eligible research institution, with a specific focus on improving digital transformation in translational medicine.
Funds are available for both EATRIS-CONNECT partners and EATRIS organisations that are not official partners of the EATRIS-CONNECT project.
Interested in taking part in an exchange? Read more about the programme and application procedure here.
