1980-1990

At the end of 1984, the creation of IMAS as an autonomous organization in charge of Health Care at the County level, unfolded a specific research policy in County Hospitals, and the establishment of a specific budget.

After Dr. Jordi Gras’ retirement in 1985, Dr. Jordi Cami was named the new Director of IMIM. Until then Dr. Jordi Cami had been the Head of the Clinical Pharmacology Service at the Hospital Del Mar where he directed research studies in the field of drug abuse. Under Dr. Cami’s direction IMIM underwent changes resulting in the incorporation of a new group of Biomedical Informatics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) headed by Dr. Ferran Sanz.

In 1985 the Institute received the International Olympic Committee's accreditation as an antidoping control site. It also is a World Health Organization collaboration Centre (for the European Regional Office), in the area of drug abuse. These events cause the incorporation of the Dr. Jordi Segura like coordinator of the Pharmacology Area.

During 1987 and 1988 other groups of researchers specifically from the areas of Epidemiology and Public Health, led by Josep M. Antó, and Cellular Biology, led by Francesc X. Real joined the Institute, therefore completing the Institute's current structure.

In 1988 the Epidemiology and Public Health Department played a major role in the discovery of the relationship between the unloading of soy shipments in the Barcelona Port and acute asthma epidemics (that produced some casualties), a phenomenon that had been taking place since 1981.