Meet our Early Career Scientist Grant Winner Luisa Chocarro
Congratulations to Luisa Chocarro of Navarrabiomed, UPNA, HUN, IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain - the latest winner of our monthly Early Career Scientist Grant! Each month we’re proud to award one lucky PhD or postdoc researcher with a $500 grant to help support their career development and research.
Luisa is a PhD student working in Dr. David Escors’ lab at the Navarrabiomed Biomedical Research Center, Health Research Institute of Navarra (IdiSNA). She is the latest winner of our $500 grant which she will use to help fund her trip and poster presentation at ESMO Congress 2024 in Barcelona on 13-17th September 2024.
When we asked Luisa how she felt about receiving the award, she told us:
I am truly grateful to Hello Bio for awarding me with the Early Career Scientist Grant! It will support me to present my PhD results at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) congress, an event that will showcase the latest cutting-edge breakthroughs in basic science, translational and clinical cancer research. Attending this international conference will enable me to review the latest potentially practice changing data, engage in multidisciplinary scientific discussions, and gain valuable insights and feedback from leading experts in the oncology field. Luisa Chocarro, Navarrabiomed, UPNA, HUN, IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain, Hello Bio Early Career Scientist Grant winner
Congratulations Luisa! First, can you tell us a bit more about your current research work?
I am currently finishing my PhD in oncoimmunology, where I study the molecular mechanisms of resistance to cancer immunotherapy and develop novel innovative therapies to counteract those mechanisms of resistance. We recently published part of my PhD research in EMBO Molecular Medicine, where we identified PD-1/LAG-3 molecular mechanism of co-signaling in T cells, and reverted PD-1/LAG-3-mediated resistance in mouse models of lung cancer refractory to immunotherapies. These results will allow the development of innovative targeted treatments that could benefit cancer patients resistant to conventional therapies.
What excites you most about your field of research?
What excites me most about the oncology research field is the shared purpose of increasing survival outcomes and quality of life of cancer patients by improving the current treatment, diagnosis and prevention strategies for the disease. I find motivation in the “from bench to bedside” ultimate goal that is intrinsic to biomedical R&D&I.
Which scientists working today do you most admire, and why?
I admire many exceptional scientists, mainly the extraordinary scientists that have mentored and supported me during my career, as through their leadership they have set a great example to follow to be outstanding professionals. Special shout-out to my PhD supervisors Dr. David Escors and Dr. Grazyna Kochan; to Prof. Arne Akbar, my supervisor at University College London; to Prof. Luzheng Xue, my supervisor at University of Oxford; and to Dr. Susana Ravassa, my supervisor at Cima Universidad de Navarra.
What do you think are the biggest challenges currently facing life scientists and their work?
Leading scientific advances in times of uncertainty is one of the major challenges that scientists must face worldwide. Navigating the complexities inherent to our work through resilience, resourcefulness, strategic thinking, positivity, and collaboration is crucial to drive innovation towards excellence.
And finally… what’s your favourite science quote?
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” - Isaac Newton, because it points up how the translational medicine developed today is built on the disruptive discoveries made by those scientists who preceded us. It also highlights the relevance of all of those who empowered us to make a positive mark as well as the importance of elevating others to success.
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Thank you so much Luisa! We wish you all the very best with your poster presentation at the ESMO Congress.
Connect with Luisa:
- LinkedIn: Luisa Chocarro de Erauso
- X (Twitter): Luisa Choccaro de Erauso
Are YOU a life science PhD or postdoc researcher? Why not apply for our next monthly grant!
Application is quick and easy, just fill out the form here: https://hellobio.com/early-career-scientist-grant-application
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