Meet our Early Career Scientist Grant Winner Víctor Álvaro Sánchez
Congratulations to Víctor Álvaro Sánchez - the latest winner of our monthly Early Career Scientist Grant!
For the last 4 years we’ve been supporting life science PhDs and postdocs with their career development by awarding a $500 grant to a different researcher each month. The winners have used the money to cover travel costs to science conferences, publishing fees, purchasing lab supplies and more! You can read some of our previous winner’s stories here.
Our latest winner is a PhD student working in Sergio Gascón’s lab (Neuronal Reprogramming Group) at the Cajal Institute/CINC-CSIC, in Madrid, Spain. Víctor will use the $500 grant to help fund his attendance at the 20th SENC (Sociedad Española de Neurociencia) Congress on 3rd-5th September 2025 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria!
When we asked Victor how he felt about receiving the grant, he told us:
Receiving this grant is an incredible opportunity for me as an early career scientist. It will allow me to attend the SENC Congress and present my research to a broad audience of experts in Neuroscience. Sharing my work at this level is a key step in my career, and I am excited about the potential feedback and new collaborations that could come from this experience. I am truly grateful for this support, which makes it possible to take my research one step further and grow as a scientist. Víctor Álvaro Sánchez, Cajal Institute / CINC-CSIC, Madrid, Spain, Hello Bio Early Career Scientist Grant winner
Congratulations Víctor! First, can you tell us a bit more about your current research work?
I am currently focused on studying how the environment influences cell plasticity and fate reprogramming, particularly looking at the mechanisms behind the brain’s ability to regenerate after traumatic injury. By understanding the processes that are activated following brain damage, we may be able to boost the beneficial mechanisms that promote the repair of damaged structures. This could open up new possibilities for developing therapeutic approaches to improve brain recovery.
What excites you most about your field of research?
What excites me most about Neuroscience is the complexity and adaptability of the brain. Understanding how it functions under normal conditions and what happens when things go wrong is like unravelling an intricate puzzle. The idea of exploring the brain’s regenerative capacity, especially after traumatic injury, and looking for ways to enhance this ability, is an enormous undertaking. Moreover, the possibility that my research could contribute to new treatments keeps me inspired and motivated every day.
Which scientists working today do you most admire, and why?
I admire my supervisor Sergio Gascón, and Dulce María Arzate, who was a postdoc in our lab, for transmitting their passion for research and for their innovative ideas. I also look up to other PhD colleagues, who are constant sources of inspiration, ideas, and support.
What do you think are the biggest challenges currently facing life scientists and their work?
A significant challenge for life scientists today is the lack of consistent funding to sustain long-term research projects. Along with this, the rapid pace of technological advancements requires constant learning and adaptation. To address these challenges, it is essential for scientists to receive greater support, both in terms of financial resources and access to training and educational opportunities to remain up-to-date in their field.
And finally… what’s your favourite science quote?
As a neuroscientist, one of my favourite quotes comes from Santiago Ramón y Cajal, a key figure in the field: “Las ideas no duran mucho. Hay que hacer algo con ellas” - “Ideas don’t last long. You have to do something with them”.
________________________________
Thank you so much Victor! We hope you have a fantastic time at the SENC Congress in September!
Connect with Victor:
- LinkedIn: Víctor Álvaro
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
________________________________
If you enjoyed this article, why not check out the other resources available on our blog. We are passionate about supporting life scientists including early career life scientists and PhD students - with really low-priced reagents, antibodies and biochemicals, early career scientist grants, and resources to help with both personal and professional development. We know how tough it is - so we hope you find these helpful!
More General Support for Life Scientists
For advice on wellbeing, dissertations, presenting at conferences, wellbeing, PhD support, networking and lots more, we have a huge range of articles to help - just click below:
Save up to 50% on our high purity reagents...
When you get to the stage of planning your experiments, don't forget that we offer a range of low-cost, high-purity agonists, antagonists, inhibitors, activators, antibodies and fluorescent tools (yes - they really are around half the price of other suppliers!) You can use our Quick Multi-Search Tool to search for lots of products in one go, and the range includes:
- Enzyme inhibitors and activators
- Chemogenetic ligands
- Ion channel modulators
- GPCR & ionotropic receptor ligands
- Cell biology reagents & biochemicals
Technical resources
Try our Molarity Calculator: a quick and easy way to calculate the mass, volume or concentration required for making a solution.
Try our Dilution Calculator: an easy way to work out how to dilute stock solutions of known concentrations
We also offer a comprehensive range of technical resources including antibody protocols and methods, product guides and mini-reviews:
And finally, don't forget to check back in with our blog regularly for our latest articles. If there’s something you’d love to contribute to the community, whether that’s an interview or article, drop us a line at hello@hellobio.com
---
