Paul Mischel
Stanford University
Paul S. Mischel, M.D., is the Fortinet Founders Professor, and Vice Chair for Research for the Department of Pathology, Stanford Medicine, an Institute Scholar in Sarafan ChEM-H. He is also a Faculty Advisor for Experimental Biology at the Innovative Medicines Accelerator at Stanford University. Mischel is a physician scientist whose research on extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) has catalysed a paradigm shift in our understanding of cancer. Mischel leads Team eDyNAmiC, an international team that received a $25M Cancer Grand Challenges Award from Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer. Mischel is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and recipient of the 2023 Ernst W. Bertner Memorial Award from MD Anderson for Distinguished Contributions to Cancer Research. Mischel is also an elected Fellow and Past-President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and an elected Fellow of the American Association of Physicians and The American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Alice Shaw
Dana Farber Institute
Alice Shaw has made key contributions to the field of biomarkers, especially in lung cancer, where she identified mutations in ALK and ROS1 as therapeutic targets. With a career spanning both academia and industry, Shaw brings a unique perspective on how to translate biomarkers from research to clinical practice. Her experience as global head of translational clinical oncology at Novartis is key to guiding the development of personalized therapies, integrating biomarker advances with clinical development needs.
James Gulley
Director, Medical Oncology Service, National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA
He is a pioneer in the development of immunological biomarkers, particularly those related to the response of the immune system to vaccine and T-cell based therapies. He has worked on the identification of biomarkers that predict the efficacy of immunotherapies, allowing better selection of patients who will respond to these treatments. His clinical trials have contributed to validate biomarkers that guide the personalization of immunotherapeutic treatments in advanced cancers.
Lorea Valcárcel
Ikerbaske and Ramón y Cajal Research Fellow, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao
Dr. Lorea Valcárcel studies the prostate cancer tumor microenvironment and its influence in tumor aggressiveness. Her research examines the interactions between cancer cells and stromal components, aiming to identify novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Her potential was recognized with the CRIS Emerging Leader Programme, to continue employing advanced techniques to explore the heterogeneity within prostate tumors.
Alejo Rodríguez Fraticelli
Group Leader of the Quantitative Stem Cell Dynamic, Barcelona Research Institute (IRB), Barcelona.
Dr. Alejo Fraticelli team focuses their research on stem cell memory and epigenetics in haematopoiesis, immunity, and leukaemia. Dr. Rodríguez-Fraticelli's lab employs advanced methods for lineage tracing to study these biological processes. He was awarded the prestigious CRIS Excellence grant to study leukemia stem cells and their role in relapse. Dr. Rodríguez-Fraticelli aims to uncover innovative therapeutic strategies that could transform treatment approaches for acute myeloid leukaemia patients.
Aleix Prat
Director Institut of Oncology at Hospital Clínic, Barcelona
Dr. Prat is the Director Hospital Clinic´s Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute in Barcelona (Spain), Professor of Medicine at the University of Barcelona (UB) and Head of the Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Group at the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS). Furthermore, Dr. Prat is the Head of the Breast Cancer program at IOB-QuironSalud. In 2022, he co-founded the spin-off company called Reveal Genomics, which has developed the HER2DX® diagnostic genomic test recognized by TIME as one of the best inventions of 2022. Dr. Prat also directs the Chair of Innovation in Precision Oncology at the UB where he is a professor. Over his career, Dr Prat has obtained world-wide recognition as a prestigious clinical scientist in the field of breast cancer, genomics, and biomarker and drug development. He has actively participated in >300 peer-reviewed articles, and he has supervised several PhD students
Eleni Louka
Director, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Haematology at the University of Oxford, UK
Dr Eleni Louka is an expert in childhood blood disorders, particularly paediatric myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative disorders. She combines clinical work with laboratory research, aiming to translate scientific discoveries into improved patient care and novel therapeutic approaches for paediatric haematological conditions. To deepen further her research on these tumors, CRIS and the University of Oxford awarded Dr. Louka with the CRIS-Oxford Cancer Academic Clinician Post-doctoral Fellowship.
Rebeca González Guerrero
Researcher at the Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire (C3M) in Nice, France.
Dr. González Guerrero is associated with Institute of Neurosciences of Alicante (CSIC-Universidad Miguel Hernández), and an awardee of the CRIS Out-Back Programme, that grants young promising researchers with an abroad post-doc and ensures their comeback to Spain. She employs advanced techniques to investigate the complex interactions between melanoma tumors and the immune system. Her research aims to uncover mechanisms of therapy resistance and identify novel strategies to enhance immunotherapy efficacy in melanoma treatment.
Ana Jiménez Ubieto
Associate Hematologist, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid
Dr. Jiménez Ubieto’s work focuses on haematological malignancies, particularly lymphomas. Dr. Jiménez Ubieto is involved in clinical research aimed at improving treatment strategies for patients with various types of lymphoma. She has participated in several practice-changing clinical trials for follicular lymphoma, contributing to advancements in treatment strategies. She was awarded with the CRIS Translational Physician Programme to further improve the follow-up and treatment of follicular lymphoma patients. She collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to conduct clinical trials and translational research, contributing to the advancement of personalized medicine approaches in lymphoma therapy.
