The Membrane Traffic in Disease Laboratory, led by Professor and Principal Investigator at NOVA Medical School, Duarte Barral, was awarded the Portugal–United Kingdom Oncology Research Prize, a joint initiative of the Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro – Núcleo Regional do Sul (LPCC) and the British Embassy in Lisbon.
This recognition will enable NOVA Medical School researchers Teresa Barona and Cristina Escrevente to undertake a training period at the Cell Biophysics Laboratory at the University of Bath, led by Banafshé Larijani. During this training, they will learn an innovative method for stratifying patients eligible for immunotherapies, developed at that laboratory, with the aim of implementing it at NOVA Medical School.
The funding also includes participation in an international conference, increasing the team’s exposure to the global scientific community and to the latest approaches in oncology.
The awarded project focuses on two of the most aggressive cancers currently treated with immunotherapies—cutaneous melanoma and triple-negative breast cancer. In these cases, one of the main challenges remains the lack of quantitative criteria capable of accurately predicting which patients will respond to treatment.
“This funding will enable the transfer of cutting-edge techniques—developed and currently available only at the Cell Biophysics Laboratory at the University of Bath—to our laboratory at NOVA Medical School. It represents a unique opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and experience, as well as for establishing a new and highly relevant international collaboration,” said Duarte Barral.
The collaboration between the two laboratories strengthens the foundation for future scientific partnerships and joint applications for international funding in the field of oncology.