On July 9, NOVA Medical School will hold the award ceremony for the Ana Lázaro - Cancer Research Grant 2026, which this year will feature a special session dedicated to the topic “Private Philanthropy and the Funding of Translational Scientific Research: Challenges, Impact, and Opportunities.” This inspiring conversation among experts in health, research, and philanthropy on the role of private philanthropy in advancing scientific knowledge will be led by the members of the grant's jury.
The Ana Lázaro Cancer Research Grant aims to promote interdisciplinary translational research projects in the field of oncology, developed by teams from NOVA Medical School. It is funded by the family of Ana Lázaro, an acclaimed Spanish ballerina and choreographer who, in her will, designated part of her estate to advance cancer research.
The 2026 edition marks the third award of this grant, which represents a total of 210,000 euros to be distributed among three research projects (one per year, between 2024 and 2026), each worth 70,000 euros.
Register by July 3 using the form available here.
LOCATION: Sala dos Actos, NOVA Medical School - Campo Mártires da Pátria, 130 | 1169-056 Lisboa
PROGRAM
9:30 a.m. | Welcome Coffee
10:00 a.m. | Opening Session
- Paulo Pereira, Rector of Universidade Nova de Lisboa
- Pedro Póvoa, Director of NOVA Medical School
10:15 a.m. | Roundtable Discussion - “Private Donations and the Funding of Translational Scientific Research: Challenges, Impact, and Opportunities,” featuring special guest jury members:
- Susanna Chiocca, Unit Director, Viruses and Cancer, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Italy
- Susana Puig, Director of IDIBAPS and Group Leader at Melanoma: imaging, genetics and immunology Research Group, and Head of the Dermatology Service at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Spain
- Vítor Veloso, President of Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro, Portugal
- Inês Vaz Luís, Director Cancer Survivorship Research Group, Institut de Cancérologie Gustave Roussy, France
- Hugo Soares, Science Manager at AICIB and Co-coordinator of the Portuguese National Cancer Hub and the European project ECHoS
Moderated by Maria Paula Macedo, Vice-Dean for Research of NOVA Medical School, Portugal
11:40 a.m. | Ana Lázaro: The Dancer's Legacy
11:45 a.m. | Award Ceremony to the winning team of the Ana Lázaro - Cancer Research Grant 2026
11:50 a.m. | Presentation of the winning project
12:00 p.m. | “Cancer Research at NOVA Medical School” – Mariana Silva, Research Impact and Funding Manager
12:15 p.m. | Closing Session – Maria Paula Macedo, Vice-Dean for Research at NOVA Medical School
12:30 p.m. | Lunch