On September 26, the European Researchers’ Night was celebrated across hundreds of cities in Europe. Once again, VHIO joined the event with 10 of its researchers at CosmoCaixa Barcelona, organized by ESCIENCIA and the la Caixa Foundation, which filled the museum with workshops, talks, and performances designed to bring science and research closer to the public.
Check out the summary of VHIO’s participation in the European Researchers’ Night.
A variety of activities for a diverse audience
Laia Peralba and Anna Moreno i García, from VHIO’s Hereditary Cancer Genetics Group, led the children’s workshop Understanding genetics through my family. Through simple explanations, they showed the connection between genetic inheritance and cancer. Both researchers highlighted how rewarding it was to share their daily work with society and to demonstrate its impact on patients and their families.
Meanwhile, José María Alzueta, Carlos Ros, and Daniel Sin, from the Upper Gastrointestinal and Endocrine Tumors Group, took part in the research fair with a hands-on activity using Lego pieces to explain what mutations are and how they relate to cancer.
In the scientific speed dating format, Irene Braña — Head of the Head and Neck Group and Coordinator of Phase I Trials at VHIO’s Molecular Therapy Research Unit UITM -CaixaResearch — had the chance to speak directly with participants. She ended the session enthusiastic about having met young talents and exchanging views on their questions about cancer research and her own professional journey.
The program also included a block of talks and roundtables focused on immunology, moderated by science journalist Cristina Sáez. VHIO contributed two short TED-style talks. In the first, Joan Seoane, Coordinator of VHIO’s Preclinical and Translational Research Program and Head of the Gene Expression Group, explained how tumor cells use evolutionary strategies to escape the immune system. The second, by Judit Díaz from the Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunology Group, presented new therapies that train our immune defenses to recognize and attack tumors.
Seoane also took part in a roundtable with Alena Gros, Head of the Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunology Group and a key figure of VHIO’s Comprehensive Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunology Program (CAIMI), funded by the BBVA Foundation. Together, they addressed how immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, recent advances in the field, and the challenges still ahead.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Josep Tabernero, VHIO Director and Chair of the Scientific Committee of the CaixaResearch Institute, together with Gabriel Rabinovich. Both stressed the importance of research in all its dimensions —from prevention to cutting-edge therapies— with the ultimate goal of improving patients’ lives.
Other outreach activities: roundtable at the Gabriel García Márquez Library
Throughout the evening, Barcelona hosted science outreach activities in various spaces across the city. At the Gabriel García Márquez Library, Raquel Pérez-López, Head of VHIO’s Radiomics Group, joined Toni Celià from Hospital del Mar Research Institute and Rubén Ventura director of FERO Foundation, for a roundtable discussion on what it means to carry out cancer research in Barcelona, tackling myths, challenges, and everyday realities.
Commitment to society
As a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence, VHIO is strongly committed to bringing scientific knowledge closer to society. Participating in the European Researchers’ Night is a clear example of this engagement.
