From 7 to 16 November, the 30th Setmana de la Ciència took place, and VHIO took part with a programme designed for audiences of all ages. Even though the activities were different, they all shared the same goal: to communicate the latest advances in cancer research and to showcase, through our scientific teams, the passion and commitment that drive every step forward.
On Friday, 7 November, we kicked off with a workshop on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in cancer research at the Casal de Gent Gran of Sant Genís dels Agudells. María Butjosa and Juan Rafael Valera, predoctoral researchers from VHIO’s Computational Cancer Biology Group, together with Cristina Mendoza from the Radiomics Group, offered an engaging and interactive explanation of what AI is and how it has become a key tool in advancing cancer research. Through simple examples, they guided participants from the Escola de Salut de Persones Grans in discovering how an AI algorithm can identify patterns — even those the human eye cannot detect — that provide essential information about tumor biology or about how a patient might respond to different treatments.
On Monday, 10 November, we welcomed a group of upper secondary students from Escola Gravi to our facilities. In the first part of the visit, researcher Gisela Mir shared her personal journey, from her early work in plant genetics to her current role as a genomics expert in the Prostate Cancer Research Group. Afterwards, the students toured VHIO’s facilities and spent some time in the Cancer Genomics Group laboratory with Ester Castillo.
On Friday, 14 November, we wrapped up the week by taking part in BCNspiracy, a science outreach event, specifically in its INspiracy format aimed at schools. There, Dr Cristina Saura, Head of the Breast Cancer Unit at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and leader of VHIO’s Breast Cancer Group, was interviewed live in two sessions attended by 450 secondary and upper secondary students.
The interview was dynamic, accessible, and highly engaging, with active participation from students. It gave Dr Saura the opportunity to present the project she co-leads to improve early breast cancer detection through the analysis of breast milk — an inspiring example of innovative research and of how listening to patients’ voices can help drive scientific progress, in this cas,e in breast cancer.
VHIO and its commitment to scientific outreach
As a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence, VHIO remains committed to making science accessible to society. Outreach is a core part of how we understand research: bringing knowledge closer to people and creating spaces for dialogue around advances in oncology. This year, we did so by taking an active role in a long-standing initiative such as the Setmana de la Ciència, now celebrating its 30th edition in Catalonia.
