Anabel Eckerling is a PhD student at Tel Aviv University in Israel who received an EACR Travel Fellowship to visit and work at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in the US between January and February 2025.
The EACR, with support from Worldwide Cancer Research, provides Travel Fellowships of up to €3,500 to enable early-career cancer researchers to gain new skills through a short-term visit to a lab or research group in another country.
You can read about other Travel Fellows and their experiences here.
Name: Anabel Eckerling
Job title: PhD student
Home institute: Tel Aviv University, Israel
Host institute: Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, US
Dates of visit: 06 January – 07 February 2025
Other organisations that funded your trip: BSF
Research: Although surgery is a cornerstone of cancer treatment, it also holds a risk for the progression of life-threatening metastases. It is now agreed that the perioperative period (the days before and after surgery) is critical in determining long-term cancer outcomes. During this period, stress and inflammatory responses are elevated and can promote cancer progression. Blockade of these responses can be done pharmacologically. My research uses pre-clinical models of breast cancer and melanoma to study mediating mechanisms of surgery-induced stress and inflammatory responses and their blockade, and try to optimise perioperative interventions to prolong cancer survival following surgery.
Why did you choose to apply for an EACR Travel Fellowship?
As an EACR member I receive the regular news and updates from the EACR via email. I often read about members who were awarded the EACR Travel Fellowship and share their experiences. This seemed to be a valuable opportunity to travel, exchange ideas, learn new research methodologies, and develop new scientific collaborations.
Why did you choose the host lab?
Dr. Repasky‘s research aligns closely with my research interests. I study beta-adrenergic stress signalling in cancer progression following surgery, and Dr. Repasky studies beta-adrenergic signalling as a stress response to cold temperature in cancer progression. I follow Dr. Repasky‘s research for many years and our combined expertise allowed us to collaborate in a research project that studies stress and thermoregulation in cancer progression.
Describe a ‘typical day’ on your visit.
In most days, my colleague in the host lab, Johanna, would pick me up in the morning and we travelled together to the lab. After a short coffee break with the other lab members and a social update, I would sit at my work station in the lab and prepare for the day ahead. I would spend an hour or two reading literature that is relevant for my research, including methodologies and lab protocols I wanted to implement in my experiments. I would then check on my cell cultures (B16F10 melanoma cells in this case) and do some cell culture work. Then, I would go to the animal facility to examine my mice and subject them to the relevant experimental condition (for example – hypothermic stress). I would then have lunch with the other lab members (occasionally with more colleagues from the Immunology department) in the breakroom, after which I would discuss experimental protocols with one or two lab members (mostly Sarah and Johanna) or would learn a certain methodology they practice. In the afternoon I attend a departmental seminar (either a journal club where we discuss a paper, or a seminar lecture in the field of cancer research). In the evening Johanna would drive me back to my place.
Did you take part in any interesting local or cultural activities?
I visited the Niagara Falls for the very first time. As Buffalo is located a 30 minute drive from the Niagara Falls, it was a warm recommendation given by my host Dr. Repasky that I visit the Niagara Falls, especially in winter time. This visit was unique and memorable. I was advised by the host lab members to visit both the American and the Canadian sides of the Falls, and so I did. It was very impressive watching this force of nature, and winter time made it even more remarkable, with breath taking views of the frozen surroundings of the Falls.
What was a personal highlight of your trip?
My personal highlight was the goodbye party that was thrown for me by the host lab on my last day of work at the lab. During this event, I was excited to hear from my colleagues that they were happy to work with me, that they are sad I am leaving, and that they would love us to keep in touch. I brought each lab member a good luck token based on Israeli tradition and history, and thanked them for being so welcoming, kind, and supportive. The lab had brought me a goodbye present that took me by surprise – framed pictures of me with the lab members to remember our time together, a statue of a blue buffalo to remember Buffalo, and several items that showed how well they got to know me (for example a hand cream I like to fight the dry weather, a special tea for I am a tea lover, and more). We also had pizza delivered to the party and enjoyed it while exchanging memories from my time at the lab.
Have you brought back any specific knowledge or technique that has benefited your home lab?
Dr. Repasky‘s lab is an expert in flow cytometry, and one of my goals in this visit was to acquire expertise in their method of work. I was able to run several flow cytometry experiments, with the help of the lab members, and I brought the research methodology and flow cytometry practice I learned back to my lab. This is especially useful as our lab recently acquired a new flow cytometer and I can now implement my knowledge and skills I acquired at Dr. Repasky‘s lab at my own lab. This includes designated flow cytometry panels to study T cell and MDSC cell populations.
Does your lab plan to do any future collaboration with the host lab?
We are currently thinking about writing a review paper together, and also about writing a research grant application together to support a potential follow-up collaboration. We have a shared interest in stress responses and how these responses were developed and preserved throughout evolution in numerous species, and what is means in the context of cancer.
Want to find out more?
If you are interested in applying for the Travel Fellowship scheme, please click here for more information: EACR Travel Fellowships.
