Jon Corres-Mendizabal is a PhD student at CIC bioGUNE in Spain who received an EACR Travel Fellowship to visit and work at the CRUK Manchester Institute in the UK between May and July 2024.
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: Jon Corres-Mendizabal
Job title: PhD student
Home institute: CIC bioGUNE, Spain
Host institute: CRUK Manchester Institute, UK
Dates of visit: 01 May – 31 July 2024
Other organisations that funded your trip: The Company of Biologists
Research: My research focuses on understanding what genes and processes are altered in patients that present metastasis by the time they are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Specifically, I am interested in how the higher activity of the gene SOX11 helps to promote metastasis.
Why did you choose to apply for an EACR Travel Fellowship?
I was familiar with the EACR Travel Fellowships because other people in my lab had received it in the past. I knew that the conditions that the EACR Travel Fellowship offered were quite advantageous and it was possible to combine it with additional funding, which made it very attractive for me.
How did you choose the host lab?
I chose the host lab because I attended the CNIO – Metastasis congress in Madrid last year, where I had the opportunity to learn about the research being made at Caroline Dive’s lab. Despite the fact that they were working on small-cell lung cancer I saw many similarities with our own research in prostate cancer, and thought that I could learn from them.
Can you summarise the research you did?
My research at CRUK Manchester Institute revolved mainly around describing the effect of SOX11 in vasculogenic mimicry and extracellular matrix remodelling. I performed multiple experiments testing the tube-forming capabilities of my prostate cancer cell lines with or without SOX11 overexpression, as well as characterised the amount of cancer cell-lined vessels in tumours derived from these cell lines. In addition, I also studied the effect of SOX11 in collagen degradation, as a surrogate for matrix remodelling, both in my cell lines and in prostate cancer cell – fibroblast co-cultures.
Was the host institute very different form your own?
I already had some experience working in British labs, but I always find interesting the differences between the Spanish and the British research systems. I find that in Britain research is more “professionalised” and that the collaboration with industry is much higher. In addition, being in the Preclinical Pharmacology Team at CRUK MI, I also noticed the big contrast between a lab like mine, more focused on basic research, and a pre-clinical team, completely focused on translatability and patient care.
Did you take part in any interesting local activities during your visit?
While I was in Manchester I spent a lot of time visiting the city and the many things it had to offer such as museums, art galleries and sporting events. In addition, while I was there I also took the chance to visit neighbouring towns such as Liverpool or Chester. One particular highlight was my visit to Chester, which coincided with the Midsummer Meeting, where I had the chance to witness hundreds of well-dressed Brits gathered to enjoy horse racing.
How has the trip inspired you in your research?
My time in Manchester has inspired me through the people I met in the host lab. I got the chance to meet brilliant and caring people from many different backgrounds with a shared passion for science. Getting to know about their past, particularly in the case of people with more experience than me and in the case of those who were outside their country of origin, has inspired me to consider furthering my career in research outside of Spain.
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.
