Pilar Salamanca Jiménez is a PhD Candidate at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), at the University of Barcelona, Spain, who received an EACR Travel Fellowship to visit and work at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, USA from March to July 2026.
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.
Please summarise the topic of your current research so a non-scientist could understand it.
What if cancer cells could “bribe” the police of our own body? My research focuses on how prostate cancer cells escape the immune system by creating an environment where our natural defenses stop attacking the tumour. I study how we can reverse this process using epigenetic approaches, which can change how cells read their DNA without altering it. By using advanced 3D models called organoids, I aim to discover new ways to turn up the heat on the cold immune microenvironment of metastatic prostate cancer and help to improve more effectively immunotherapy responses.
Why did you decide to apply for an EACR Travel Fellowship at this host lab?
After a deep review of all the options available for PhD students to do a research stay, I realised the EACR Travel Fellowship is one of the most well-known and internationally recognised fellowships, and it also has the best conditions for what I was hoping to achieve.
Since I joined my home lab, I have always heard about the MSKCC lab and how they are recognised as the point of reference group in prostate cancer research. Moreover, Dr. Sawyers is the most famous prostate cancer researcher, and he has received a lot of prizes thanks to his stunning research and advances in the field.
Can you summarise the research you did or what you learned on your visit?
I developed two new organoid models for the study of epigenetic and chromatin remodeling in prostate cancer, and I have learnt the way that organoids are developed. I had previously been doing a completely different method, but with this project we have established really effective protocols that we hope to publish in a protocol’s editorial.
What were you able to do at the MSKCC that you could not have achieved in your home lab?
I was able to quickly receive some patient samples that I could further examine back home in Spain for supplementary validation of the results I got at the MSKCC. In general, receiving results from the experiments that we set up at the MSKCC is quicker than it is in my home lab as they have lots of core facilities and more advantageous systems in order to send samples for sequencing. Some results that would take three months to receive in Spain, I got in New York in less than a week.
Was the host institution very different from your own?
The working environment at the MSKCC was quite different from that of my home institution. I particularly enjoyed how inspiring and dynamic the environment was, which encouraged me to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. The regular seminars, talks, and conferences with leading experts were especially valuable and provided great opportunities to learn about cutting-edge research and new ideas.
I particularly enjoyed how inspiring and dynamic the environment was, which encouraged me to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field.
How has this visit been beneficial to your research or your career?
This visit has been extremely beneficial for both my research and my career. It has deeply inspired me by allowing me to work alongside scientists at different stages of their careers, exchange ideas, discuss results, and gain new perspectives on my own research.
I have also acquired valuable knowledge and practical experience in organoid culture that I can bring back to my home laboratory. Furthermore, I have established new scientific connections with potential collaborators that I hope to maintain in the future. Overall, this experience has broadened my scientific network, strengthened my research skills, and opened new possibilities for my future career.
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
