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The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Valencia will host an interactive open day on childhood cancer on the afternoon of Tuesday, 18 February, as part of International Childhood Cancer Day (celebrated on Saturday 15 February). The event is aimed at associations, families and people interested in learning about the current state of research into this disease. It has been organised by the INCLIVA Health Research Institute of the Clinical University Hospital of Valencia.
The event will take place from 5.00 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. in the Microscopes 2 Room at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia (Avenida Blasco Ibáñez, 17, first floor), where the Translational Research Group on Paediatric Solid Tumours of INCLIVA, the driving force behind the initiative, conducts its work.
To manage attendance, those wishing to participate are encouraged to confirm their attendance via this link: https://form.typeform.com/to/AAuu7NMs.
The main aim of the event is to offer attendees first-hand insight into how research is conducted in the laboratory, as well as the latest studies related to this pathology. It also provides an opportunity for participants to ask questions and share their concerns and suggestions with researchers.
“This is an informative and practical event in which participants will become familiar with, for example, the processing of samples for optical microscopy, artificial tumours, and real-time monitoring of tumour cells in culture. It will also be an opportunity for them to ask researchers directly and help incorporate the patient’s perspective into their studies”, explains Rosa Noguera, professor of Histology in the Department of Pathology at the University of Valencia and coordinator of the INCLIVA research group.
Doctor Noguera highlights that in childhood cancer “there are more joys than sorrows, because 80% of children are cured and progress is continuous”. However, she adds that “a collective effort is needed, as there is still much work to be done and research must continue to improve the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents affected by this disease”.
Doctor Noguera is also the principal investigator of one of the research groups of CIBERONC (the Spanish Biomedical Research Network in Cancer), part of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. She is also a researcher with the ResPediaTu Research Group at the University of Valencia and a professional in the Paediatrics Department at the Clinical University Hospital of Valencia.
Other researchers from the INCLIVA, UV and CIBERONC teams will also take part in the event. These include the doctors in Medicine Samuel Navarro, head of the Pathology Section at the Clinical University Hospital of Valencia and professor of Pathological Anatomy at the UV, and Jaime Verdú, head of the Haemato-Oncology Section at the Clinical University Hospital of Valencia; the doctor in Biotechnology Amparo López-Carrasco, and the graduates in Biotechnology Isaac Vieco and Karina Parra.
During the event, participants will have access to microscopes from the Department of Pathology of the UV Faculty of Medicine, artificial matrices with different stiffness used to create artificial tumours, computers displaying real-time videos of cells captured with the Holomonitor M4 Live Cell Imaging System (acquired through funding from project FIS20/01107 (ISCIII)), images of artificial tumour samples with different stains and images showing genetic characteristics of tumours.
This open day is part of the CONECTA INCLIVA initiative, launched in 2020 with the aim of connecting research with society and promoting more inclusive research and innovation.
