Adriana Sánchez-Danés, PhD

Adriana Sánchez-Danés received her BSc degree in Biotechnology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain). In 2012, she obtained her PhD in Biomedicine (cum laude distinction) from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. Her thesis work focused on modeling Parkinson’s Disease in vitro. 

In 2012, Adriana moved to the Université Libre de Brussels to the laboratory of Prof. Cédric Blanpain (Belgium). During this period she investigated the most common human cancer, the basal cell carcinoma. Adriana identified the specific cell type from which this skin cancer arises and the cancer cell population that resists upon therapy, leading to tumor relapse. 

In October 2019, Adriana started her own lab at the Champalimaud Foundation as the ERA Chair Holder of the QuantOCancer Project to uncover the biology of pediatric solid tumours. Adriana has been received the Maratona da Saude Junior Award, AstraZeneca Award and Liga Portuguesa Contra O Cancro Award.

Patricia das Neves Borges, PhD 

Patrícia obtained her PhD in Bioengineering from Imperial College London in 2016. In February 2020, Patrícia joined our lab as senior researcher to uncover the mechanisms that drive initation, progression and resistance to therapy in medulloblastoma.

Ana Lúcia Rebelo, PhD

Ana Lúcia obtained her PhD from the National University of Ireland Galway in Biomedical Engineering with focus on neuroscience (2021). Ana Lúcia joined our laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow in March 2022. Her project is focused on the mechanisms behind tumor initiation and progression in medulloblastoma.

Raquel Soares, MSc

Raquel graduated in Biology in 2017 at the University of Lisbon and obtained her Master’s degree in Molecular Genetics and Biomedicine from the NOVA University of Lisbon in 2019. She joined the Sánchez-Danés Lab in February 2020 to provide support to the different projects of the lab.

Ana Sofia Marques, MSc

Sofia obtained her BSc in Biochemistry in 2017 and then a MSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics in 2019, both at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. Sofia joined our laboratory as a PhD student in September 2020. Sofia aims at uncovering the differences/similarities in pediatric and adult melanoma formation and progression.

Sara Ferreira, MSc

Sara Ferreira obtained her MSc from University of Porto, in the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar in 2019. She joined our laboratory as a PhD Student in April 2022 to uncover the mechanisms involved in neuroblastoma progression and resistance to therapy.

Angelina Sanderson, MSc

Angelina Sanderson obtained her MSc in Clinical Neuroscience at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology in 2020. She joined our laboratory in May 2023 as a PhD student to uncover the mechanisms that drive medulloblastoma initiation and progression. 

Adrianna Bielowka, MSc

Adrianna obtained her MSc in Imperial College London in 2019. She joined our laboratory in February 2024 as a PhD student to uncover the mechanisms that drive neuroblasoma initiation and progression. 

Ana Martins, MSc

Ana Martins obtained her BSc in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2020 at the University of Toronto, and a Master's degree in Biotechnology in 2023 from the University of Guelph. Ana joined our laboratory in April 2024 as a PhD student to uncover the mechanisms that drive the initiation and progression of neuroblastoma.

Carlota Canario Pataca