i3S scientist wins grant for three presentations at European congress
i3S researcher Ana Rita Araújo has been awarded a grant to take part in the European Congress of Pathology (ECP 2026) in Stockholm, one of the most important scientific gatherings in the field internationally. The support provided covers congress registration and part of the associated costs, totalling approximately 600 euros.
A member of the Ageing and Aneuploidy research group since 2020, led by Elsa Logarinho, Ana Rita Araújo will bring three scientific works developed at i3S to the congress, two of which stem from collaborations with other groups at the institute. Her participation highlights not only the quality of the research carried out, but also the interplay between basic science and clinical practice, a hallmark of the researcher’s career.
Three works bridging ageing and oncology
The first work, centred on the FOXM1 protein, explores its role in cellular ageing and tissue integrity. “As we age, our cells lose the ability to renew themselves. This work shows that FOXM1 is central to that process and may be an important target for counteracting the effects of ageing,” the researcher explains. The results suggest that stimulating FOXM1 activity could open up new therapeutic avenues with an impact on the quality of life of the ageing population.
The other two works lie in the field of breast oncology and stem from collaborations with i3S teams, reflecting Ana Rita Araújo’s contribution on the clinical side as a pathologist.
In one of them, developed together with researcher Sónia Silva, of the Chromosome Instability & Dynamics group, led by Helder Maiato, the potential of tubulin modifications (a family of proteins) is being evaluated as predictive biomarkers of the response to taxane chemotherapy in breast cancer. The study, still ongoing, seeks to understand why not all patients respond in the same way to this treatment, which is often associated with significant side effects.
The team has developed an innovative methodology to quantify these modifications in clinical biopsies, paving the way for personalised therapy and improved outcomes for patients.
The third work, in collaboration with researcher Sandra Tavares, of the Cytoskeletal Regulation & Cancer group, focuses on triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive subtypes. The research identified two proteins with opposite behaviours within tumour cells — among them the enzyme FER, already associated with a poorer prognosis — whose relationship appears to be exclusive to this type of cancer.
This discovery could have implications both for diagnosis and for the development of new targeted therapeutic strategies.
A bridge between laboratory and clinic
For Ana Rita Araújo, this grant represents more than individual recognition. “Winning a grant to take part in the European Congress of Pathology has a special meaning — the three works reflect what I strive to be as a professional, in both science and medicine,” she says.
The researcher stresses that the FOXM1 project arose from fundamental scientific curiosity, while the breast cancer studies stem from collaborations in which her contribution was primarily clinical. “Seeing all three recognised at the same congress is confirmation that it makes sense to inhabit both worlds at once,” she adds. Taking part in ECP 2026 also reinforces the role of pathology as a bridge between research and clinical practice. “Presenting basic science on ageing alongside translational studies in breast oncology says a great deal about what modern pathology can and should be: a speciality that connects the microscope to the patient,” she concludes.
The European Congress of Pathology brings together researchers and clinicians from around the world each year to discuss the latest advances in the field, fostering knowledge-sharing and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
