Joana Paredes wins ACTIVA Inspiring Women in Science Award
Researcher Joana Paredes, leader of the Cancer Metastasis group and president of the Portuguese Association for Cancer Research (Associação Portuguesa de Investigação em Cancro - ASPIC) recently won an ACTIVA Mulheres Inspiradoras award in Science for her research work on the mechanism that explains how triple-negative breast cancer metastasizes to the bones.
Joana Paredes’ research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the metastatic process and uses breast cancer as a study model because, as she explains, “metastasis is responsible for more than 90 percent of cancer deaths”.
For Joana, this award has a “very special meaning on a professional and personal level”. Firstly, because it is “a public recognition regarding the work that I have been developing, in recent years, as a researcher in the field of Oncology (particularly in the area of metastatic breast cancer), which culminates in the award of the FAZ Science Award 2023, awarded by the Astrazeneca Foundation”. “I am also very happy that they highlighted the importance of my role as President of the Portuguese Association for Cancer Research (ASPIC), whose objective is to promote cancer research carried out in our country”.
Besides this, highlights Joana Paredes, this is an award that aims to recognize the role of women in various areas of our society, it is “an honor to be a member of this group of women. In a country where it is very difficult to evolve and progress in science, which means that many women end up giving up due to lack of funds and encouragement, and at the same time providing security and support to the family, it is very gratifying and motivating to be recognized as an inspiring woman in science. It gives me an even greater sense of responsibility and challenges me to continue doing more and better”.
On a personal level, the researcher told us that she was “very touched” by sharing this award with her “great friend and mentor Raquel Seruca”, since she also received this same award two years ago. “She was truly a very inspiring woman. Although unfortunately she is no longer with us, I promised her that I would do everything to continue to have an active role in science, as she did and defended so well. So this award also has a very important sentimental value, as I am sure she will be very proud of the path I have been taking”, explained Joana Paredes.
The i3S researcher shared the Activa Award with the “incredible women who work with me at i3S and ASPIC, and who allow me to be happy while I work. And finally to say how inspiring are all the women with metastatic breast cancer who continue to be mothers, wives, daughters, friends, caregivers, and who make me want to continue discovering and unraveling the mysteries of this disease that still torments us so much”.
About Joana Paredes
With an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Coimbra and a PhD in Human Biology from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Joana Paredes worked for four years at the Cancer Research Lab at the University of Gent (Belgium) and at Ipatimup (Porto, Portugal), both of which are renowned laboratories in Oncobiology. She then completed a post-doctorate at ICVS, at the University of Minho, and began her research career as an independent scientist in 2010 at Ipatimup, with the support of the Science 2007 and Researcher positions at FCT. She assumed leadership of the Cancer Metastasis group, at i3S, in 2021.
Joana Paredes is the co-author of 90 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, with more than 4900 citations and an h-index of 41. Her results have been published in relevant journals in the field of cancer, such as Cancer Research, Oncogene, Clinical Cancer Research, Breast Cancer Research, Stem Cells, and the Journal of Pathology. She also coordinated 15 research projects, funded by FCT, Portugal 2020, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis International, Fundação Gulbenkian, and patient associations, such as Laço, LPCC and No Stomach for Cancer. Joana Paredes joined the Board of ASPIC (Associação Portuguesa de Investigação em Cancro, or the Portuguese Association for Cancer Research) in 2016, and was elected President in 2020.