On September 25, we celebrated a very special evening at Hotel Las Arenas in Valencia. More than 120 people—representatives from the scientific community, the business world, and civil society—joined the 2nd FERO Charity Gala in Valencia, a gathering where solidarity and science came together to continue driving cancer research forward.
FERO Charity Gala roundtable: precision medicine and the impact of philanthropy
We enjoyed an incredibly enriching roundtable discussion with Dr. Desamparados Roda and Dr. Juan Miguel Cejalvo, moderated by our director, Dr. Rubén Ventura. During the conversation, we addressed key topics such as the precision medicine being developed at INCLIVA, Valencia’s role as a major hub for research and a pioneer in scientific innovation, the importance of supporting researchers’ career paths, and finally, how philanthropy changes lives and becomes an essential pillar for keeping the research ecosystem alive and delivering results.
Gala proceeds will go toward a new oncology laboratory
All proceeds from the gala will be allocated to further strengthening our partnership with Hospital Clínico de Valencia INCLIVA, active since 2019.
.
Specifically, it will make it possible to create a new FERO experimental oncology research laboratory in Valencia, which will open its doors in 2026.
Over these years, we have contributed more than
€540,000 to INCLIVA’s Precision Medicine in Oncology Unit
, led by
Dr. Andrés Cervantes
, and thanks to the generosity of the
Foundation for the Promotion of Solidarity Actions
which has already made it possible to include more than 5,000 patients in the Valencian Community, who have been diagnosed more accurately and given access to more personalized treatments.
For us, supporting young researchers such as Dr. Altea Manzano reflects what it means to be FERO: youth, talent, innovation, and commitment to patients.
Her work fills us with hope and drives us to keep backing science as the only way to defeat cancer.
30th FERO Fellowship for Dr. Patricia Altea Manzano (CABIMER-CSIC) for her research on cold tumors
One of the most moving moments of the evening was the presentation of the 30th FERO Fellowship for Young Researchers, which we awarded to Dr. Patricia Altea Manzano, head of CABIMER-CSIC’s Metabolic Regulation and Signaling in Cancer Group (Seville), presented by Carolina Pola, a member of the Scientific Committee of the Ramón Areces Foundation.
Dr. Patricia Altea Manzano, 37, not only leads an eight-person research group at CABIMER in Seville; her scientific career also has a strong international dimension. She earned a degree in Environmental Sciences from Pablo de Olavide University (Seville) in 2011, completed two master’s degrees—one in Biotechnology and another in Clinical Trials—and obtained her PhD in Biomedicine from the University of Granada in 2017, with a thesis on nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery.
She told us, fascinated, that while she was studying, she was amazed by everything she could discover about cancer cells.
In 2018, she moved to Belgium to join Sarah-Maria Fendt’s laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology (Leuven), where she delved into the metabolic mechanisms used by metastatic breast cancer cells to adapt and survive in new tissues.
In addition, her profile includes research stays and collaborations at leading institutions in the United Kingdom and the United States, which has given her a global, multidisciplinary perspective that she now brings to her own laboratory in Spain.
Breast cancer remains the most common tumor in women and, although immunotherapy has been a major breakthrough, it still does not reach all patients. Many tumors—the so-called cold tumors—are able to evade this type of treatment.
FERO Fellowship project: “switching on” cold tumors to expand immunotherapy in breast cancer
Thanks to this fellowship, endowed with €80,000 and supported by the Ramón Areces Foundation, Dr. Altea Manzano will lead a pioneering project that aims to “switch on” cold tumors, thereby extending the benefits of immunotherapy to more patients. Her research combines technologies such as genetic sequencing, artificial intelligence, and advanced microscopy, with a single goal: turning knowledge into new therapeutic opportunities for breast cancer patients.
A bright finale at the FERO Charity Gala
We experienced the grand finale of the dinner when, to the rhythm of Coldplay’s song Viva la Vida, each person raised their hand with their Glow Experience luminous wristband. It was a sea of lights shining brightly, reminding us that every contribution, every gesture of support, is a spark of hope. Together, we are a light for cancer research and for everyone who dreams of a future without this disease.
Thank you for making it possible
The Valencia Gala is only celebrating its second edition, but it has already become a must-attend event. Thank you to everyone who joined us; to the Ramón Areces Foundation for sponsoring the fellowship; to the corporate tables of Andbank, Banc de Sabadell, and Cuatrecasas; and to our partner companies, Cobega, Glow Experience, Turia, and Cellers Scala Dei. We continue to show that when we support research, we offer time, a future, and hope for cancer research.
