On November 17, we held a new edition of our FERO Charity Gala at the Rosewood Villa Magna Hotel in Madrid, thanks to the support of our patron Kettal—an event that brought together nearly 220 people from the scientific, business, and social spheres.
It was an emotional evening in which we had the honour of awarding €380,000 to support two research projects and a very special recognition for the scientific community.
The ceremony, hosted by Atresmedia presenter Mercedes Martín and presided over by our President Silvia Garriga, allowed us to reaffirm our commitment: to foster scientific talent that can transform the lives of thousands of patients.
FERO DNA Award: A Tribute to Scientific Leadership
The night’s big surprise was the presentation of the 2nd FERO DNA Award to Dr. Carlos López-Otín, one of the most influential biomedical researchers in our country.
With this award, we aim to recognise leadership in oncology research and, especially, mentoring that helps develop new generations of scientists and inspires the future of oncology research in Spain to keep moving forward.
4th FERO Fellowship – Dr. Baselga: €300,000 to Advance Childhood Cancer
During the evening, we awarded two of our fellowships. The 4th FERO Fellowship – Dr. Baselga went to a project by Dr. Jaume Mora · Scientific Director of the Pediatric Cancer Center at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital.
We awarded this fellowship, worth €300,000 over three years, to Dr. Jaume Mora for his project “Exploiting Cell State Vulnerabilities to Target Pediatric Cancers”.
His work seeks to identify specific molecular vulnerabilities in childhood tumours in order to design more effective and less toxic treatments for children with cancer.
31st FERO Fellowship for Young Researchers
We also awarded the 31st FERO Fellowship for Young Researchers, worth €80,000 and funded by the ACS Foundation, to a project by Dr. Miguel Fernández de Sanmamed of CIMA and Clínica Universidad de Navarra.
His project, “NEO-nano IMPACT”, focuses on developing a new intratumoural immunotherapy based on nanoparticles.
Its aim is to strengthen neoadjuvant treatments in patients with lung cancer through an innovative precision strategy.
Fundraising for the PRECISO Project
In addition to awarding fellowships and prizes, we will allocate the entire dinner fundraising total to the PRECISO Project, led by Dr. Santiago Ponce at Hospital 12 de Octubre.
This programme enables more than 1,000 patients a year to access in-depth molecular diagnostics and innovative therapies, bringing precision medicine to those who need it most.
FERO Gala Madrid: A Shared Purpose
The FERO Gala 2025 reflects our purpose: to bring scientific advances to patients as quickly as possible, support the talent that is transforming the future of oncology, and bring society together in this shared effort. And as Dr. López-Otín noted in his speech, to highlight the need “to understand in order to heal”.
