On November 27 and 28, the FERO Foundation held the FERO Scientific Retreat at the Ramón Areces Foundation in Madrid, a gathering of all FERO Grant recipients to foster the creation of synergies and improve the transition of scientific discoveries to clinical practice through entrepreneurship.
The event was attended by forty Feritos. There were four external speakers and one patient, as well as the entire FERO team. Most of the invited grant recipients attended, and we had the active participation of Angie Miquel, Vice President of the Foundation and member of the Board of Trustees. In addition, leaders of FERO’s institutional agreements were invited for the first time to give greater visibility to these projects.
A team activity was conducted to co-create the Foundation’s trajectory and discover the role and connection of each attendee with FERO. Both veteran and recent Feritos shared experiences and paid tribute to the legacy of Dr. Baselga, which remains very present to this day. The excellence established by the founder, the pride of belonging to a consolidated group of leading oncology researchers in Spain, and the flexibility and closeness of FERO in its support of grant recipients were highlighted.
The sessions continued with a roundtable discussion titled: “Inclusion of Patient Needs in the Translation of New Therapies or Technologies to Clinical Practice,” which provided us with excellent insights and perspectives from which to approach and focus cancer research. The importance of innovation and technology transfer in Spain was discussed, emphasizing the need for scientific advances to reach patients and be disseminated to reduce fear and stigma surrounding cancer. The importance of placing patients at the center of oncological care and using new technologies to improve medical care was also mentioned. Distinguished professionals such as Dr. Rubén Ventura, Mr. Gabriel Masfurroll, Dr. Aleix Prat, and Dr. Raquel Pérez provided key insights on these matters.
Additionally, a Focus Group was organized to understand the needs that FERO can address in the field of entrepreneurship in the health industry and thus help bring scientific discoveries closer to clinical practice and patients. Ideas were proposed to support entrepreneurship, such as creating programs for the identification of ideas with transfer potential, establishing a network of mentors, access to legal and business consulting, courses, and a forum to discuss the adoption of new technologies in oncological treatment.
We cannot forget the four external presentations from the health ecosystem. Collaborators such as Dr. Luis Paz-Ares, Head of the Oncology Service at Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid and member of the FERO Grant Jury, Dr. Clara Campàs, Co-founder of Asabys Partners, Ms. Marta Moreno, Director of Corporate Affairs and Market Access at AstraZeneca, and Dr. Marc Martinell, CEO and Founder of Minoryx, were truly interesting and inspiring.
Without a doubt, the FERO Scientific Retreat 2023 was not only a space for science, but also a testament to a united community committed to the fight against cancer. The event demonstrated that progress lies in the exchange of perspectives and continuous collaboration.
“FERO IS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE THE FIGURE OF THE RESEARCHER IS DIGNIFIED AND HIGHLIGHTED, ESPECIALLY DURING THE GALAS”
Miriam Sansó
– Researcher at IdISBa
“THE FERO GRANT IS THE ANCHOR THAT KEEPS YOU FROM BEING SWEPT AWAY BY THE WIND WHEN YOU ARE STARTING OUT”
Héctor García Palmer
– Researcher at VHIO
Throughout the event, a communication campaign was carried out on social media to increase the visibility of the sessions, including a live broadcast during the roundtable discussion and the creation of content with interviews of speakers and collaborators. We deeply thank everyone who was part of these enriching sessions. Let us continue moving forward together to improve the lives of cancer patients!
