Resounding success of the gathering with 50 FERITOS
On May 6 and 7, Valencia enthusiastically hosted one of the year’s most inspiring scientific events: the 7th FERO Scientific Retreat, thanks to the support of AstraZeneca and Altos Labs. More than 50 researchers from different generations, from the first winner in 2009 to the latest awardee in 2025, met at EDEM, Business School to share progress, ideas and proposals with a common goal: to chart the course of oncology research for the next decade.
Commitment to science that transforms lives
This gathering, now firmly established as a benchmark among cancer researchers in Spain, once again highlighted FERO’s commitment to advancing the most translational oncology research—research that directly impacts patients’ lives.
Since its inception, FERO has invested more than €30 million in nearly 100 projects and has made a firm commitment to young talent, with 28 editions of its grants, already awarded to 62 emerging researchers.
Chalk talks: science with impact
During these days, attendees shared more than
40 research projects
in
chalk talk
format—an agile, fresh (as researchers had nothing prepared and improvised in front of a blank whiteboard) and participatory style that encouraged conversation, feedback and direct collaboration.
They addressed cutting-edge topics such as:
- The use of artificial intelligence for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
- The identification of new biomarkers.
- The development of technology platforms to tackle resistance to current treatments.
Key voices for the present and future of oncology
One of the most anticipated moments was the opening lecture by Dr Andrés Cervantes, outgoing President of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and Director of the Hospital Clínic de Valencia Research Institute (INCLIVA), who shared his vision for the future of oncology in Europe and Spain.
The talk by Dr Marisol Soengas, outgoing President of ASEICA and a researcher at the CNIO, also stood out. Drawing on her personal and professional experience, she offered a reflection on the crucial role of the patient throughout the entire oncology treatment process.
FERO talent in action: from paediatric oncology to personalised medicine
Dr Jaume Mora, the first recipient of a FERO Grant and a key figure in paediatric oncology, delivered an outstanding masterclass on Rhabdomyosarcoma and highlighted the urgent need for recognition and specialisation in paediatric oncology to improve the diagnosis and treatment of sick children, as has happened in adults since the establishment of medical oncology as a specialty.
Meanwhile, Dr Juan Miguel Cejalvo, a young Valencian researcher of recognised talent and also a FERO grant recipient, explored the challenges of personalised medicine in breast cancer, showing how basic knowledge can reach the clinical setting and explaining achievements as remarkable as how a nanoparticle with a nanomotor can reach cancer cells.
Science and business: paths that cross
The event also helped build bridges between research and entrepreneurship. The talk by Dr Ángela Pérez, a leading figure in biomedical innovation and President of BIOVAL, was an example of how scientific talent can find its place in the business ecosystem. Her message about “knowing how to pivot ideas, projects, the company” inspired attendees to think beyond the laboratory.
Dr Rubén Ventura, Director of FERO: “We are building a community of dreamers who, through their research, bring us closer to the end of cancer”
Dreaming the future: a collective strategic roadmap
One of the most valuable aspects of the gathering was the collective development of a
strategic roadmap
on the major challenges that will shape the oncology of the future.
Through working groups, ideas and proposals were gathered and will be synthesised into a strategic report to guide the Foundation’s future actions.
As
Dr Rubén Ventura
, Director of FERO, noted: “We are building a community of dreamers who, through their research, bring us closer to the end of cancer”.
More than science: a community with soul
Unlike traditional conferences, the
FERO Scientific Retreat 2025
has an intimate, collaborative and human character. In the words of
Sílvia Garriga
, President of the Foundation and widow of
Dr Josep Baselga
, its founder: “Here we not only share science, we also share experiences; we build community so that research has a real impact on patients”.
Brave, collaborative science with social return
The experience closed with remarks from
Dr Barbara Fontanals
FERO’s Scientific Coordinator, who presented the strategic lines for the coming years, reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to brave, collaborative science with social return.
A closing that opens new paths: science, connections and new ideas
From an informal ice-breaker, with a fun scientific bingo, to conversations over coffee, this Retreat was a fertile space for exchange, creativity and shared vision. The more than 50 researchers in attendance—early-career and established, national and international—left with new ideas, collaborations and renewed energy to continue cancer research.
