Dr. Aleix Prat received the XIII National Research Award "Doctores Diz Pintado" today in an academic ceremony organized by the University of Salamanca. The event took place on the occasion of the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas and was held at the Paraninfo of the University.
The XIII National Research Award "Doctores Diz Pintado," in memory of Doctors Manuel and Alfonso Diz Pintado, recognizes researchers born after 1978 for their effort and scientific trajectory in the area of oncological research. This trajectory should contribute to the generation, development, or application of new knowledge and clinical insights into cancer. The award is presented by the Cancer Research Foundation of the University of Salamanca (FICUS) - Cancer Research Center (CSIC-University ofSalamanca), in collaboration with the "Fundación Doctores Diz Pintado para la Docencia e Investigación en la Lucha contra el Cáncer" (Doctors Diz Pintado Foundation for Teaching and Research in the Fight against Cancer).
Dr. Prat's research focuses on identifying biomarkers for the application of precision oncology. His outstanding contribution includes evaluating the impact of breast cancer molecular subtypes in the clinical setting and the development of HER2DX.
HER2DX is the first and only tool available to guide the treatment of early HER2+ breast cancer. The test utilizes genomic data to detect the activation of the patient's immune system, allowing anticipation of the disease's evolution and selection of effective treatments. This optimization of therapeutic strategies not only reduces treatment toxicity but also improves patients' quality of life.
Additionally, Dr. Prat and his team have developed another test that identifies numerous biological processes in cancer. This test, based on DNA analysis and surpassing individual mutations or alterations,is applied in both tumor tissue samples and surrounding DNA in plasma. It provides prognostic and predictive information for patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors.
Dr. Aleix Prat is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the FERO Foundation, Director of the Chair of Innovation in Precision Oncology (IOP) at the University of Barcelona (UB), Director of the Breast Cancer Unit of the Oncology Institute of Barcelona (IOB-QuirónSalud),and Member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Association for Cancer Research (ASEICA).