The 3rd Vall d’Hebron PhD Day highlights the scientific excellence of the predoctoral community

On June 6th, 2025, the Vall d’Hebron Campus hosted the third edition of PhD Day, an event dedicated to the predoctoral community, jointly organised by PhD students from the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) and the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), with the support of the VHIR Teaching Unit and the VHIO Academy.

Held in the Assembly Hall of the Teaching Pavilion, the event gathered over 120 attendees, consolidating Vall d’Hebron’s PhD Day as a key space for fostering collaboration and scientific excellence in the biomedical field.

“PhD Day is a unique opportunity for our students to share their research, connect with other scientists, and develop essential skills for their future as scientific leaders,” said Imma Falero, Head of the VHIO Academy.

According to Estefanía De la Torre, Head of the VHIR Teaching Unit, “events like this help us showcase emerging talent and promote synergies that drive biomedical research forward, starting from the earliest stages.”

Sharing knowledge

One of the highlights of the programme was the Short Talks session, in which eight PhD students presented their research projects across a wide range of fields. Topics included the use of artificial intelligence in medical imaging for oncology research, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing for drug screening, the study of the metastatic microenvironment in hard tissues, and the spatiotemporal mapping of immune and clonal dynamics in breast cancer patients. Additional presentations covered neuroscience, ADHD genetics, therapeutic resistance in ovarian cancer, and protein assembly in extracellular vesicles. These talks reflected the breadth and quality of predoctoral research carried out across the campus.

The importance of mental health during the PhD

The programme also featured a keynote lecture by Anna Muro i Rodríguez, Associate Professor in the Department of Basic, Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and Director of the UAB Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management. Her talk, titled “Well-being and Mental Health in Doctoral Careers: A Priority in the European Research Area”, focused on the importance of mental and emotional well-being during doctoral training, highlighting the need for institutional policies that promote healthy and sustainable research environments.

In the afternoon, a roundtable explored alternative career paths after the PhD. Participants included Elena Redondo (talent management, CERCA), Muriel Arimon (science communication and open science, CRAG), Queralt Tolosa (scientific illustrator), and Sara Ricardo (research strategy consultant at SIRIS Academic). The speakers shared their personal journeys and offered practical advice on exploring opportunities beyond the traditional academic career.

For the second consecutive year, the Thesis Contest was held, where seven students presented their research projects in just three minutes each. The jury prize was awarded to Olivia Prior, researcher of the Radiomics Group at VHIO, for her thesis 'Non-Invasive Characterization of Intratumor Heterogeneity in Liver Metastases'. The public prize was awarded to Pere Nubiola, researcher at the Rheumatology group at VHIR, for his thesis 'Multi-Omic Approaches for Early Biomarker Discovery and Improved Diagnosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus'.

Vall d’Hebron’s PhD Day is now firmly established as a key initiative to strengthen the emerging research community, promote innovation in biomedical science, and provide a platform for future scientific leaders to share knowledge, build collaborations, and explore new professional opportunities.

This event was sponsored by AstraZeneca and held in collaboration with DEVIR, the CosmoCaixa Science Museum, Rosa dels Vents, Elena Archer, and the Casa Groga Civic Center.