Dr. María M Caffarel is an Ikerbasque Researcher at the Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute (formerly known as Biodonostia) in San Sebastian (Spain) where she leads the Breast Cancer group within the Oncology Area. Her team’s main focus is the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in breast cancer progression, with the goal of developing new therapeutic strategies against metastatic breast cancer. In particular, she is interested in understanding how different cells within a tumor (tumor cells themselves, inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, etc.) communicate with each other to promote tumor progression and spread to other organs (metastasis). The idea is to design therapies that silence this communication in order to slow tumor progression.
María completed her PhD at the Complutense University of Madrid, where she characterized the antitumor role of cannabinoids in breast cancer. In 2009, she moved to the University of Cambridge, where she worked for over five years studying the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer and other types of tumors such as cervical cancer. In 2015, she joined Biodonostia thanks to an Ikerbasque Fellowship and has been leading the breast cancer group since 2020.
She is also a member of the Young Researchers Council of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR). Additionally, she is President of the Biodonostia Equality Committee and participates in various initiatives related to women and science. She also enjoys engaging in science outreach activities, giving talks to cancer patient associations and the general public (e.g., Pint of Science, Donostia WEEK-INN). In 2024, she received the EmakumeEkinn Award from Fomento San Sebastián for outstanding women researchers.
Connect with María on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-mu%C3%B1oz-caffarel-8254a9133/