Filipa Martins, a recent PhD graduate from the Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Lab led by Jacinta Serpa at NOVA Medical School, has been awarded the 2025 Cell Biology Travel Award: Jacobo and Estela Klip Fund. The grant, worth CAD $15,000 (approximately €10,015), is intended to support travel and accommodation expenses for a collaborative research stay at one of the labs in the Cell Biology Program at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), in Canada.
This funding will enable Filipa Martins to join the research team of Cynthia Hawkins and Sanja Pajovic at SickKids where she will develop the project entitled “Investigating the role of methionine aminopeptidase 2 (MetAP2) in diffuse midline glioma (DMG) and its potential as a therapeutic target.”
The project aims to explore the role of the MetAP2 enzyme in diffuse midline glioma, particularly in the DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) subtype — a highly aggressive pediatric brain tumor with a poor prognosis and a median survival of only 9 to 11 months. Proteomic data from the Hawkins’ Lab revealed a high expression of MetAP2 in DIPG tumor samples compared to normal tissue, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic target.
Reflecting on the importance of this opportunity, Filipa Martins shared: “This grant is a key opportunity for both my scientific and personal development, especially now that I have recently defended my PhD thesis. I aim to deepen my knowledge in genomics and proteomics techniques, while learning more about the clinical and molecular features of pediatric gliomas. This team’s involvement in translational research, including liquid biopsy approaches and the application of metabolomics data in clinical settings, offers a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between bench and bedside.”
This experience, she believes, will open doors to future collaborations and have a significant impact on her academic career path — further strengthening the international profile of Portuguese biomedical research.