Francesc Xavier Bofill De Ros receives EUR 1.344 million from the Lundbeck Foundation to study cancer tumours
Xavier Bofill De Ros is one of the seven talented researchers who will become a Lundbeckfonden fellow in 2022. And the grant that comes with the appointment enables him to establish his own research group and devote himself to research for the next five years at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (MBG), Aarhus University.
Xavier Bofill De Ros, age 35, will be studying certain cancer tumours that are present in children and adults. He intends to investigate, among other things, whether poorly functioning microRNAs may be involved in tumour development. A microRNA is a tiny molecule that help regulate gene expression – and thereby which proteins are present in a cell.
Xavier Bofill De Ros will study the biochemical processes associated with the generation and degradation of microRNAs. Improved understanding of these processes may in future lead to the development of better pharmaceuticals to the treatment of certain types of cancer.
Xavier Bofill De Ros, why did you choose the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (MBG) at Aarhus University?
"I choose MBG because it has a very nice RNA and Innovation section that will synergize with my proposed lines of research. I also feel very interested in learning more about the work of my future colleagues in areas such as structural biology and neuroscience, I think it will be a strong driver to foster collaborations. I was also very impressed by the opportunities for growth during the department's recruitment symposium last year."
"I’m very excited about this opportunity of starting my own independent lab in such an international and cutting edge research environment," concludes Xavier Bofill De Ros.
Xavier Bofill De Ros comes from a postdoctoral position at the RNA Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, USA, and he plans to start at Aarhus University in January 2023.
In 2022, The Lundbeck Foundation is awarding a total of DKK 70 million to this year's fellows – of which the Department of Molecular Biology has a share in two of the grants.
In addition to Xavier Bofill De Ros, Azadeh Shahsavar also receives a Lundbeck Foundation grant of EUR 1.344 million. Azadeh Shahsavar, who is assistant professor in Professor Poul Nissen's group at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, has received a grant to do research at the University of Copenhagen, where she will study the structure and function of proteins that transport glycine and glutamine in the brain from 1 July 2022.
More information
Xavier Bofill De Ros
RNA Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute (USA)
xavier.bofillderos@nih.gov
The article is based on a news article from the Lundbeck Foundation