Month: November 2022

STEPUPIORS Horizon Europe Twinning Project Kickoff period lasted from November 28-30, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. Kickoff meeting was held at the Mercure Belgrade Excelsior hotel and online, on November 28^th , 2022, from 15:30 to 19:00 CET, and brought together 26 project participants from Spain, Greece, the Netherlands and Serbia dedicated to rectal cancer research. The Kickoff period was successfully coupled with WP3 activities: expert visits of BRFAA and IDIBAPS staff to IORS, and a Training event on grant proposal writing. The project activities were focused on scientific excellence during the next 3 years, while striving for responsible research, science promotion, social engagement, and creating the next generation of #paneuropean researchers. The consortium agreed upon fostering an open, collaborative, and critical research environment based on trust, transparency, fairness, and equal opportunity for all. It was a fantastic, beautiful, and sunny 3-day event!

During her presentation, Dr Stojanović-Rundić outlined the significance of molecular profiling of the response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. The STEPUPIORS project will focus on a more precise selection of patients who might be candidates for a less invasive surgical approach or for enrollment in a “watch and wait” approach, which would increase their quality of life.

On Thursday, Nov 17, 2022 the STEPUPIORS team was honored to spend time with curious pupils of the Elementary School “Đura Daničić” in Belgrade, and their enthusiastic professors Ivana Jankov, Violeta Dupor, and Principal Irena Ivanov-Kaličanin. The workshop was performed in collaboration with the Faculty for Physical Chemistry and the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering IMGGE, and their project Science on the move – from lab to streets & school (ScienceSCool), H2020, MSCA Researchers Night 101061631.

Thanks to our hardworking hosts we jointly learned about the significance of a healthy lifestyle from a young age, leading to a decrease of the national incidence of malignant diseases, such as rectal cancer.