Católica Medical School Research Receives SPEDM 2025 Research Project Grant and Best Basic Science Award

Research conducted at the Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology and Signalling of the Católica Medical School (CMS), Universidade Católica Portuguesa, has recently received two major national scientific distinctions in the field of endocrinology.

The SPEDM Research Project Grant – 2025 was awarded to Ana Luísa Silva,  Assistant Professor from Católica Medical School, for the project “The role of tumour microenvironment in the biological behaviour and outcomes of pituitary adenomas: new immune-related biomarkers and therapeutical targets”. The project is being developed in collaboration with Invited Pedro Marques, Assistant Professor, also from CMS.

This competitive funding will strengthen ongoing research lines focused on the study of the tumour microenvironment in pituitary adenomas, with particular emphasis on the identification of novel immune-related biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets associated with tumour aggressiveness and resistance to conventional treatments.

In addition, the study entitled “Chemokines and chemokine receptors in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors: an exploratory transcriptomic study in a large cohort”, presented as an oral communication by Pedro Marques at the Portuguese Congress of Endocrinology, received the Best Paper Award in the Basic Science Category. The work stood out for its innovative approach to the transcriptomic characterisation of chemokines and their receptors in pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs).

Ana Luísa Silva leads the Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology and Signalling, which is integrated into the CatólicaMed Platform of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Health (CIIS-UCP). The laboratory is dedicated to understanding the molecular pathways that regulate endocrine tumours, with a particular focus on thyroid and pituitary tumours, aiming to develop new therapeutic strategies and personalised medicine approaches.

Research lines related to pituitary tumours are coordinated by Pedro Marques, whose scientific activity focuses on the molecular determinants of tumour invasiveness, therapeutic resistance, and the identification of biomarkers associated with clinically aggressive pituitary adenomas.

These distinctions reflect the scientific excellence, translational relevance, and impact of the research carried out at Católica Medical School, reinforcing its position as a leading institution in the field of molecular endocrinology and oncobiology.

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