“I believe that being part of a community really focused on a certain disease area is very interesting because you can really make an impact together. And when I realized that Oncode lacked expertise in my area of medicinal chemistry, I thought the community could potentially benefit from my expertise. With my research already moving into the oncology field, it was perfect timing,” she says.

Laura’s specialist area is the study of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a class of proteins associated with transmembrane cellular signalling. She is specifically interested in developing small molecule drugs that target these receptors more effectively – for example drugs that can bind their targets longer or alter its downstream activity across cell membranes. Her aim is to develop new drugs that better target tumour cells, or drugs that activate the body’s immune system to destroy tumour cells.

“I hope to expand my network so that my fundamental research can have more clinical impact, at least to the point of proving that targeting GPCRs with drugs that have been optimized in my group could be beneficial in a disease setting,” says Laura. “We already have some molecules that I think are interesting, and that now need to be tested in more advanced cellular models. In the coming months, I hope to set up collaborations with other groups in Oncode that can help us do it.”

“I was invited to the yearly meeting in January and I must admit I was a little bit overwhelmed. I had not realised how large and diverse the Institute is, which means there’s a lot going on. The good thing is that as a young Investigator I have access to excellent mentoring, which means I get a lot of personal feedback. So, my impression so far is very positive,” she says.