María Soengas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
María S. (Marisol) Soengas
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Soengas interviewed in 2019
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| Born | 1968 (age 56–57) |
| Alma mater | Autonomous University of Madrid University of A Coruña |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Michigan Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Spanish National Cancer Research Centre |
María S. (Marisol) Soengas (born 1968) is a famous Spanish scientist. She is an immunologist, which means she studies the body's immune system. Dr. Soengas works as a senior scientist at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO). Her main work focuses on understanding and fighting melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer. She also helps create new ways to treat this disease. In 2022, she was chosen to be part of the European Molecular Biology Organization, a group of top scientists in Europe.
Early Life and Education
Marisol Soengas was born in Agolada, a town in Spain. She went to the University of A Coruña for her first degree. After that, she moved to the Autonomous University of Madrid to do her PhD research. A PhD is a very high university degree that shows you are an expert in a certain field.
During her PhD, she studied molecular biology. This field looks at how tiny parts of cells, like DNA and proteins, work. She worked with a famous scientist named M. Salas.
After finishing her PhD, Dr. Soengas became a postdoctoral scholar. This means she continued her research in new labs to gain more experience. She worked at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and later at the University of Michigan in the United States.
At Cold Spring Harbor, she studied how certain factors can stop melanoma from growing. These factors are called melanoma suppressors. She wanted to learn more than just what happens in cells or animals. So, she moved to the dermatology department at the University of Michigan. This department had special clinics that focused on melanoma.
Research and Career
In 2008, Dr. Soengas returned to Spain. She joined the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO). There, she started her own research group. Her team works to understand melanoma better and turn new scientific discoveries into real treatments for patients.
Dr. Soengas looks for new biomarkers for melanoma. Biomarkers are like clues in the body that can show if a disease is present or how it is developing. Her team also studies how cells get stressed and how this stress can lead to melanoma.
Her group made an important discovery. They were the first to create special mice called "MetAlert" mice. These mice help scientists see early signs of melanoma spreading without needing to do surgery. This discovery helps them understand how melanoma can resist the body's immune system. It also helps them create new treatments using tiny particles called nanoparticles.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Soengas has received many important awards for her work:
- Dana Ashby Young Investigator Award of the Society for Melanoma Research
- 2009 Premio M. Josefa Wonenburger from the Xunta de Galicia
- 2013 Melanoma Research Alliance Award
- 2016 L’Oreal-MRA Women-Lead Team Award
- 2022 Elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization
- 2022 Pezcoller-Marina Larcher Fogazzaro-EACR Women in Cancer Research Award
See also
In Spanish: Marisol Soengas para niños
