On June 25-26, 2025, the Erasmus University Medical Center hosted the Mac4Me kick-off meeting. This event brought together core partners to align efforts and establish the framework for the next four years of research. It was also a good opportunity to facilitate engagement among doctoral candidates and principal investigators, laying a solid foundation for collaboration and team-building.
Prior to this, we held the first training session for our future doctoral candidates. Mac4Me goes beyond technical expertise, striving to ensure each doctoral candidate has the tools to flourish both professionally and personally. The program covered clinical aspects and requirements related to the three metastatic cancer types Mac4Me is focusing on. Besides advanced scientific methodologies, including single-cell mechanics and organ-on-chip technology, the students gained insights into fundamental biological mechanisms such as tumour formation, immune evasion, and DNA repair deficiency in age-related diseases. The training also explored the ethics of cancer research and included an activity where the communication team produced short introductory videos of each doctoral candidate for the website. A significant part of the training focused on Patient and Public Involvement in Research (PPI). This session, led by patient advocates from Dublin (PVCR – Patient Voice in Cancer Research) and the US (GRASP – Guiding Researchers and Advocates to Scientific Partnerships), fostered an immediate connection with the doctoral candidates, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and direct patient engagement at every step in the research process. A profound mutual interest in the project’s success was shared.
It has been an incredible experience, with nearly all doctoral candidates and principal investigators meeting in person for the very first time. There was a palpable energy of eagerness and enjoyment, fostering strong team cohesion and laying a solid foundation for scientific and technical collaboration over the next four years.
Mac4Me is a Horizon Europe MSCA (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions) Doctoral Network. It is a 48-month initiative addressing scientific and societal challenges in neuroblastoma, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Our goal is to develop new strategies for understanding and treating metastatic disease. The project is led by a core consortium of 14 partners and supported by an additional 11 associated partners. The partnership brings together experts from multiple disciplines, including basic science, biomedical engineering, translational research, social sciences, and computational biology.
