Name: Helena Silva Cascales
Role: Senior Scientist and Project Leader for CellMate®
From: Barcelona, Spain
Languages: Catalan, Spanish, English, Swedish and some German. And often a mixture of the last three (not always realizing it!)
Why cancer?
There are still too many patients being diagnosed with cancer at too late a stage. I did my PhD in cancer research to try and understand the differences between healthy cells and cancer cells to ultimately be able to identify their weaknesses. Finding those cells in the body is key to being able to provide the adequate treatment in time, so I think that developing diagnostic methods is a really exciting way to contribute to improving cancer treatment.
What motivates you in your work?
The thought that what we do will have a big impact for many patients.
What is the best part about working at iCellate?
The atmosphere. I love the energy each and every one of us brings to the company and I love the passion and drive that we all bring to the services and projects we have under development.
What is something that most people don’t know about you?
Before I decided to study Biomedicine I considered studying philosophy while pursuing a career as a pastry chef.
What is your favorite season and why?
Spring! Especially in Stockholm I feel that one can almost feel the trees blooming and the flowers opening. There are so many colours everywhere and everything is coming back to life after the long winter that just walking around is energizing!
