Dr Pilar Acedo

Dr Pilar Acedo has a PhD in Genetics and Cell Biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain), with training also at Harvard Medical School (USA) and Padova University (Italy). During her PhD, she made notable contributions to the fields of light-based therapies and nanomedicine for the treatment of cancer. After a postdoc at the Karolinska Institute (Sweden) studying the role of p53 family members in cancer development and progression, Dr Acedo joined University College London (UCL) in 2015, where she currently works as a Junior Group Leader at the Institute for Liver and Digestive Health (Royal Free Hospital). Her multidisciplinary group is formed of basic and clinical scientists. Thus, she is involved in several translational studies in early cancer detection and in novel therapeutic interventions for pancreaticobiliary diseases.

Dr Acedo’s research focuses on the discovery and validation of cancer-associated biomarkers for the early detection of pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma, also with a focus on immuno-inflammatory changes. The lab’s research interests also include the evaluation of combination therapies, including nanomaterials, in patient-derived models (e.g. organoids) to improve the outcome of patients with these cancers.

Dr Acedo is a United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Rising Star 2023, a 2022 YOUPPIE Awardee by the European Pancreatic Club (EPC) and the current Chair of the UEG Young Talent Group.