Sara Cuadrado Castano, PhD

Dr Sara Cuadrado-Castaño (PhD, Biological Science) was born in Salamanca (Spain) and graduated in Biology (2005) and Biochemistry (2012) at the University of Salamanca (USAL, Salamanca, Spain).            She obtained her PhD with honors at the same university and her work on the development of the cancer therapeutic rNDV-B1/Fas virus was highlighted by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, granting her with the Archimedes National Award for Young Investigators in the discipline of Biomedicine (2007).     In 2012, Dr Cuadrado-Castaño joined the laboratory of Professor Adolfo García-Sastre at ISMMS as a post-doctoral fellow with the goal of implement and expand the field of oncolytic viruses (OVs) for cancer treatment at the Department of Microbiology at ISMMS. Her postdoctoral work was focused on understanding the immunology behind the anti-tumor effect of RNA viruses to rationally design novel treatment strategies and targeted viruses that could be applicable to different cancer models. In 2018, she was promoted to Assistant Professor in the Dep. of Microbiology where she continues leading the Cancer Virotherapy Research Program. As today, her research portfolio has been expanded to different non-human avian virus (APMVs and IBDV) and non-pathogenic versions of Influenza A virus (delta-NS1). She keeps “hands on” working on the development and pre-clinical assessment of targeted OVs-based solutions to a broad range of cancers such as lung carcinoma, melanoma, brain, breast, and colon carcinomas, teaming up with extraordinary national and international experts in cancer and immunology, as well as engaging with private companies to expedite breakthrough solutions into the clinic.
https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/garcia-sastre/oncolytic-viruses/