Cancer researcher Helena Carén has been awarded a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant. This EU grant of just over one million Swedish kronor will help Carén establish her own research group.
Helena Carén studies epigenetic regulation. Cells determine which genes are expressed through epigenetic processes. If this regulation goes awry, however, cancer can occur.
“Naturally, this grant means a lot and it’s incredibly exciting to receive it. It also confirms that my research has potential.”
Carén has enjoyed great success with her grant applications this autumn. She has received ten million kronor from the Swedish Research Council, grants from both the Swedish Cancer Society and the Hasselblad Foundation, and now the Marie Curie grant. Carén believes that spending time as a foreign postdoc is important for junior researchers applying for funding. She recently returned to Sahlgrenska Academy after completing a postdoc at UCL in London.
“I did my postdoc in one of the world’s leading epigenetic groups. I learned an incredible amount, got to know world-leading researchers, was inspired, and gained many new ideas. I think that’s really important when you’re developing your own research program and research group.”
