Meet Sara Palomino Echeverria who joined the Nordic EMBL Partnership as NORPOD Fellow in the fall of 2024. Sara joined the labs of Anniina Färkkilä, FIMM, and Marieke Kuijjer, NCMM, to work on the collaborative project “Spatial regulation of chemoresistance in ovarian cancer”​. 

Sara completed her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and a general Master's in Health Sciences in Navarra, Spain. During her master's, she worked in a genomics lab focused on hematology, handling sample preprocessing, library preparation, and variant annotation.
“This experience highlighted the importance of bioinformatics for interpreting large data sets, leading me to pursue a Master's in Bioinformatics at the University of Barcelona.”

She then persued a PhD in Computational Biology as part of a Horizon 2020 project centered on cirrhosis, iat Navarrabiomed’s Translational Bioinformatics unit.
“My work involved applying various stratification tools and predictive models to clinical data and conducting multi-omics analyses."

Exploring the Nordics: the journey to the NORPOD postdoc programme 

“One of my research stays during my PhD was at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, where I greatly appreciated the Nordic research style and collaborative work environment.”

This experience left a lasting impression, and during the final months of her PhD, Sara began exploring postdoctoral opportunities in the Nordic countries. That’s when she discovered the NORPOD postdoc program.

“Additionally, I was familiar with the reputation of EMBL for its cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary approaches, and commitment to scientific excellence, which further fueled my interest in joining the program.”

Embarking on a NORPOD Fellowship: discovery and growth

"I feel privileged to be part of a research environment that is known for its innovation and collaborative spirit."

"My expectations include gaining deeper insights into advanced methodologies, building strong professional relationships, and contributing impactful findings to my field."

"I hope to expand my skill set and collaborate with leading experts that can lead to new ideas and advancements.”

Career aspirations and NORPOD: enhancing the research career

With a background in biology and a transition to ‘dry lab’ research, Sara has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by both fields. She recognizes the critical importance of strong collaboration and multidisciplinary teams.

“I am aiming to direct my career toward clinical translational research, where effective teamwork is essential for bridging the gap between computational analysis and clinical application."

"The NORPOD program offers the ideal environment for this career path, as it allows me to work closely with a clinically focused team dedicated to ovarian cancer research while also collaborating with a fully computational team.”