• Question: what made you want to go into cancer research?

    Asked by grog532stot8 on 16 Oct 2025. This question was also asked by cecil.
    • Photo: Lucia Montero

      Lucia Montero answered on 16 Oct 2025:

      I have always been very curious and inquisitive growing up, and Biology has always been my favourite subject. I always knew I wanted to go into research, and having people close to me who have been very impacted by cancer made me realise I could use my love for research to help other people. There are constant advances in the field, which makes it a great environment for constant learning!

    • Photo: Emma Bull

      Emma Bull answered on 16 Oct 2025:

      I only realised that I was fascinated by cancer research specifically mid way through my degree. Before then (during school and as a kid), I loved science, I loved animals and creepy crawlies and all things gross, and I loved making potions and creations in the garden. Without realising, I was experimenting and investigating like I now do in my job!

      During my time at university I did a lab project looking at how different chemotherapy medicines affected different cells, and it was from there that I became interested in cancer, cancer treatment and improving medicines for cancer patients. I found it really sad that many of the medicines we use to treat patients today in 2025 were first discovered/used many decades ago and havent been improved upon. It means the treatments we use are like old technologies now, not new, updated or streamlined therapies which means they are harsh on the body and cause many unnecessary side effects. Then I found out one of my friends had been diagnosed with bone cancer, and it just so happened that there was a project on bone cancer at my university. I started this project to try to help people like my friend, and I have stayed working in the same research area ever since. I want to contribute to finding new, better treatments for bone cancer patients.

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