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| Nome:Pedro Castelo Branco |
What brought you to the USA/Canada?
The opportunity to work with a leading group in cancer viral therapies.
In what are you currently working on?
We are designing novel chemo/radiation therapeutic approaches to specifically target a small sub-population of tumour cells cancer stem cells in Pediatric brain tumors.
What conditions do you have in Canada that you do not have in Portugal?
Ten years ago when I first left, the scientific differences between Portugal and other countries in Europe and North America were significant. Although in a different scale Portugal is today a country where most scientific projects can be achieved. I believe that some of our resources could be optimized and used in a more collaborative way but good science is made nowadays back home.
What are your future plans?
Establish a research platform somewhere in Portugal highly focused on translational research.
Why did you join PAPS?
PAPS became my family during my early years in Boston. Meeting people with similar professional aspirations and the same background was very supportive and made the difference when it came to my personal life.
| Favourite source of news from Portugal: | Publico online, RTPi |
| Daily life (weekdays): | Wake up and run to the Hospital because I am already late At noon have lunch in a nearby Asian restaurant and back to work. At night stop at a Portuguese butcher shop on the way home and decide whats for dinner. Eat, read and sleep. |
| Daily life (weekends): | A pastel de nata and café, starts my weekend in one of the multiple Portuguese bakeries in town. During winter the options are more limited but there is always a skating rink or a small mountain for a bit of out doors exercise. Over the summer there are lots to do. Everybody is out enjoying the weather and I am one of them. Water sports are my favourite and one can do those at the lake just few blocks away from home. Going to a cottage is also something I love doing since it is an opportunity to be out of town. |
| Other interests: | Skiing, Kite Surfing and Sailing. |