IPO Porto Research Center
IPO Porto Research Center
Is a Department of the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto/Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto Francisco Gentil, EPE (IPO Porto), the largest specialized Portuguese cancer center dedicated to patient care, training, and research in Oncology (https://ipoporto.pt/en/). IPO Porto is a member of the Organization of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) and is accredited by OECI as a Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto Comprehensive Cancer Centre Raquel Seruca; PORTO.CCC Raquel Seruca) in collaboration with Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), acting as Coordinator of the National Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centers.
IPO Porto Research Center is endowed with the mission of coordinating and developing research activity of IPO Porto. It is a founding member of the Associated Laboratory Health Research Network (RISE-AL) in which it coordinates Thematic line 2 (TL2)- “Clinical & Translational Research in Oncology”. The Research Center is an FCT R&D unit since 2004, rated as Excellent in the last FCT two international evaluations (2019 & 2024).
IPO Porto Research Center encompasses five translational research groups (Cancer Biology & Epigenetics; Cancer Genetics; Experimental Pathology & Therapeutics; Medical Physics, Radiobiology & Radiation Protection; and Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology), and a group dedicated to responding to the growing needs in epidemiology of cancer, outcomes and quality of life in Oncology, as well as sustainability of health systems and value-based healthcare (Epidemiology, Outcomes, Economics & Management in Oncology). The Center’s clinical research is mainly developed by two clinical research groups (Precancerous Lesions & Early Cancer Management and Clinical Oncology), the Clinical Research Unit, which comprises an early phase Clinical Trials Unit (Center for Therapeutic Innovation in Oncology), dedicated to investigator-initiated trials, and the Oncology Nursing Research Unit.
RESEARCH LINES & AIMS
IPO Porto Research Center long-term aim is to enhance the delivery of Precision Cancer Medicine to Portuguese cancer patients, improving care and increasing cure rates, based on the significant advancement of knowledge accomplished by the Center’s multidisciplinary team on the 3 major strategic research lines:
- Promote cancer prevention through the development of new hereditary cancer risk predictors aiming to implement effective preventive actions in specific risk groups.
- Develop new and more effective strategies for screening and early detection of the most prevalent cancers using non- or minimally invasive technologies.
- Expand access to Precision Oncology, leveraging the already ongoing program since 2021 by mapping new molecular targets using multiple “omics” and other laboratory discoveries to implement innovative and more effective therapeutic approaches.
RESEARCH TEAM
IPO Porto Research Center comprises over 350 members over 350 members, including 98 PhD researchers and 202 MSc graduates. The IPO Porto staff includes 97 medical doctors, 18 nurses, 103 health/research technicians, 17 full-time PhD researchers (8 permanent contracts), and 24 PhD students. Additionally, 51 members were funded by external fellowships: 42 PhD Students, 7 Research Assistants, and 3 post-doctoral researchers. Moreover, 34 MSc students are supervised by IPO Porto researchers.
Director: Prof. Carmen Jerónimo, PhD
Vice-directors: Prof. Mário Dinis Ribeiro, MD, PhD, and Prof. Rui Medeiros, PhD
Scientific Coordination Council: IPO Porto Research Centers Groups/Units Leaders & IPO Porto Department of Education Director
Researchers Committee: 1 Integrated PhD Researcher and Healthcare professional at IPO Porto; 2 Integrated PhD Researchers (with up to 6 years of PhD experience); 2 Senior Integrated PhD Researchers (with more than 6 years of PhD experience)
PhD Students Committee: 1 Healthcare professional at IPO Porto; 1 PhD student with a fellowship/contract enrolled in the first year; 3 PhD students with a fellowship/contract, enrolled in the second year or higher
CORE FACILITIES (~4000 m2) AND OPERATIONAL WORKING GROUPS
The cutting-edge facilities are distributed across eight different areas at IPO Porto. It comprises three translational research laboratories (1, 2 and 3) (~1500 m2), which are supported by specialized Lab Managers who give scientific and technical support to the labs. Additionally, it has one dry research laboratory (4), one living lab (~750 m2), and two Research Units (~1750 m2). This includes:
- Facility for Complex Data Analysis (LAB3 & LAB4)
- Advanced Light Microscopy and Bioimaging (LAB1 & LAB 3)
- Flow Cytometry and FACS Sorting (LAB3)
- Proteomics and Glycomics (LAB2)
- In vivo CAM (LAB3)
- Genomics and transcriptomics (LAB1 & LAB2 & LAB3) (node of the GenomePT Consortium)
- Cytogenetics unit (LAB 1)
- Cell culture and in vitro models (LAB1 & LAB2 & LAB3)
- Tissue histopathology, immunostaining, and Tissue microarrays (LAB3)
- Biobank (PT Consortium)
- Center for Innovative Therapeutics in Oncology (1250 m2).
To foster collaborative research amongst the 10 research groups/Units in data science, bioinformatics, and computational biology, while promoting knowledge sharing and skill development, the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Working Group (BCBWG) was established early in 2025
PUBLICATIONS
In 2025, the Research Center published a total of 328 peer-reviewed scientific articles, with 297 of those published in journals with impact factor. From all publications, 181 had at least one category in Q1 from Scimago classification. Among these, 47 were assigned to the “Medicine” category, 34 to “Oncology”, and 20 to the “Cancer Research” category. The mean impact factor (IF) was 5.6 and the Sum of IFs was 1655.5. Moreover, 38 articles were published in journals with IF between 5 and 10, with 39 publications with IF above 10.
EXTERNAL ADVISORY BOARD
Prof. Dr. Christoph Plass, PhD | Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Germany
https://www.dkfz.de/en/CanEpi/plass.php
Prof. Dr. Elisabete Weiderpass, MD, PhD | International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), France
https://www.iarc.who.int/directors-page/
Prof. Dr. Ernst Kuipers, MD, PhD | Research of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
https://www.ntu.edu.sg/about-us/leadership-organisation/university-leadership
Prof. Dr. Joan Seoane, PhD | Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Spain
https://vhio.net/biosketch-joan-seoane/
Prof. Dr. Luis Paz-Ares, MD, PhD | Hospital 12 de Octubre & Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Spain
Dr. Sergio Roman Roman, PharmD, PhD | Institut Curie, France
https://institut-curie.org/personne/sergio-roman-roman
REPORTS
INTERNATIONAL EVALUATION BY FCT (2024)
The IPO Porto Research Center was rated EXCELLENT for the period 2018-2023 and activity plan for 2025-2029, following an international evaluation performed by the panel CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH organized by FCT. The resulting FCT basic and strategic funding (UID/00776/2025, https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/00776/2025) amounted to a total of 2.8M€.
ACTIVITIES
Scientifc Seminars
Archive 2025
Archive 2024
Archive 2022
Support for scientific infrastructure
UID/PRR2/00776/2025 – EQUIPAR+2: National Investment to Strengthen Scientific Equipment in R&D Units – R&D Unit: Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto Research Center
This project aims to enhance the IPO Porto Research Center’s capacity for preclinical and clinical research through the acquisition of equipment for the production of CAR-T cells, as well as the acquisition of -80°C freezers for the Institutional Biobank, in conjunction with renovations to adapt the physical spaces. The funding obtained will enable:
- The expansion of the Institutional Biobank, strengthening the IPO Porto Research Center’s role in clinical, translational, and collaborative research;
- The conduct of investigator-initiated early-phase clinical trials on adaptive and combination therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and small molecules, extending to hematologic malignancies and solid tumors;
- Consolidating the role of the IPO Porto Research Center as a national and European leader in precision oncology research.
Funding under the recuperarportugal.gov.pt program
IPO Porto Research Center Director – Prof. Doutora Carmen Jerónimo carmenjeronimo@ipoporto.min-saude.pt 225084000 (Ext 3230|7264)
Directorate centro.investigacao@ipoporto.min-saude.pt 225084000 (Ext 3245 |7400)
Secretariat secretariado.dci@ipoporto.min-saude.pt 225084000 (Ext 3241)