At the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, oncologist Nerea Muñoz Unceta is facing a challenge that marks a turning point in her career: leading her own research project for the first time. Her goal is as ambitious as it is specific: to discover biomarkers capable of predicting which patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) will respond best to a given treatment.
The motivation behind this objective is clear: to offer more precise medicine, avoiding subjecting patients who will not benefit from a drug to useless or toxic therapies, saving time in clinical decision-making, and increasing the chances of therapeutic success.
This step forward is made possible by the NEXT-Val (NEXT generation VALdecilla) program of the Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL), which provides up to €150,000 in funding for emerging researchers who have not yet led competitive projects as principal investigators. For Muñoz, it’s not just about financial support: “It’s my first grant as principal investigator, so I’ll always remember it as the beginning of a new chapter in my career.”
Born in Madrid, Nerea Muñoz graduated in Medicine in 2011 at the Autonomous University of Madrid, where she first became interested in oncology, a field that combines cutting-edge science, analytical skills, and direct contact with patients. She completed her residency in Medical Oncology at the 12 de Octubre University Hospital, where her research vocation was born through close collaboration with biologists and laboratory scientists.
Not content with clinical practice alone, she completed a Master’s degree in Molecular Oncology and gained her first experience at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital. Later, she moved to France with a fellowship from the ARC Foundation to pursue her PhD at the Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, where she studied the role of netrin-1 in squamous carcinomas. Those years in an international environment gave her a broader vision of how science and clinical care can work hand in hand.
Squamous cell carcinoma can develop in different locations—such as the lung or head and neck region—but it shares similar biological mechanisms. This opens the door to research strategies that go beyond focusing on a single organ and instead address the disease from a global perspective.
Currently, the only widely used biomarker to predict immunotherapy response is PD-L1, and its predictive value is limited. This means that, today, many patients receive treatments that are ineffective in their specific case, leading to physical and emotional strain, as well as a burden on the healthcare system.
Muñoz’s project aims to identify common biomarkers of response and resistance to both immunotherapy and chemotherapy in squamous tumors from different anatomical locations. To this end, she will study samples from patients treated at Valdecilla between 2015 and 2025, using cutting-edge technologies such as RNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, and immunohistochemistry. If time permits, she will also incorporate functional studies in in vitro and in vivo experimental models to better understand the underlying mechanisms.
“We treat all patients the same, but not all respond the same,” Muñoz emphasizes. “We need to know beforehand which patients will benefit from a treatment and which will not, so we don’t expose them to ineffective or harmful drugs and we don’t lose valuable time.”
The oncologist is convinced that the future lies in personalized medicine, tailoring each treatment to the biological profile of every patient. Her research seeks to move in that direction: not only improving prognosis, but also reducing toxicities and optimizing healthcare resources.
Although research is an essential part of her profile, Muñoz never forgets that her true vocation lies with her patients. She recalls with a smile when she was shown the IDIVAL laboratory facilities: “It brought back good memories from my PhD, but I know I prefer being with patients; pipettes and mice are for others.”
Her vision has been strongly influenced by her mentor at 12 de Octubre, Dr. Luis Paz-Ares: “He taught me a different and highly effective way of thinking. Research must be an essential part of our work; otherwise, we won’t improve treatments that, although useful, remain toxic, expensive, and non-curative.”
Muñoz’s ultimate goal is clear: that her work contributes to improving patients’ quality of life and, one day, to finding a cure. “Today we aim to offer them a better quality of life, but I would like our work to help put an end to this disease.”
She also sends a direct message to young people considering a research career: “Although it is difficult due to the lack of resources and time, it is essential to keep researching. It helps us understand the disease better and improve our treatments. Don’t stop doing it, because it is necessary.”
