NEWS The 2026 Eric K. Fernström Prize for young, particularly promising and successful researchers is awarded to Associate Professor Silvia Remeseiro at the Department of Medical and Translational Biology for her groundbreaking research combining 3D genomics, epigenetics, and cancer neuroscience to understand how neurons drive glioblastoma growth.
The Fernström Prize is awarded to Associate Professor Silvia Remeseiro for her groundbreaking research combining 3D genomics, epigenetics, and cancer neuroscience to understand how neurons drive glioblastoma growth.
ImagePrivat“My first reaction was a mix of gratitude and excitement! It is incredibly rewarding to see our work recognized,” says Silvia Remeseiro, Associate Professor at the Department of Medical and Translational Biology at Umeå University.
“This award is especially meaningful because it highlights the importance of our line of research, which bridges various disciplines and opens new directions for understanding the complex interactions between neurons and glioblastoma cells from a unique perspective. Looking ahead, it gives visibility and momentum to our research and motivates us to keep pushing the boundaries, with the goal of translating our discoveries into new therapeutic strategies for patients with this devastating brain cancer.”
In its citation, the prize committee at the Faculty of Medicine states:
“Silvia Remeseiro has established an internationally competitive research environment at Umeå University within molecular medicine, bioinformatics, and cancer biology. Through innovative multi-omics approaches and advanced glioblastoma models, her research has provided new insights into how communication between neurons and tumour cells drives tumour growth and aggressiveness. Furthermore, her work has identified gene regulatory networks and transcription factors that govern the crosstalk between neurons and tumour cells, opening new avenues for future treatments targeting epigenetic mechanisms.”
The shipowner Eric K. Fernström Prize for young, particularly promising and successful researchers is awarded annually to early-career researchers at each of the six medical faculties in Sweden. In Umeå, the recipient is selected by a special committee at the Faculty of Medicine.
The prize is awarded at Umeå University’s Annual Ceremony in October. The award amounts to SEK 100,000. The recipient also receives a special diploma at a ceremony in Lund.
