Sandra Castillo Diez

Sandra Castillo earned her BSc in Biology from the Universidad de Navarra (Spain) in 2006. She completed her PhD in cancer genetics at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO, Madrid) and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL, Barcelona), under the supervision of Dr. Montse Sanchez-Cespedes, focusing on the impact of novel oncogenes in cancer development. 

In 2012, following her PhD, she joined Prof. Bart Vanhaesebroeck's lab at the Cancer Institute, University College London, where she researched the role of PI3K signaling in cancer and rare congenital disorders. During this time, she identified new genetic mutations associated with vascular anomalies. 

In 2017, Sandra returned to Barcelona to join Dr. Mariona Graupera's lab at IDIBELL and the Josep Carreras Research Institute. There, she explored novel genetic and molecular drivers of vascular malformations and developed preclinical models and studies.

Currently, she leads the Pathobiology of Vascular Tumours and Malformations group at the SJD Pediatric Cancer Center. Her primary focus is to unravel the genetic and molecular causes of pediatric vascular tumors and malformations, with the aim of developing new preclinical models and therapeutic strategies.