Diego Sanchez-Martinez previously worked as a clinical research fellow in the translational oncogenomics group at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, where his work focused on penile squamous cell carcinoma. Here, he shares what he learnt during his fellowship at The Christie.
Dr Diego Sanchez
“The Christie is a unique institution with the capability to drive this research in both basic and translational medicine from bench to bedside.”
What is your fellowship specialism and where were you based before joining The Christie?
I am a histopathologist from Paraguay and have obtained my medical and specialist degrees from the National University of Asuncion in my home country.
I was trained as an academic researcher by Dr Antonio Cubilla, a Paraguayan histopathologist who devised the current World Health Organisation classification for penile squamous cell carcinoma, a field which I continue to work in.
Before joining The Christie, I studied at Johns Hopkins University for a MSc in bioinformatics and worked there at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Centre, researching the role of non-coding RNA in human cancers for 2 years.
After returning to Paraguay, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked at my alma mater as a consultant and lecturer in histopathology.
What attracted you to The Christie?
When you search for “The Christie Hospital” on the internet, “the largest single site cancer centre in Europe” is one of the most impressive quotes you come across.
After further investigation online, it is striking to see the seamless integration of The Christie with the University of Manchester and CRUK through the Manchester Cancer Research Centre. It is clear to see that The Christie works hard to cover every aspect of cancer research, to not only treat patients with cutting-edge approaches, but also to provide the best environment for understanding the complexity of this group of diseases.
I am working in penile cancer research, an under researched disease that is most frequently observed in low-income and underdeveloped countries with lack of patient or government advocacy. This setup has hindered the understanding of this cancer’s underlying biology and, consequently, the development of tailored medicine approaches.
The Christie is part of a Penile Cancer Supra-network serving the population of northwest England, accruing a population equivalent to the total population of my home country. Such centralisation ensures a cohort of homogeneously managed patients with accurate diagnoses, the best standard of care, and consistent follow-up, making The Christie a unique institution with the capability to drive this research in both basic and translational medicine from bench to bedside.
What have you enjoyed most about your fellowship?
I am a CRUK-funded clinical research training fellow, meaning that my full-time commitment to research is leading to the completion of a PhD.
This unique setting takes advantage of The Christie’s multidisciplinary environment; I have had the opportunity to work with consultants in histopathology, urology, and oncology, as well as interacting with researchers from cell biology, and biomarkers to translational oncology.
We’d love to hear your experience as a fellow at The Christie, and how it has helped you in your career.