Metastasis Research Society

Spatial mapping of transcriptomic plasticity in metastatic pancreatic cancer - Nature Spatially resolved transcriptomic profiling of primary tumours and metastases from patients with pancreatic cancer provides insight into the evolutionary progression to metastasis, and the variation i...

In a work from Pei et al, 55 biopsies from 13 metastatic pancreatic cancer patients were analyzed via spatial transcriptomic sequencing and generated high-resolution maps of lineage states, clonal architecture and microenvironment of primary tumors and metastases.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Transcription factor switching drives subtype-specific pancreatic cancer - Nature Genetics Pancreatic cancer progression is driven by a switch from HNF4G-driven transcriptional activity in primary disease to FOXA1-mediated transcription in the metastatic setting.

Rao et al. showed that HNF4G and FOXA1 are two transcription factors involved in classical subtype pancreatic cancer progression. HNF4G supports the cancer cell growth in primary tumors while FOXA1 drives the expression of genes associated with metastatic potential. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Still buzzing from the fantastic ECLC virtual meeting! Thank you to all speakers and attendees for the compelling talks and discussions on metastasis research. On today, World Pancreatic Cancer Day, we honor every patient and researcher. Share your favorite paper from 2025. Starting here:

2nd MRS Early Career Research Virtual Meeting | Metastasis Research The 2025 MRS Early Career Research Virtual Meeting is a two day meeting aimed at engaging trainees and early career researchers from around the world and highlighting recent advances in metastasis research through keynote presentations, invited talks, panel discussions, and selected talks from abstracts. The meeting is organized and hosted by the Early Career Leadership Council (ECLC) of the MRS. Abstracts are being accepted for consideration for oral presentations. Abstract submission is open to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical students, residents, clinical fellows, and researchers within 3 years of starting their own independent research group. Registration for this meeting is free for MRS Members!

⏰ It’s almost here!
The ECR Virtual Meeting kicks off next week, connecting ECRs shaping the future of metastasis biology.

💡 Inspiring talks from rising leaders
💬 Community-led discussions
🌍 A truly global metastasis community

🗓️ Last chance to register ➜ bit.ly/4qyxE0o
📘 Program ➜ bit.ly/4qtpVR9

🏆 MRS Sue Eccles Early Career Investigator Award: Jose M. Adrover

🏆 Fidler Innovation Award: Cyrus M. Ghajar

🏆 MRS Women In Science Achievement Award: Lisa M. Coussens

🏆 MRS Paget-Ewing Award: Julio A. Aguirre-Ghiso

The MRS is excited to announce the awardees for the 2026 MRS Awards.

Each will be presenting at the 2026 Biennial Congress in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 28 - July 1, 2026, don't miss it!

🎉Congratulations to all of our awardees! 🎉

2nd MRS Early Career Research Virtual Meeting | Metastasis Research The 2025 MRS Early Career Research Virtual Meeting is a two day meeting aimed at engaging trainees and early career researchers from around the world and highlighting recent advances in metastasis research through keynote presentations, invited talks, panel discussions, and selected talks from abstracts. The meeting is organized and hosted by the Early Career Leadership Council (ECLC) of the MRS. Abstracts are being accepted for consideration for oral presentations. Abstract submission is open to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical students, residents, clinical fellows, and researchers within 3 years of starting their own independent research group. Registration for this meeting is free for MRS Members!

🚀 Two weeks to go!
The ECR Meeting brings together early-career scientists driving the next wave of metastasis research.

⚡ Don’t miss:
💡 Inspiring talks from rising leaders
💬 Community-led discussions
🌍 A global metastasis community

🗓️ Register by Nov 18 ➜ bit.ly/4qyxE0o
Program ➜ bit.ly/4qtpVR9

Let's keep it going! ⭐Share your favorite recent paper to spotlight their impact. #BreastCancerAwareness #MRSCommunity

Respiratory viral infections awaken metastatic breast cancer cells in lungs - Nature Mouse models show that respiratory infections from viruses such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 can trigger metastasis of dormant breast cancer cells in the lungs, a finding supported by epidemiological d...

🔬Chia et al. demonstrates that respiratory viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, can awaken dormant metastatic breast cancer cells in the lungs, linking inflammation from viral infection to reactivation of latent tumor cells and a higher risk of metastatic relapse. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Loss of BPTF restores estrogen response and suppresses metastasis of mammary tumors - Nature Communications BPTF is known to regulate chromatin accessibility and self-renewal in mammary epithelial stem cells. Here, the authors discover that BPTF inhibition delays tumor formation, re-activates ERα expression...

⭐Spotlighting rising talent: Proud to kick off this thread with groundbreaking work!
This study shows that loss of the chromatin remodeler BPTF can restore estrogen-receptor signaling in ER-positive mammary tumors and reduce metastatic behavior.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Every patient’s story inspires researchers to push boundaries, work harder, and never give up in the fight against breast cancer. Let’s honor the teams improving lives!

🚀 The program is LIVE!
Our ECR Virtual Meeting brings together trainees & junior PIs pushing the frontiers of metastasis research.

💡 Inspiring talks
🤝 Community-led discussion sessions
🌍 A global Metastasis Research Society

Program ➜ bit.ly/4qtpVR9
Register by Nov 18 ➜ bit.ly/4qyxE0o

🎗️ October is #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth!

💗The MRS honors survivors and researchers, including our MRS president, Dr. Alana Welm, who recently received Innovator of the Year award for advancing & sharing patient-derived breast cancer models enabling precision medicine. bit.ly/493BMiL

Register for our next ECLC webinar by Anna Obenauf PhD on Unlocking immunity: Decoding and reprogramming
the immune-evasive tumor microenvironment - October 20th, 2025 - USA: 11:00 AM EST | Europe: 17:00 PM CEST | Australia: 01:00 AM AEST - tidyur.link/kbryfp

Excited to present at the @metastasisresearch.bsky.social webinar soon. Registration is free!

Had a fantastic time at @myueg.bsky.social week in Berlin, sharing science and meeting new colleagues/pals!

Huge thanks to @metastasisresearch.bsky.social for making it possible for me to attend and share our research

MRS Meeting Bursaries | Metastasis Research The Metastasis Research Society is pleased to announce the availability of up to 10 Early Career Researcher (ECR) travel scholarships annually. These scholarships aim to support young investigators in presenting their metastasis research at national and international conferences.

Attending a meeting? Early career MRS members can apply for a bursary! metastasis-research.org/for-research...
🚨Next bursary deadline is:October 1! 🚨

🎉 Congratulations again to our latest MRS Travel Bursary winners!

🌍 Shona Ritchie (Australia)
🇺🇸 Abby Jackson (USA)
🇮🇱 Avishai Maliah (Israel)

Don't miss our next webinar by Zoi Diamantopoulou on "Timing the perfect strike: Using circadian rhythms to target metastasis" - September 22, 2025 - more details and register here: metastasis-research.org/2025/09/11/z...

🚨 DEADLINE APPROACHING!
Abstract submissions are closing soon for the 2nd MRS ECR Virtual Meeting on Nov 18-19, 2025!
Trainees & Junior Faculty (within 3 years of starting your lab), share your work!
Abstract Deadline: Sept 12, 2025 - Submit here: bit.ly/47KLyp2
❗Free registration for MRS Members!

🚨Excited for the 2nd MRS Early Career Research Virtual Meeting on Nov 18-19, 2025!

Trainees & Junior Faculty (within 3 years of starting your lab), share your work!
Abstract Deadline: Sept 12, 2025. Submit here: bit.ly/47KLyp2

❗Free registration for MRS Members! #MRS #Research #EarlyCareer

Calling all ECRs in cancer and metastasis research. Don't forget to register for the upcoming ECR Virtual Symposium in November (FREE for MRS members). More details here metastasis-research.org/2025/08/06/2...

Added!

Register for our next ECLC webinar by Marco Montagner, PhD on Understanding the determinants of the invisible phase of metastasis - June 26th, 2025 - USA: 11:00 AM EDT | Europe: 17:00 PM CEST | Australia: 01:00 AM AEST - tinyurl.com/ujer8yw8

Interested in the work of the MRS and ECLC and want to connect with the global metastasis research community? Become a member now! metastasis-research.org/for-research...

8/How do you envision the ECLC evolving in the near future?
Looking forward to seeing ECLC grow its initiatives while staying true to its core mission: supporting & connecting 🤝EMCRs in the metastasis research community. The future is bright! 🌟

7/What are the biggest obstacles for ECRs in establishing themselves in metastasis research or academia?
Key challenges: 💰 Funding uncertainty & fierce grant competition 📚 Publication pressure vs long experiment timelines 🎯 Limited permanent positions ⚖️ Work-life balance with demanding research

6/What do you consider the ECLC's most impactful contribution to early career researchers' development?
The ECLC Satellite meetings alongside the biennial MRS conference were game-changing 🤩! They created a dedicated space for EMCRs to connect, share & grow within our society. 📈