Triple success for LIH researchers at the 2026 FNR Awards

Three prestigious distinctions recognise LIH excellence in immunotherapy, brain cancer research and scientific mentorship

• Department of Cancer Research
• Department of Infection and Immunity
• Proteomics of Cellular Signaling

Three researchers from the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) were honoured at the 2026 FNR Awards, celebrating outstanding contributions to biomedical science and research talent development. Dr Carole Devaux received the Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award for pioneering new immunotherapy approaches, Dr Pilar María Moreno Sánchez was recognised for her innovative PhD research on glioblastoma, while Prof Gunnar Dittmar received the Outstanding Mentor Award for his dedication to supporting the next generation of scientists.

The Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) celebrated a triple success at the 2026 FNR Awards, organised by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) on October 22^nd to recognise exceptional achievements within Luxembourg’s research community. The three distinctions highlight the breadth of scientific expertise at LIH, from developing innovative therapeutic strategies and advancing cancer research to fostering an environment in which young scientists can thrive.

Dr Carole Seguin-Devaux, Head of the Infection and Immunotherapy Research Group at the LIH Department of Infection and Immunity (DII), received the Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award for her team’s development of innovative immunotherapy approaches targeting cancer and infectious diseases. While most existing immunotherapies focus on the adaptive immune system, Dr Devaux and her team are exploring the largely untapped therapeutic potential of innate immunity, the body’s first line of defence. Their research has led to the development of innovative molecules known as immunocomplexes, designed to recognise cancer cells or infectious agents and direct the immune system to attack them. These molecules can activate different immune defence mechanisms, including the complement system and natural killer (NK) cells. The promising preclinical results have already led to two patent applications, opening new perspectives for immunotherapies against cancer and infectious diseases, including infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Dr Pilar María Moreno Sánchez received the Outstanding PhD Thesis Award for her innovative research on glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer in adults. Her doctoral work addressed a major challenge in glioblastoma research, namely the limited success of immunotherapies against this particularly aggressive tumour. One obstacle is glioblastoma’s ability to suppress immune responses, with conventional experimental models often failing to reproduce the complexity of human tumours. To overcome these limitations, Pilar developed novel humanised mouse models combining patient-derived glioblastoma tumours with a human immune system. These models more accurately reproduce the interactions between tumour and immune cells observed in patients. Importantly, they successfully predicted the failure of an immunotherapy previously tested in clinical trials, demonstrating their potential to identify ineffective treatments earlier. Her findings also suggest that successful immunotherapy may require first modifying the tumour environment to make it more receptive to immune responses. By providing more clinically relevant tools to evaluate potential therapies, her research could help accelerate the development of more effective treatments for glioblastoma.

Prof Gunnar Dittmar, Head of the Proteomics of cellular signalling Research Group at LIH, received the Outstanding Mentor Award, recognising his exceptional dedication to supporting the professional and personal development of young researchers. Alongside his research investigating how chemical modifications of proteins influence their interactions and the development of mass spectrometry technologies for research and clinical applications, Prof Dittmar has made mentorship a central part of his academic career. His approach focuses on fostering scientific curiosity, independence and confidence, particularly among postdoctoral and senior researchers navigating the transition towards scientific independence. His mentees highlight his fairness, commitment to their well-being, respect for work-life balance and ability to encourage autonomy and responsibility, creating a supportive environment in which researchers can thrive and advance their careers. As Prof Dittmar explains, “Research and mentoring are two sides of the same coin. Research moves knowledge forward for everyone, and with it, what society can achieve. Mentoring moves one person forward, toward their own goals”.

We are extremely grateful to the FNR for their unwavering support. Together, these awards reflect our commitment to advancing biomedical research while nurturing the people behind scientific discovery and demonstrate how innovative research, translational approaches and high-quality mentorship complement one another in driving scientific progress and improving human health. We extend our warm congratulations to our three awardees on these well-deserved distinctions and thank them for their valuable contributions to Luxembourg’s scientific community

concludes Dr Frank Glod, Deputy CEO of the LIH.