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In conversation with our young researchers: Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez

Tumor immunology.

Most preclinical models lack effective immune system components. There is an urgent need to test new immunomodulatory agents for brain cancer patients.

How studying the interactions of tumor cells with tumor microenvironment can help immunotherapy in glioblastoma patients?

Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez is a PhD candidate at the NORLUX Neuro-Oncology laboratory in the Department of Oncology of the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH). Her research mainly focuses on tumor immunology for glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of brain cancer.

Contributing to new cancer treatment possibilities

Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez is developing effective preclinical immunocompetent models for glioblastoma, that can reliably predict tumour-induced immune responses.

Her PhD project is driven by the current need to develop novel immunomodulatory therapies that can overcome the lack of response to immunotherapy in patients with glioblastoma.

Immunomodulatory therapies

An immunomodulatory therapy treats diseases through the regulation of the patient’s immune system. In other terms, such a therapy boosts the immune system so it can find tumor cells in the body and kill them to effectively tackle the disease. 

Indeed, her project addresses the reduction and/or absence of immune system components in most preclinical models. This situation limits the possibility of testing new immunomodulating agents.

As such, the aim is to study the immune component of patient-derived 3D glioma organoids and xenografts and to investigate the interactions of tumour cells with the tumour microenvironment.

Patient-Derived Xenografts

In oncology research, xenografts are used as patient avatars to develop a personalised treatment. To do so, a small fragment of the patient’s tumor may be excised and subsequently grafted into an immunodeficient or humanised mouse.

The patient avatars are then being used to assess therapeutic options focused on the glioma microenvironment, thus providing reliable results that could be applied in the clinic.

“With our findings, we hope to provide the scientific community with robust models that will be relevant for future immunotherapeutics development and therefore could directly contribute to new glioma patient’s treatment possibilities.”

Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez

Research to fight cancer

The Spanish researcher developed an interest in oncology early. After graduating in Biochemistry at the University of Murcia, Spain, she then earned a master’s degree in Molecular Biomedicine with a focus on Oncology at the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.

Before starting her PhD, Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez worked as a research assistant in a project focused on humanised preclinical models for renal carcinoma, i.e. the most common type of cancer.

She also obtained an accreditation to work with laboratory animals, and the Good Clinical Practice certificate to perform clinical research.

“Cancer hit a deeply loved member of my family nine years ago, my grandfather […] it was the key point that made me want to change the situation, I felt it as a responsibility to show my family there were people who cared and were willing to fight against cancer. This is the whole reason why I got into science and Biochemistry, because we need to make people believe in science and have hope again and I am happy to contribute with my tiny bit in that.”

Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez

A member of the i2TRON project

Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez joined Research Luxembourg via the i2TRON fellowship. This doctoral training unit is on “integrating immune strategies for Translational Research in Oncology and Neurology”.

The aim of i2TRON is to train next generation translational scientists to advance research innovations focusing on immunological components across model diseases, and to turn new mechanistic insight into diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to improve patient care. 

Overall, 20 experienced supervisors, including  four  physician scientists representing the focus areas,  join forces across the Luxembourg the Institute of Health (LIH), the University of Luxembourg, the Laboratoire National de Santé (LNS) and the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL) to bridge and translate fundamental and clinical research into novel strategies for clinical practice. Each partner institution offers specialised research expertise as well as access to cutting-edge IT-, laboratory- and clinical infrastructures and combining their domain expertise in a collaborative scheme to push the frontier of knowledge.

i2TRON is funded over a period of 6.5 years by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) through the competitive PRIDE programe.

Luxembourg fosters research collaboration

Since her arrival in her lab group, Pilar has realised that collaboration is the key to success.

“My lab is a very multidisciplinary and international research group, comprising experienced researchers and technicians with various expertise. The environment of Department of Oncology is also very collaborative. Our laboratory actively collaborates with numerous researchers in Luxembourg and abroad.”

Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez

Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez praises Luxembourg for its healthy research atmosphere and international environment.

To her, Luxembourg managed to create effective connections between research institutes. It also gives the chance to work at different places according to the resources one need. “In my opinion it is very well equipped and a country that cares and invests in research, even more than other bigger countries in Europe.”

About living in Luxembourg

According to Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez, Luxembourg is a nice country to live in. In particular, she highlights that public transport is free.

“I really love the good organisation and coherence of Luxembourg in general. Everything seems to be put in place so the citizens’ life can be easier. The many different nationalities make Luxembourg a very attractive country with the possibility to learn from many different cultures.”

Pilar Maria Moreno Sanchez

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In conversation with our young researchers: Dr Huizhu Sun

How can research help Luxembourg to maintain its international competitive position as a financial marketplace? Huizhu Sun is a Junior Research & Associate in the Luxembourg Institute of Science […]

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Industrial & Service Transformation Inside Research Luxembourg Latest news

In conversation with our young researchers: Dr Huizhu Sun

Alternative investment and assets.

Luxembourg is a major global hub for alternative investment funds and a cross-border distribution centre. It is the leading investment fund centre in Europe and second worldwide behind the U.S.

How can research help Luxembourg to maintain its international competitive position as a financial marketplace?

Huizhu Sun is a Junior Research & Associate in the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). His research mainly focuses on alternative investment and assets, i.e. private equity, venture capital, infrastructure assets, and collectible assets/funds such as art, wine, etc.

Revealing the drivers of the competitiveness of Luxembourg’s fund ecosystem

Huizhu Sun is examining investment fund performance, its underlying drivers and the related implications of the fund structure. Such a project is instrumental in revealing the drivers of the competitiveness of Luxembourg’s fund ecosystem and maintaining its international competitive position as a financial marketplace. It allows to identify the drivers of performance and the role the alternative investment industry plays in the systematic risk of the economy.

In addition, understanding the performance drivers underlying different fund structures related to the investor pool or available distribution channels is crucial for the alternative fund industry. The second Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, i.e. MIFIDII, that came into force in January 2018 asks for a rigorous analysis of expected investor pools. Finally, apart from performance implications for investors, the public-private partnerships (P3) that emerge in the Venture Capital (VC) and infrastructure industry also have broad societal effects, given the growing public-private engagement in boosting innovation hubs and contributing to social infrastructure development.

“My focus on the structure of Venture Capital funds with the associated liquidity risk and investor pool sheds light on this topic.”

Dr Huizhu Sun

Research to develop his critical mindset

Dr Huizhu Sun developed an interest in economics and finance when working in a financial institute after graduation from Tongji University, Shanghai China, in Information Management. Naturally, he pursued a Master of Finance in the same university where he had a chance to participate in an exchange programme with the University of Luxembourg

After earning his master, he continued as a PhD candidate in the Department of Finance at University of Luxembourg, focusing on alternative investment research. “FNR CORE ALPHA project is a collaboration between my team in LIST and Department of Finance from University of Luxembourg, and prof. Roman Kräussl is the project Principal Investigator. I also work with Ankit Arora from LIST, Denitsa Stefanova from University of Luxembourg and Kalle Rinne from a private partner, Mandatum Life Fund Management S.A.”

“Taking research as a vocation not only trains you for the challenge to your ideas but develops critical and analytical way of observing life. It brings the fulfillment of disseminating cutting-edge ideas, research and innovation to the world.”

Dr Huizhu Sun

The researcher’s work is based on empirical analysis with proprietary industry data where his ideas and methods have been implemented and tested in private sector scope.

Why Luxembourg as a research destination?

Luxembourg is an ideal destination for financial research that focuses on industry practice and private sector in terms of industry support and collaboration.

“Most research projects in Luxembourg, including mine, are collaborative between different organisations. I am surrounded by data scientists and analysts who provide additional insights besides economic interpretation. This interdisciplinarity and collaboration environment brings various expertise.”

“Luxembourg research infrastructures provide supportive facilities and channels that make researchers’ ideas and work easily disseminated and visible, meanwhile motivate them with responsive solutions for their needs.”

Dr Huizhu Sun

About living in Luxembourg

Huizhu Sun initially moved to Luxembourg as an exchange student. He recalls that “University of Luxembourg took a good care of international students.”

“Living in Luxembourg gives you a hybrid experience combining relaxed European country life with fast pace working environment. It is an ideal place to have a work-life balance.”

Dr Huizhu Sun

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In conversation with our young researchers: Christopher Morse

 Human-computer interaction.

Museums and cultural institutions around the world have been digitising their collections for decades, resulting in large networks of digital repositories all around the world that are not only accessible by the public, but usually free to use.

In an age when the museum experience is no longer tethered to physical spaces, how might we design for memorable experiences in the digital?

Christopher Morse is conducting a doctoral project as a joint member of the Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C2DH) and the Human-Computer Interaction Research Group of the University of Luxembourg. The human-computer interaction researcher specialises in the design of user interfaces for digital arts and cultural heritage.

Bringing together the digital humanities, museum studies, and computer science

Christopher Morse’s work is grounded in human-computer interaction methodologies, which emphasise human-centered design thinking approaches to the development of new technologies. His project is highly interdisciplinary, drawing from the digital humanities, museum studies, and computer science.

The American researcher investigates the application of user experience (UX) design methodologies in the development of next-generation interfaces for museums.

“Within my own project, I partnered with the Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art in Luxembourg City to host a series of design workshops with the public on the subject of digital museum interfaces.”


Christopher Morse

In terms of impact, Christopher had the opportunity to present his research to cultural institutions in Luxembourg, i.e. the Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art and the Lëtzebuerg City Museum.

A researcher at heart

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Japanese Language and Literature and Harvard University, earning a Master of Theological Studies and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, Christopher developed an interest in library and museum studies, as well as the emerging field of digital cultural heritage.

Christopher moved to Luxembourg from the United States in 2017 to run his research project.

“I have always been a researcher at heart, and the doctoral programme certainly put those skills to the test. Research is more than just reading and writing; it’s also about defending your point of view, challenging your own thoughts, and developing resilience against rejection.”

Christopher Morse

Before moving to Luxembourg, Christopher was a Senior Research Computing Specialist for Arts & Humanities Research Computing (DARTH) at Harvard University.

Why Luxembourg as a research destination?

Two main factors were appealing to the researcher: “First, Luxembourg is a multilingual country, something I appreciate tremendously as a lifelong language learner. Second, the description of the call itself was a perfect fit: research at the intersection of the digital humanities and psychology.” Indeed, this doctoral programme felt like a natural continuation of efforts he made as a co-founder of an annual symposium at Harvard University called ArtTechPsyche.

“In my experience, the research infrastructures are robust and well supported. I never felt like I was missing out on anything I may have needed to conduct my work. What I have found is that researchers have a lot of agency to make the most of their time in Luxembourg, they must merely speak up about their needs.”

Christopher Morse

A TED speaker

In 2019, Christopher Morse was one of the speakers at TEDxUniversityOfLuxembourg. Titled “Experiential Culture: Feeling the Museum of the Future”, his talk offered a new approach to interacting with our shared cultural heritage.

The experience of visiting museums has evolved to extend beyond the walls of the institutions themselves into digital spaces, where online galleries, exhibitions, and virtual tours invite audiences to explore arts and culture from their personal devices. However, generating interest from the public around these platforms remains a challenge, and the digital experience rarely compares to an in-person visit. Building on research that demonstrates the effectiveness of emotional design as a way to generate public engagement with physical museum spaces and exhibitions, Christopher showed that a user-centered design approach has the potential to develop novel experiences around digitised museum collections.

Experiential Culture: Feeling Museum of the Future | Christopher Morse | TEDxUniversityofLuxembourg

About living in Luxembourg

Christopher has found in Luxembourg a place he can call home. “I have discovered so many things about Luxembourg itself that have motivated me to stay long term. It feels like a place that embraces the values that are most important to me, such as multilingualism, multiculturalism, and open-mindedness.”

“My favorite thing about Luxembourg is how well I feel it matches my values. No country is perfect, but during this time of sociopolitical upheaval, it is a privilege to live in a place where many people embrace differences, rather than fear them.”

Christopher Morse

Christopher Morse’s research comes from the FNR PRIDE funding. Find out more about him and his projects.

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In conversation with our young researchers: Dr Chiara Amorino

Stochastic differential equations.

Stochastic differential equation models have a major contribution in many fields of application, including biology, chemistry, physics, finance as well as social and economic science.

Why do we need stochastic differential equations? Where are they used?

Dr Chiara Amorino is a PostDoc researcher in the Probability and Statistics group at the University of Luxembourg. The mathematician specialises in stochastic differential equations with jumps.

Stochastic differential equations to model various phenomena

Chiara Amorino mainly focuses on stochastic differential equations with jumps. In simple terms, it is a differential equation with a solution which is influenced by boundary and initial conditions, but not predetermined by them. In other words, whenever the equation is solved under identical initial and boundary conditions, the solution takes on different numerical values although, of course, a definite pattern emerges as the solution process is repeatedly performed.

Stochastic differential equations find applications in many disciplines including economics and finance, physics, population dynamics, biology and medicine. The Italian researcher uses this powerful tool to model multiple stochastic phenomena in physics, biology and medical, social and economic science.

“In finance, stochastic differential equations with jumps have been introduced to model the dynamic of the exchange rates, of the asset prices and of the volatility. Utilisation of jump-processes can also be found in neuroscience. Therefore, stochastic differential equations with jumps attract the attention of many statisticians.”


Dr Chiara Amorino

Chiara Amorino is also involved in projects dealing with Stein’s method, Malliavin calculus and Hawkes processes.

Finding a true vocation in research

A graduate of the Università degli studi di Milano in mathematics, Chiara developed an interest in probability and statistics when she was a master’s student. In October 2017, she conducted a PhD in “Université d’Evry Val d’Essonne” under the supervision of prof. Arnaud Gloter before defending her thesis three years later.

“Research is for me a true vocation […] The best part about research is that it takes more time than you expected but in the end you always win. ”

Chiara Amorino

To the mathematician, research is similar to a board game. “At the beginning you need to read the rules and to focus a bit to understand how to play. You really need to take this part to play and have fun. At the beginning of every project you need to review the literature, to understand what it is possible to prove and what has already been proven. After that, you can start playing by making hypotheses and writing your results.”

Why Luxembourg as a research destination?

While attending a conference, Chiara Amorino met Professor Mark Podolskij, who was then living in Denmark. “I wrote to him to see if there was the possibility to apply for a post-doc in his group. He answered to me that there was such a possibility in Luxembourg, as he was changing his affiliation.” That is how Chiara moved to Luxembourg.

“I strongly recommend Luxembourg as a research destination. Research infrastructures are very good, they show the strong commitment of the country in investing in research.”

Chiara Amorino

According to the Italian scientist, the Luxembourg research environment supports interdisciplinarity and collaboration: “it is possible to meet researchers from different disciplines, discuss with them and somehow start collaborating. Moreover, it offers the opportunity to travel and attend conferences abroad, having in this way the possibility to promote our work and, in the meantime, get in touch with other researchers.”

Collaborating with ERC grantee Prof. Mark Podolskij

Chiara Amorino’s research project is part of the ERC grant “Statistical Methods for High Dimensional Diffusions (STAMFORD)”, awarded to Prof. Mark Podolskij.

The STAMFORD project aims at providing a concise statistical theory for estimation of high dimensional diffusions. The methodological part of the project will require the development of novel advanced techniques in mathematical statistics and probability theory. In particular, new results will be needed in parametric and non-parametric statistics, and high dimensional probability, that are reaching far beyond what is state-of-the-art today. Hence, a successful outcome of STAMFORD will not only have a tremendous impact on statistical inference for continuous-time models in natural and applied sciences, but will also strongly influence the field of high dimensional statistics and probability.

About living in Luxembourg

Relocating to Luxembourg was an easy move to Chiara Amorino as the University of Luxembourg supported her in dealing with the administrative process.

In addition, the international dimension of the country contributed to the successful integration of the scientist. “Luxembourg is a very attractive country and so people from all around the world move here.”

“Luxembourg is really beautiful, full of green and of castles, and safe. When you go out for a walk, you perceive immediately the well-being of this country.”

Chiara Amorino

Find out more about Chiara Amorino and her projects.

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In conversation with our young researchers: Daniele Proverbio

Mathematical modelling.

The possibility of having solid and general mathematical results opens many potential future applications.

One of the prospects is to predict the time evolution and its driving mechanisms of any x. As such, x can describe anything we want to apply the theory to. The detection of dangerous epidemic trends is, for instance, one immediate application of great societal impact.

Why do certain systems suddenly start functioning in unpredictable and drastically different ways?

Daniele Proverbio is a doctoral researcher at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg. His main research lies at the intersection of physics, systems biology and computational sciences.

Mathematical methods as a go-between

Daniele Proverbio is a physicist whose project primarily concerns the classification of driving mechanisms for abrupt regime shifts in dynamical systems.

The Italian citizen seeks to understand how certain system suddenly start functioning in unpredictable and drastically different ways, undergoing the so called “critical transitions”. Epileptic seizures, i.e. when a healthy brain suddenly becomes restless, is one applied problem he is investigating. Another is epidemic evolution, whose mathematics is very similar to that of the other systems, which allows an immediate application of many theoretical results.

“I am addressing the question: is it possible to raise an early alert for such changes? This endeavour requires developing mathematical models and computer simulations, knowing the biology of what is modelled, and combining them consistently.”

Daniele Proverbio

Daniele Proverbio is also involved in other projects that span from understanding the synchronisation of certain multi-unit systems, through the application of deep learning techniques for medical imaging, to collaborative modelling of the effects of brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease patients.

“I believe that the collaboration of mathematical models and laboratory experiments might help unravelling the main mechanisms for the onset of certain diseases, thus assisting practitioners and patients.”


Daniele Proverbio

The common thread linking the researcher’s projects is finding accurate descriptions of certain systems with mathematical methods, extrapolating useful information, and using it to best describe and predict the temporal evolution of that system.

Research to understand natural phenomena

Daniele Proverbio’s first research experience occurred while writing his undergraduate thesis on cosmic rays at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

In addition of earning a Master’s degree in Physics of Complex Systems at the University of Turin, he graduated at the Scuola di Studi Superiori di Torino “Ferdinando Rossi”, an institution of excellence focusing on multidisciplinary subjects.

“My main interest is to understand natural phenomena, and to help others to understand them as well. I believe that research is the best suited job for this, as well as for enjoying the freedom of pursuing intellectual challenges.”

Daniele Proverbio

Why Luxembourg as a research destination?

In 2018, Daniele Proverbio joined the Systems Control group of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg to conduct a PhD. “The LCSB is a peculiar environment, which hosts theoretical groups amidst experimentalists. This enables true interdisciplinarity: a physicist like me can ask a biologist the necessary information to develop a valid model, as well as to get the data to test it.”

“Research-wise, I love Luxembourg for its short bureaucratic ladders: even as a young researcher, I could directly get in touch with directors and nation-wide associations, which are often difficult to get in touch with in larger countries. This enables further responsibilities and learning opportunities that would have been impossible otherwise.”

Daniele Proverbio

To him, the University of Luxembourg is extremely active in escalating its research potential. “Researchers can benefit from competitive funding, state-of-the-art facilities and assistance for outreach and networking. All this while being small enough not to be dispersed and retaining a human dimension.”

A Research Luxembourg COVID-19 Taskforce member

Daniele Proverbio has actively participated in Research Luxembourg COVID-19 Taskforce.

In particular, he is involved in the Statistical pandemic projections work group, led by Prof. Rudi Balling and Dr Alexander Skupin. The overarching aim is to provide short- and medium-term projections that can be used to support the healthcare system, identify priorities and facilitate decision-making.

He also contributed to developing an extensive glossary of terms related to the coronavirus pandemic. The glossary encompasses words used to describe the COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, such as reproduction number and contact tracing, but also generic health-related terms (antibody, PCR test, etc.) and topics linked to mathematics, modelling and research in general (clinical trials, test statistic, etc.).

The full glossary is available on Science.lu in English, German and French.

“Effective communication in science relies on the understanding of specific terminology. This is why this handy glossary was created and why it covers a wide diversity of scientific fields, just like research at the LCSB and in Luxembourg.”

Daniele Proverbio

About living in Luxembourg

To Daniele Proverbio, “Luxembourg feels like a rich province: it is safe and calm, it offers most of the facilities a person needs for professional and leisure time, and it promotes peace of mind.”

“Luxembourg has great sport and biking facilities. It is a safe country and is very caring for its citizens. In addition, its multicultural environment is amazing to gain a fresh breath of the world.”

Daniele Proverbio

More about Daniele Proverbio

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In conversation with our young researchers: Adelene Lai

PhD candidate Adelene Lai at Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) is an environmental cheminformatician who develops workflows, algorithms, and software to help identify environmental chemicals. 16% of annual […]

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In conversation with our young researchers: Dr. Adrian Nieto Castro

Causal evidence to fight inequalities.

Empirical research shows the significant negative effects inequality has on society at large. Providing answers to such questions would participate in closing the existing societal inequalities and increase well-being through policy-making.

How can causal evidence help close existing societal inequalities and address current socio-demographic problems?

Dr. Adrian Nieto Castro is a postdoc researcher in the Labour Market Department of the Luxembourg Institute of Socio Economic Research (LISER). His studies aim at providing answers to empirical questions such as gender or educational inequality and socio-demographic issues.

An interdisciplinary researcher

Adrian Nieto Castro is an interdisciplinary researcher, with interests in labour economics, family economics, gender equality and climate change.

In his research studies, the Spanish citizen seeks to find causal evidence to close existing societal inequalities (e.g. gender inequality or educational inequality) and increase well-being through policy-making. In a recently-published paper, the researcher explores native-immigrant differences in the effect of children on the gender pay gap. The findings may help policy makers in designing public policies aiming at reducing gender inequality in the labour market.

Additionally, Adrian Nieto Castro also investigates how to address current socio-demographic issues such as low fertility rates or mental health issues in developed countries. In a recent paper, he explored the link between the labour market and fertility, and showed that certain types of labour contracts may help towards increasing fertility and avoiding ageing populations.

“At LISER, researchers work on the analysis of societal changes while working on multidisciplinary research that covers topics such as labour market policies evaluation, the link between digital transformation and the labour market, the implications of ageing workforces or equality of opportunity and social mobility, among others. The interdisciplinary vision of the institute, together with the fact that LISER counts with a large, excellent and highly motivated research team, has allowed me to work on multidisciplinary and promising research projects.”


Dr. Adrian Nieto Castro

To run his projects, the interdisciplinary researcher uses causal inference analyses and large administrative as well as longitudinal survey datasets to provide answers to empirical questions. He also makes use of new programming techniques to collect unique sources of information, hence answering novel research questions.

Empirical research as a motto

During his undergraduate studies, Adrian Nieto Castro gained interest in Economics as a tool to tackle socio-economic problems and increase society’s well-being.

Such an interest led him to continue his studies at the London School of Economics, where he completed a master in Economics. Thanks to this opportunity, the researcher gained a solid background in economics and in quantitative methods on top of meeting promising scholars.

Then, the economist entered the academic world by doing a PhD in Economics at the University of Nottingham.

“While doing my PhD, I became an empirical researcher with the main purpose of providing causal evidence to address socioeconomic research questions and improve policy-making. I was also a visiting researcher at the Bank of Spain for half year, where I gained experience in working with policy-makers.”

Dr. Adrian Nieto Castro

Why Luxembourg as a research destination?

In September 2019, Adrian Nieto Castro joined the Labour Market Department of LISER. “Being part of LISER has been an excellent professional opportunity, as it has allowed me to work with internationally recognised researchers in promising research projects, thus growing as a professional and as a person.”

To him LISER counts with an interdisciplinary research team, where both recognised senior and promising junior researchers are willing to collaborate. This environment helped him to “quickly build a great research network as well as working on multiple promising research projects.”

“Within LISER, there are internationally recognised researchers working on projects with a lot of potential both for the academic and policy-making worlds.”

“Luxembourg offers a great setting for research in social sciences, given that researchers can interact with policy-makers working in important European institutions within the country, providing researchers with an opportunity to discuss ways on how to implement their research into the policy-making world.”

“Luxembourg has recently invested large amounts of resources into research infrastructure, which has allowed it to position itself as a leading country in the research world.”

Dr. Adrian Nieto Castro

An FNR CORE team member

Adrian Nieto Castro collaborated as a co-investigator in the Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR) funded research project “The Effect of Schengen, the Euro and Local Labour Markets: A Causal Analysis on Cross-Border Workers in Europe (CrossEUwork)”, where Andrea Albanese is the Principal Investigator.

The research project seeks to fill the gap of scarce empirical literature on cross-border employment at the individual level by using some unique data sources. To do so, the analysis focuses on the causal link between labour market factors and the choice of becoming a cross-border worker. Natural experiments implemented in Europe are the source of identification and multiple methods and datasets are used.

About living in Luxembourg

International to the core, Adrian Nieto Castro lived in the UK, Spain and the Netherlands before moving in to Luxembourg.

“What I enjoy more about living in Luxembourg is its wide offer of cultural activities. For example, one can find important museums within Luxembourg such as the National Museum of History and Art or music events on a frequently basics within the Philharmonie or Rockhal. Luxembourg also offers an international cultural atmosphere as an important part of its population comes from many different countries.”


Dr. Adrian Nieto Castro

More about Adrian Nieto Castro

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In conversation with our young researchers: Pauline Mencke

Neurodegenerative diseases and cancer affect millions of people worldwide. Translational neuroscientist Pauline Mencke has chosen Luxembourg to study a gene that is involved both in Parkinson’s disease and the […]

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Inside Research Luxembourg Latest news Personalised Healthcare Sustainable & Responsible Development

In conversation with our young researchers: Dr. Camille Perchoux

Epidemiology and geography.

Where we live and where we go as the result of our daily activities affect our health.

How much do urban environments have an impact on our active and healthy behaviours, chronic diseases and healthy ageing?

Dr. Camille Perchoux is a young research associate in the Luxembourg Institute of Socio Economic Research (LISER). She focuses on urban health.

A health geographer

Camille Perchoux describes herself as a health geographer. Indeed, her research expertise expends on her multi-disciplinary background in epidemiology and geography. Building on these two research fields, her research focus is on the social and spatial determinants of health behaviours and population health.

In her research, she investigates the impact of urban environments on active and healthy behaviours, chronic diseases and healthy ageing. Indeed, physical environmental characteristics, and social aspects of neighbourhood constitute urban structures of opportunities that enhance or constrain individual’s health related behaviours such as leisure physical activity, active transport, or adopting a healthy diet in daily life, which are key determinants of mental and physical health.

In order to more comprehensively assess people place interaction, and understand people decision making process in adopting (or not) health behaviours, Camille Perchoux and her colleagues in LISER are increasingly relying on GPS trackers to understand where people go, accelerometers to estimate their amount of energy expenditure and related transportation modes, and additional mobile sensors to accurately measure either personalised exposure to environmental factors or health related markers.

“This multidisciplinary research thematic is at the crossroads of public health policy, transport policy and land use as well as urban planning.”


Dr. Camille Perchoux

The promotion of strategies for adopting and maintaining healthy and active lifestyles is a public health priority to curb the cardiometabolic diseases, among others, and related severe impact on well-being.

In this regard, her research tends to identify socio-demographic and environmental levers that can provide element of decision-making to support the implementation of intervention at the individual level and their environment. 

Research as a natural career path

While Camille Perchoux was a master student in geography, at Provence university, she had the chance to study the geography of malaria during two successive internships in Brazzaville, Congo, and in Dakar, Senegal.

“[During my master] I had the opportunity to do some field work, develop a survey, sample and survey the participants, work with researchers from public health and geography, and disseminate the results to the local stakeholders. After such an enriching experience of the different tasks that make up the daily work of a researcher, research was the only work I could picture myself doing at the end of my master degree.”

Dr. Camille Perchoux

After completing her Master’s degree, she joined a multidisciplinary research team to conduct a dual PhD thesis in public health – epidemiology at Sorbonne university – Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 6 (France), and at Montreal university (Canada). During her PhD, she examined the residential and non-residential neighbourhood environments that individuals experience as the results of their daily activities and may influence their health behaviours, with a case study on recreational walking.

Indeed, while more traditional approaches focused exclusively on the effect on residential neighbourhood characteristics on health, a significant innovation of this work was to highlight and quantify how individuals’ daily mobilities and daily activities outside their residential neighbourhood may also contribute to shape their health.

Then she joined the Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Rhône-Aples (CRNH-RA) in 2015 where she continued developing a strong taste for multidisciplinary work, being part of the ACTI-Cités consortium that embraces a team of epidemiologists, nutritionists and geographers to examine the socio-ecological determinants of active transportation in France. She also joined the DEDIPAC knowledge hub, a multidisciplinary consortium of 68 research centres from 13 countries across Europe, reflecting on the determinants of diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviours.

Camille Perchoux joined LISER in 2016 as a postdoc researcher before being prompted permanent researcher two years later.

Why Luxembourg as a research destination?

Camille Perchoux moved to Luxembourg as LISER was conducting a very innovative study on place effects on health based on map-based questionnaires, sensors and GPS trackers. It was “the perfect opportunity for me to grow as an independent researcher in the fields of neighbourhood and health.”

“Luxembourg applies the highest international standards of research, while the rather small size of the country facilitates the discussion and collaboration between researchers from different disciplines but also between researchers, political actors and stakeholders. Such dialogue between key actors in research and policy, and citizen is key in addressing complex societal challenges such as designing healthy and liveable cities while producing research with a high societal impact.”

Dr. Camille Perchoux

An FNR CORE 2020 grantee

Dr. Camille Perchoux is the principal investigator of the FNR CORE 2020 MET’HOOD project on the “Time-varying residential neighbourhood effects on cardiometabolic health”. Cardio-metabolic diseases are one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide.

“The MET’HOOD project is a joint collaboration between LISER and Luxembourg Institute of Health. It embraces a multidisciplinary team of urban geographers, epidemiologists, nutritionists, and sports scientists, with the support of local stakeholders in public health and urban planning “

Dr. Camille Perchoux

MET’HOOD explores the relationships between the socio-economic and physical environmental characteristics of residential neighbourhoods, behavioural cardiometabolic risk factors such as diet and physical activity, and the metabolic syndrome, over a nine-year period in Luxembourg.

Based on a country-wide, population based longitudinal study, this project will provide solid evidence on how urban density, transport infrastructures, foodscape characteristics and neighbourhood active-friendly characteristics have changed over the last decade in Luxembourg, and how such changes may have resulted in changes in the cardiometabolic health of the population.

About living in Luxembourg

After moving every six months during her PhD in between France and Canada, and then discovering the city of Lyon during her post-doctoral fellowship, Camille Perchoux was eager to discover a new country and a new culture.

“I believe that Luxembourg provides a great opportunity to benefit from natural spaces, in particular nature is accessible by bike and foot, while concentrating the assess of a capital city in terms of diversity to engage in social and leisure activities. Also, being exposed daily to such a great cultural and linguistic diversity provides me a strong sense of belonging to a European community.”


Dr. Camille Perchoux

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In conversation with our young researchers: Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh

Clinical and biological data.

Data is an asset. Future clinical advances will depend on the quality of data which we are collecting today.

Biomedical research is rapidly transforming into a data driven field of study. As a consequence, proper data infrastructure, management, and analysis are becoming critical.

Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh is a postdoc researcher in the Bioinformatics Core group of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg. He focuses on the clinical and biological data domain. His research aims to ensure the quality and integrity of the data and extract meaningful insight from it.

Bioinformatics, an interdisciplinary scientific field

Bioinformatics can be defined as “the application of computational tools to organise, analyse, understand, visualise and store information associated with biological macromolecules.” Interdisciplinary at heart, bioinformatics combines computer science, mathematics, physics, and biology.

Basically, bioinformatics consists of developing software tools and algorithms while analysing and interpreting biological data using a variety of specific software tools and algorithms.

“My research is focused to ensure the quality and integrity of the data and extract meaningful insight from it. I’m using both classical bioinformatics and newer data-science approaches for the analysis. As most of my projects have direct connection with the practicing clinicians, epidemiologists, patient organisation, and health policy officials, it is inspiring to see the real impact of my research.”


Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh

Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh is experiencing how biomedical research is rapidly transforming into a data driven field of study.

Science as a way of life

After completing his PhD in engineering from Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh worked in both academic and industrial research. His focus area was specialised computational systems and their application in the biomolecular interaction modelling.

“I believe that science is a way of life. It is difficult for me to think about any other profession as an alternative. For me, apart from the usual target of publication and grant, research should have a purpose – a humble humanly purpose.”

Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh

After joining LCSB, the bioinformatician shifted his research direction towards the clinical and biological data domain.

Why Luxembourg as a research destination?

Coming from Kolkata, a city in the eastern part of India, Soumyabrata feels that his decision to join the Bioinformatics Core group of LCSB largely contributed to his personal growth.

To him, “the country offers an openness and breathing space for new researchers.”

“The research environment and opportunities I got here as a new postdoc are quite incomparable. It is a privilege to work with science visionaries. And also finding mentors and team-mates have a huge positive impact on my work.”

“Infrastructure-wise Luxembourg is rapidly developing. Recently, supercomputing node Meluxina started its operation. I think that LCSB’s IT infrastructure and technical expertise can compete with the top research institutions in EU or North America.”

Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh

Working on multiple EU and national projects

Due to his role in the interdisciplinary and collaborative projects, Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh works with a variety of professionals – including clinicians, health workers, statisticians, experimental biologists, software engineers, project management and legal staffs.

Being in the intersect of translational medicine and information technology, the researcher is involved in the workflow management and data analysis of multiple EU projects like IMI-Biomap, IMI-Immuniverse, H2020-SYSCID as well as critical national projects like NCER-PD, and CON-VINCE. Soumyabrata is also coordinating the data and process standaridisation efforts including FAIRification or OMOP in various EU consortia and internally at LCSB.

“LCSB has an environment of openness and approachability. Bioinformatics Core, which has more than 50 members, shines with the team spirit among the researchers and technology people. “

Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh

About living in Luxembourg

Even though there were some initial challenges and language barrier, overall settling down here was very smooth for the researcher.

To him, the best thing about Luxembourg is its people: “They are the best.”

“I like Luxembourg a lot. It is a nice and welcoming place to stay. Life is peaceful and internet bandwidth is high.”


Dr. Soumyabrata Ghosh

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In conversation with our young researchers: Dr. Fabiana Ribeiro

Neuropsychology and inequalities.

Social distancing, quarantine, and self-isolation are some of the measures to contain the pandemic. How much of a challenge are these policies to the psychological well-being of the population? To what extent do they increase inequalities?

Did social isolation measures widen the inequality gap? Are women more likely to present severe symptoms of anxiety compared to men?

Fabiana Ribeiro, a postdoc researcher at the Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Inequality (IRSEI) within the Department of Social Sciences in University of Luxembourg, works on gender inequalities in cognitive ageing. She also investigates differences in the prevalence of memory impairment in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on temporal changes and the prevalence of associated risk factors.

Understanding the effects of social distance measures and bridging the inequality gap

The Brazilian neuropsychologist was involved in examining the effects of social distance measures. In a study involving professors from both Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and the University College Dublin, she explored the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms in a Brazilian sample during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Along with Prof. Anja Leist, she analysed the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on mental health in a Luxembourgish nationally representative sample (CON-VINCE study), in which Prof. Rejko Krüger is the principal investigator.

“The results of our studies can inform public policies with the aim to reduce the inequalities between men and women, as well as among those who are in a less favorable economic situation. Specifically, public policies that can lead these individuals to a higher quality of life, even in the face of possible cognitive or social limitations.”

Dr. Fabiana Ribeiro

Research was music to her ears

After receiving her master’s degree in developmental psychology and learning from the São Paulo State University, Fabiana Ribeiro completed a Ph.D. in Basic Psychology in 2019, at the University of Minho, Portugal, more specifically in Human cognition.

Throughout her PhD, she investigated the influence of social and mental health aspects on memory capacity and also the effects of listening to music on cognitive performance.

“I think I have several vocations, and research is just one of them. All my vocations, like art and psychology, make me a better researcher.”

Dr. Fabiana Ribeiro

Why Luxembourg as a research destination?

Fabiana Ribeiro chose Luxembourg to work in the research project called “Cognitive Aging: From Educational Opportunities to Individual Risk Profiles” (CRISP) led by Prof. Anja Leist. The prospect of making an impact was real: “I saw the possibility of using the project results to improve people’s quality of life”.

“I found in my work group strong work ethic, quality, methodological rigor, and an environment of respect and collaboration among researchers, which for me, are essential standards in doing science.”


Dr. Fabiana Ribeiro

The young researcher praises research infrastructure: “As researchers, we have access to modern infrastructures and equipment, as well as the technologies needed to perform our work on a daily basis.”

A member of the ERC CRISP research project

Dementia, which manifests itself through deterioration in memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities, affects roughly 50 million people worldwide and almost ten million people in Europe. Pathologies of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, have devastating effects on people and families. They represent a great challenge and cost for caregivers and health systems. Despite this, there is currently no treatment to reverse or cure cognitive impairment.

Fabiana Ribeiro is part of the “Cognitive Aging: From Educational Opportunities to Individual Risk Profiles” (CRISP) research project funded by the European Research Council, of which Prof. Anja Leist is the Principal Investigator.

CRISP aims to provide comprehensive knowledge and techniques to identify risk factors and people at risk of dementia, in order for them to benefit as early as possible from behavioural interventions.

“In the CRISP project, we work with professors from the University of Sao Paulo, namely Professors Yeda Duarte and Jair Santos, investigating the recent trends in cognitive impairment across four waves of the Health, Well-being and Aging survey (SABE) with data collected in representative samples of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2000, 2006, 2010, and 2015.”

Dr. Fabiana Ribeiro

In addition, the team is also exploring through a systematic review the prevalence rates of dementia in Latin America and the Caribbean and its association with sex/gender, area (rural/urban), educational levels, and year of data collection, which allows to capture secular trends. This work has been carried out with the collaboration of Dr. Ana Carolina Teixeira-Santos and Professor Paulo Caramelli.

More about the project

About living in Luxembourg

The researcher likes the multicultural environment of the university and the country. The care to insert different languages in essential documents, the respect and interest for the place people come from “make me not feel like a foreigner in Luxembourg”.

“Luxembourg is a country full of history, natural beauty, as well as multicultural and multilingual. In addition, Luxembourg is a really peaceful place in comparison to other countries of Europe. All factors that I like and admire about it.”

Dr. Fabiana Ribeiro

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In conversation with our young researchers: Damien Negre

Consumers, by definition, are all of us.

Consumers are legally protected by a set of rules called consumer law. These rules are designed to provide them with a legal protection when purchasing goods and/or services. Consumers are usually given a special protection, as they are generally considered the weaker party when entering into a contract with a trader or professional.

Yet, the scope of this notion should be restricted as everyone could claim to be in a weaker position and in need of additional protection.

One of the main problems when it comes to European Consumer Law is its scope of application. To know whether we can benefit from the protection it establishes, we need to define who can be qualified as a Consumer and who can be qualified as a Trader.

Damien Negre is a joint PhD candidate, conducting his research both at the University of Luxembourg and the University of Bordeaux. His research is aimed at improving the situation of both Consumers and Businesses in the European Union.

Who is who?

Under the European Consumer Law, defining both concepts of Consumer and Trader precisely is challenging. In simple terms, a Consumer is a person who acts for purposes outside their professional activity. On the contrary, a “Trader” is a person who acts for purposes related to their professional activity”. Depending on what one considers being a “professional activity”, one could be considered as a Consumer or a Trader.

The absence of predetermined criteria defining what a professional activity is, constitutes one of the main issues. We could imagine that a person who only sells 5 books a year through an online platform is not to be considered as a professional seller. Conversely, we could also imagine that a person who sells 300 books a year on the same online platform could be considered as a professional seller, and thus, a Trader according to Consumer Law. However, is there a threshold past which, one could be considered as a professional seller? Are there other criteria one could base themselves on?

Damien Negre

Despite the lack of a precise definition of what a professional activity is and since most of Consumer Law comes from the legislation of the European Union, there are some hints scattered in the European legislation as well as in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Damien Negre seeks to provide guidelines that could be used in Luxembourg and in France to determine whether a person can be considered as a Consumer or a Trader.

Research to go further

After completing two master’s degrees in Banking, Finance and Recovery Law and in Private Law at the University of Bordeaux, Damien Negre took internships in both law firms and bailiff firms. It was at that time that the interest in doing research became apparent.

“Pursuing my research with a PhD came to me naturally as the next step in my career, as my master’s thesis’ topic proved wider than I initially thought. Because of this, I started to look for opportunities to start a PhD, both in France and abroad. Luxembourg eventually gave me the opportunity to do so, and I have been delighted to work here ever since.“

Damien Negre

Now a PhD candidate, Damien Negre is under the joint supervision of Prof. Elise Poillot at the University of Luxembourg and Prof. Ronan Raffray at the University of Bordeaux. 

Why Luxembourg as a research destination?

Born and raised in South-West of France, the jurist chose Luxembourg for its importance in the European Union, being home to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

The country’s multilingual and multicultural research context was another driver for conducting his research projects.

“The country offers a lot of opportunities to connect with people from different backgrounds, which help in broadening the scope of one’s research and bring fresh ideas into it.”

“Luxembourg is an immensely interesting country for lawyers since its legal tradition presents influences from neighbouring countries while keeping its individuality and specificities.”

“Luxembourg’s infrastructure for research is outstanding. It provides for an easy access to various resources, both national and international.”   

Damien Negre

Working with international renowned researchers

Belonging to both the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance of the University of Luxembourg and the Institut de recherche en droit des affaires et du patrimoine (IRDAP) at the University of Bordeaux, Damien Negre has taken part in many collaborative projects with international scholars.

Such a collaborative environment gave him the opportunity to engage in projects with renowned professors from Italy, Czech Republic, Romania, Luxembourg and France.

“The interdisciplinary aspect is mostly characterised by the possibility to get in touch with European scholars through conferences and speeches given at the University of Luxembourg. “

Damien Negre

About living in Luxembourg

At first sight, living in a very multicultural environment felt very new for the French national. Quickly Damien Negre got used to speaking two or three languages during his day. “Such a thing would have certainly been more difficult, should I have stayed in the South-West of France.”

“Soon after I arrived, I met people who made me feel welcome and helped me. I had the chance develop bonds which, whether I stay or leave the country after my studies, made Luxembourg a country I would always gladly live in and return to.“

Damien Negre
University of Luxembourg

In 2020, Damien Negre received a teaching award, rewarding the quality of his teaching activities to Masters’ students during the Covid-19 crisis. As part of his doctoral contract, Damien Negre teaches, together with his supervisor Prof. Elise Poillot, at the Consumer Law Clinic at the University of Luxembourg. This entity provides legal information on real cases of disputes between consumers and companies.

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