After a thorough evaluation by the Grant Selection Committee, the European Cancer Community Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Rising Star Grants.
The Rising Star Grants recognise and support early-career professionals who are developing innovative research projects to advance cancer care across Europe. Each selected researcher receives €3,000 to support the implementation of their proposed project.
The programme seeks to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the oncology workforce, while fostering the next generation of investigators, nurses, and academics committed to improving patient outcomes.
The 2025 Rising Star Grants have been awarded to Associate Professor Balázs Ács (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) and PhD student Tihana Gašpert (University of Maribor, Slovenia). The prizes were awarded today during the European Cancer Summit 2025 by our Founder and Chair, Andreas Charalambous.
Discover ‘Quantitative Pathology with Artificial Intelligence to Improve Prognostication in Breast Cancer’ - Balázs Ács
In this research programme, we develop and validate next-generation AI-based solutions to improve breast cancer prognostication in clinical pathology and oncology. The most promising area for applied artificial intelligence currently in healthcare is for applications that enhance the analysis of medical images. We will develop, validate and implement innovative multidisciplinary AI models, trained on millions of images, aimed at increasing breast cancer survival through a quantum leap in diagnostic precision compared to the current standard qualitative pathology.
Discover ‘Caritas-based interventions for the psychosocial needs of oncology patients’ - Tihana Gašpert
The psychosocial needs of cancer patients are still not systematically addressed within routine oncology care. This research examines how oncology nurses can apply the humanistic principles of Caritas, based on Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, to enhance their understanding and support of patients’ emotional needs. Here, we aim to demonstrate that by developing nurse-led, Caritas-based interventions informed by both patient and nurse perspectives, it is possible to significantly enhance the quality and compassion of psychosocial care in oncology settings.
The Foundation congratulates this year’s Rising Star Grant recipients for their outstanding contributions to cancer research and their commitment to advancing care for patients and healthcare professionals alike.