I joined the Princess Máxima Center as a basic researcher and pediatrician in training in June 2018. My primary research interest lies in understanding the molecular biology of pediatric soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and to use that knowledge to develop new treatment options for patients suffering from these tumors. To this end, I study establishment procedures for novel preclinical models of pediatrist STS (i.e., tumor organoid models) as well as bulk and single-cell genomics of these tumors. I am furthermore member of the molecular tumor board of the Dutch iTHER as well as the German INFORM pediatric precision medicine trial.
My hobbies include sports (running, bootcamp) and gaming (board games, tabletop role-playing games, video games). I am the proud father of a boy and a girl.
Helena Viñas Gaza
Project manager - Oncode accelerator
Hoi hoi! I am Helena Viñas Gaza and I studied Biomedical Sciences in Barcelona. I went to Stockholm for my master's in Biomedicine at Karolinska Institute and I did my master thesis in Boston. Afterwards I moved to the Netherlands for my PhD at Alexander van Oudenaarden's group in the Hubrecht Institute. During my PhD I used single-cell epigenetics and transcriptomics techniques to trace histone modifications during bone marrow differentiation and early zebrafish development. Now, I am the Program Manager for the Organoid Platform part of the Oncode Accelerator.
When I am not working, you can find me baking or doing pottery. I also enjoy hiking, traveling and spending good quality time with friends and family over good food and drinks.