Mobility grants within the Precision-BTC Network are designed to strengthen collaboration, build skills, and connect researchers across Europe in the fight against biliary tract cancer (BTC).

What makes these mobility experiences truly meaningful are the individual researchers who took part — and how these opportunities shaped their skills, careers, and long-term engagement with the network. Below are real examples from last year mobility awardees.

Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Participants

STSMs support researchers in visiting host institutions in other countries, providing hands-on experience and direct exposure to new techniques, models, and scientific environments.

• > Aynura Karimova (Azerbaijan) gained hands-on expertise in nanoparticle functionalization during her STSM in Germany. She mentioned that this experience strengthened her technical skill set and broadened her research perspective.
• > Bengi Ozkahraman (Turkey) visited the UK, where she designed and characterised hyaluronic acid–modified liposomal iron oxide nanoflowers for targeted drug delivery in cancer cells.
• > Giulia Tesini (Italy) participated in a longitudinal analysis of cell-free DNA from patients with BTC undergoing first-line treatment in Scotland, identifying potential mechanisms of primary and secondary resistance to chemotherapy. She described the experience as “a great opportunity for personal growth and career development.” 
• > Jan David (Portugal) was trained in bioinformatics tools and in vitro models to investigate cell death pathways in cholangiocarcinoma during his STSM in Spain. She highlighted how the experience expanded her horizons while fostering strong collaborations.
• > Kevin Delgado (Spain) explored 3D in vitro and in vivo models to identify new therapeutic strategies for acquired chemoresistance in Scotland.
• > Lisa Wende (Germany) established and compared PDX and PDO workflows with partners in Spain to support the development of a shared model biobank — and enjoyed discovering Barcelona along the way.
• > Michele Zanoni (Italy) focused on modelling the intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma microenvironment for drug screening during his STSM in Spain.
• > Moyosoreoluwa Feyide (United Kingdom) gained hands-on experience with advanced 3D models to investigate mitochondrial function in cholangiocarcinoma during her STSM in Italy.
• > Paraskevi Manoli (Greece) evaluated the cytotoxic activity of berberine hybrids in cholangiocarcinoma cells in vitro in Spain, describing the experience as “a wonderful place among wonderful people.”

Virtual Mobility (VM) Participants

Virtual Mobility grants support structured online collaboration, allowing researchers to work together across borders without the need for physical travel.

• > Esma Gökçe (Turkey) contributed to a prospective cohort study investigating quality of life, anxiety, and depression in patients with cholangiocarcinoma.
• > Gemma Iserte Fort (Spain) helped build a collaborative network to strengthen nursing integration in cancer care.
• > João Rocha Gomes (Portugal) contributed to a descriptive review on health economics in biliary tract cancer.

What These Stories Tell Us

Across both STSM and Virtual Mobility formats, participants consistently highlight:

• > Stronger connection to the wider Precision-BTC Network
• > Meaningful exchange of knowledge, methods, and perspectives across Europe
• > Increased professional confidence, visibility, and career development, particularly for early- and mid-career researchers

These outcomes are central to the network’s mission: to build a collaborative scientific community that transcends geographical boundaries and accelerates progress against BTC.

Your Turn to Be Part of the Story

The experiences of previous mobility awardees show what is possible when curiosity, collaboration, and opportunity come together. By applying for a mobility grant until 20 December, new participants do not only benefit individually — they actively contribute to a shared European effort in precision medicine for biliary tract cancer.

Join the network. Apply for mobility. Turn collaboration into impact.