On Tuesday 20 January 2026, the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) reported that one of its researchers has received a "prestigious" European grant.
The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) has awarded a "highly competitive" Installation Grant worth €250,000 to Dr Ángel Álvarez-Prado, Group Leader of the Translational Cancer Immunogenomics (TCI) group of the Department of Cancer Research at the LIH. The award recognises scientific excellence and supports the establishment and development of independent research groups throughout Europe.
The EMBO Installation Grant provides €50,000 per year over five years, amounting to a total of €250,000. Within the annual funding, €35,000 is co-financed by Luxembourg's Ministry of Research and Higher Education.
Dr Álvarez-Prado joined the LIH in January 2025, where he leads the TCI group. His research combines cancer biology, immunology and genomics, and has a strong translational focus. The TCI group investigates how genetic alterations in cancer cells shape the immune microenvironment of tumours and how these interactions influence disease progression and response to immunotherapy. A particular emphasis is placed on primary and metastatic brain tumours, including glioblastoma and brain metastases originating from breast, lung and skin cancers.
According to the LIH, the EMBO Installation Grant will provide critical support to consolidate and expand this research programme. The funding will enable the development of advanced experimental models, the integration of multi-omics approaches and the strengthening of international collaborations. Ultimately, the work aims to identify new therapeutic vulnerabilities and inform more effective, personalised immunotherapy strategies for patients with aggressive brain cancers.
In addition to the financial support, the grant will also allow Dr Álvarez-Prado’s to join the EMBO Young Investigator Programme. This appointment offers access to EMBO's extensive scientific infrastructure, targeted training opportunities and participation in a highly selective network of leading early-career researchers. Membership is designed to accelerate scientific independence, promote collaboration and enhance the international visibility of participating laboratories.
"We are very grateful to EMBO for their support. Receiving the Installation Grant is an honour and an important milestone for our lab. This grant comes at a crucial time as we continue to develop our research programme at the LIH. It will enable us to explore the intricate relationship between cancer and immune cells in the brain while connecting us to a network of scientific excellence," commented Dr Álvarez-Prado.
The LIH said the award further strengthens its position as a hub for innovative cancer research and reflects its broader mission to translate fundamental discoveries into clinical impact. By combining national investment via the Ministry of Research and Higher Education with competitive European funding, Luxembourg continues to attract top international talent and to support research with the potential to address major unmet medical needs, concluded the LIH.
