iFIT Distinguished Lecture 2026 with Sara Lacerda

🤔 How can innovative molecular imaging approaches help detect cardiovascular diseases and metastatic cancer at an earlier stage?

🎤 On October 26, we were delighted to welcome Dr. Sara Lacerda from the Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France, to our iFIT Distinguished Lecture 2026. Dr. Lacerda was invited to Tübingen by iFIT - Cluster of Excellence member Dr. André F. Martins.

In her lecture, Dr. Lacerda shared fascinating insights into the development of innovative molecular imaging probes and peptide-based MRI contrast agents for the early, non-invasive detection of cardiovascular diseases and metastatic cancer.
🔬 Her research focuses on designing targeted imaging agents that recognize specific disease-related biomarkers, including tropoelastin and type III collagen for cardiovascular applications and netrin-1 for metastatic cancer detection.
She also highlighted exciting developments in responsive imaging agents, multimodal imaging approaches and targeted nanoparticles, including innovative lipoparticle systems combining imaging capabilities with drug delivery.
💡 Another promising research direction is the development of theranostic probes, which bring together diagnostic imaging and therapeutic applications.
These advances demonstrate the potential of molecular imaging to support earlier diagnosis, improved disease monitoring and more personalized treatment strategies.
💬 The lecture was followed by an opportunity for further questions and scientific exchange, allowing participants to explore these innovative approaches in greater depth.
🙏 A big thank you to Dr. Sara Lacerda for sharing her fascinating research and valuable insights with the iFIT community!