iFIT Distinguished Lecture with Dr. Sara Lacerda

On October 26th 2026 at 12:00 pm s.t.
at the Woman’s Hospital, Big Lecture Hall (5.308)

we have the pleasure to welcome Dr. Sara Lacerda – Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France – who will give a talk on:

Towards better detection of cardiovascular disease and metastatic cancer
Despite advanced screening technology, treatments available today, and the successful implementation of several primary and secondary prevention strategies, cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the most common causes of premature death and lifelong disability. Such conditions would highly benefit from early non-invasive diagnosis, enabling more appropriate and effective patient assessment and treatment choices.
Molecular imaging of specific biomarkers provides improved understanding of the disease, early diagnosis and insights of disease progression, but requires the development of dedicated contrast agents. In particular, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-suited technique, thanks to its non-invasive and high-resolution characteristics. It is also widely available in hospitals and clinics, and does not require a radioactive approved facility nearby.
Imaging probes development is an emerging research topic. Amongst the highly explored “smart” targeted contrast agents, tailored peptide-based contrast agents have gain increased attention.
Peptide-based contrast agents targeted for Tropoelastin & Type III Collagen useful for CVD applications and Netrin-1 for metastatic cancer detection, will be presented. (Acknowledgements: SL thanks Emergence@CNRS Chimie 2026, Ligue Contre le Cancer, Cancéropôle Grand Ouest and British Heart Foundation for funding.)